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I’m a fan of novels with plucky ‘tween-aged girl protagonists. “The Trouble with Goats and Sheep�� features ten-year-old Grace, whose innocent observations made me laugh out loud. The story opens with a neighbor, Mrs. Creasy, missing. There is much speculation in the neighborhood about whether she was killed; abducted, or just plain ran away. Grace and her best friend Tilly are interested in the strange disappearance of Mrs. Creasy. Grace’s mother is afflicted with nerves and needs a few “lie-ins�� throughout the day. Mrs. Morton, a neighbor takes care of Grace when her mother needs theses rests. It is on the Sunday after Mrs. Creasy goes missing, that Grace and Mrs. Morton attend church. Grace has decided that she is going to ask God to find Mrs. Creasy. They sit up front so God can hear them better.

“I didn’t understand much of what the vicar was talking about, but he smiled at me from time to time, and I tried to look sinless and interested.��

From that Sunday sermon, Grace gathered that if God was in a community, then everyone would be safe and found. So the novel begins as two ten-year-old girls attempt to find God in their community.

Grace and Tilly’s observations of the adults around them are delightful and tragic. Through their eyes, the reader learns of the duplicity of adult views and actions. The story is also advanced through other characters in the novel. It is clear that all the neighbors harbor secrets and are fallible.

The novel is both sad and amusing, as is life. As the girls pursue their quest of finding God, human frailties�� are uncovered, mostly with sympathy. This is a fun read for those times you just want to see another side to character flaws.