Shirley Reva Vernick

It is difficult to believe how much Shirley Reva Vernick has packed into a slim, 156-page novel. Ostensibly a story about how Johnny, a teenaged boy, adapts when he is forced to watch his autistic cousin, Remember (Mem, for short), during much of his summer vacation, Vernick has also added budding romances, a local mystery, a neighborhood bully, a "new girl," and several small-scale disastrous events. The many subplots tie nicely together to create a fast-paced book with humor, drama, and a show more keen understanding of the challenges and benefits of autism. If you don't believe there are benefits to autism, I direct you immediately to Sy Montgomery's Temple Grandin.

While Aunt Collette toils at 7-11, Johnny soon learns that unkept promises or changes to Mem's routine are likely to spark a tantrum, but he also learns, with some amount of envy, that Remember is supremely happy in his life. He speaks without a social filter, saying whatever he thinks; he has a gift for excellence at video games; and generally, he truly enjoys his life and the people and animals within it.

Unlike Siobhan Dowd's The London Eye Mystery (Random 2008), which is narrated by its autistic protagonist, Remember Dippy's narrator is Johnny. Mem, however, plays a major part in Remember Dippy and has a well-developed character that eventually assists Johnny in developing one of his own,

"The guys and I ate ourselves silly on shortcake - well, Mem only ate the whipped cream part, the same way he eats Twinkies. In between mouthfuls, he sang along with the band at the top of his lungs, even though he didn't know the lyrics, even though he couldn't carry a tune. ...

At first, I pretended I didn't know him, but that was pretty impossible since he was either right next to me or calling me every other minute. So I decided to ignore the people who were looking at us funny and just have fun tossing around the Frisbee Mo had brought. It's a free country, after all - Mem could sing if he wanted. And he did want. Finally, when it got too buggy for comfort, we called it a night."

The cover is rather unfortunate, though it's difficult to say what image might have made a better choice. Don't choose a book by its cover. Short, sweet, fast-moving, and informative, give Remember Dippy a try for its positive look at autism.

(Advance Reader Copy)
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The synopsis above essentially says it all. The Blood Lie is a rather short, extremely realistic, look at one Jewish boy's first look into what is now commonly termed "Religisim". When Daisy goes missing the townspeople look for someone to blame, and Jack becomes their target. Jack is shown that his religion can trigger people to hate him and it changes his whole perception of life.

What I did enjoy about Shirley Reva Vernick's take on these actual events is how innocent she shows Jack to show more really be. From the beginning of the story, his whole thought process is basically focused on Emaline and his music. Jack has big dreams. He hopes to remove himself from his tiny town. His thoughts are pure, and rather adorable at times. Then, when everything takes a turn for the worse, you can easily see how much it affects his psyche. Poor Jack. Just an innocent boy who is thrown into the middle of a blood libel.

Everything else about The Blood Lie was pretty cut and dry though. It read less like Historical Fiction to me, and more like Non-Fiction. I know that Vernick obviously had to make Jack's character a lot more vivid than the original story would have. Still, there is very little to the story that is overly dramatic or exciting. It moves at a nice pace, slowly inching along to the end. When I got there I was a little underwhelmed. I'm glad I read this. It provided me with new knowledge. However I didn't feel anything besides that about this book.

Truth be told this probably just wasn't a book geared for a reader like me. There is nothing wrong with the writing in The Blood Lie, or with the characters, or even with the pacing. It's just that the story is so realistic that it lost the wow factor that my fantasy based brain clings to. Therefore I still highly recommend this to others! If you like a realistic story line, if you are a fan of historically based books, this is one for you. show less

The Blood Lie
It’s September 22, 1928, and sixteen-year-old Jack Pool is itching to leave his small town in upstate New York. A talented cellist, he has an audition at the Bentley School of Music in three days. Acceptance to the elite boarding school will be his ticket out of Massena. It will also mean leaving behind the girl that he knows he can never have: Jack is Jewish, and Emaline Durham is Christian.
In the opening pages of “The Blood Lie: A Novel,” by Shirley Reva Vernick (Cinco show more Puntos Press, 2011), we learn the connection between the two: their mothers had become friends as newlywed brides recently moved to Massena. The mothers’ unlikely friendship—and a such a close relationship between Jewish and Christian women was unlikely in a small town at that time—spawned a friendship between their children as well. But when Emaline’s four-year-old sister Daisy goes missing after playing with Jack’s little sister, Jack finds himself the prime suspect in her disappearance.
It is two days before Yom Kippur, the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews, and someone in town with a definite interest in the case has revived the centuries-old lie that Jews sacrifice Christian children for their rituals—the blood libel.
“The Blood Lie” is based on a true story, which is described in an author’s note at the end. As a sophomore in college, Vernick was given the assignment of identifying a local controversy—past or present—in her hometown, and writing a paper about the outcome. This is her interpretation of the story that she uncovered.
Vernick’s afterward also makes the point that the blood libel has not died. Stories of the Jewish sacrifice of Christian children persist, with a 2008 campaign in a Russian city claiming that Jews were “stealing small children and draining their blood to make their sacred bread.”
The book is not without its flaws. I found the ending a bit too abrupt. What’s more, after Daisy was found—safe, if a little unsound—there was speculation that the little girl had been molested, prompting some of the townsmen to vow that they would take their revenge on the Jews. I fully expected a dramatic confrontation, but oddly enough, there was none.
Still, “The Blood Lie” is an engrossing story of forbidden love, terrifying bigotry, and, eventually, forgiveness. The rabbi in particular has some graphic remembrances that would be disturbing to younger readers, but this book is appropriate to middle grade and young adult readers. And honestly? Adults, too.

This review originally appeared in the Sunday, November 20 edition of The News-Gazette. The review copy was supplied by the publisher. show less

Thirteen year-old Johnny’s summer job is babysitting his autistic older cousin, Remember (Mem, for short) Dippy. The job turns into a real friendship as the two deal with bullies, emergencies, interest in girls, and local mysteries together. This funny, fast-paced book shares the challenges of Autism, but also highlights its benefits.