Ripped Away
Ignored yet again by his crush, Abe Pearlman wanders into Fortunes and Futures for a little diversion. The fortune teller reveals that Abe may be able to save someone’s life. But before he can ask any questions, he’s swept to the slums of Victorian London, where he finds that his crush, Mitzy Singer, has also been banished.
Abe and Mitzy soon discover that they’ve been plunked down in the middle of the Jack the Ripper spree. To get back home, they’ll have to work together to figure out how the fortune teller’s prophecy is connected to one of history’s most notorious criminal cases. They’ll also have to survive the outpouring of hate toward Jewish refugees that the Ripper murders triggered.
Ripped Away is based on real historical events, including the Ripper crimes, the inquests, and the accusations against immigrants.
Recognition for Ripped Away:
Anne Blankman, National Jewish Book Award-winning author of The Blackbird Girls and Prisoner of Night and Fog: “An engrossing adventure. From the moment Abe and Mitzy are swept back in time to the infamous Jack the Ripper murders, readers will clamor to find out what happens next.”
Dianne Salerni, author of Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts: “Vernick’s clever use of a modern voice as foil for the Ripper’s infamous murders perfectly complements the burgeoning friendship between time-displaced tweens amidst nineteenth century poverty and persecution.”
Jeff Zentner, Morris Award-winning author ofThe Serpent King: “A crackingly good, gaslit, time-travel mystery packed with rich historical detail that also shines an important light on a lesser-known episode of anti-Semitism. This is the sort of book that makes lifelong readers out of reluctant ones.”
The Sky We Shared
June 7, 2022
Nellie and Tamiko live on opposite sides of the world, on opposite sides of WWII. What could they possibly have in common?
In rural Oregon, Nellie waits for her father to come home from the army, filling her days with salvage drives, a secret crush, rationing, and annoying twin brothers. In southern Japan, Tamiko finds a secret way to support her country’s war effort while her brother goes off to fight the Americans. Nellie’s and Tamiko’s spheres couldn’t be more different … until their worlds collide in shocking, life-changing ways. Based on true events, The Sky We Shared weaves real history with unforgettable characters who must deal with war and hatred right alongside friendship, first love, and family.
Recognition for The Sky We Shared:
Margi Preus, Newbery Honor-winning author of Heart of a Samurai: “In this extraordinary story inspired by a little-known incident during WWII, Vernick brings to life the hardship, trauma, loneliness and longing of two girls enduring the same war from worlds apart, yet with hope and the resilience of the human spirit always shining through, bright as stars against the night sky.”
Robert Sharenow, Emmy-winning producer and Sydney Taylor Award-winning author of The Berlin Boxing Club: “Combining rich historical detail and urgent emotional drama, Vernick has created a unique and powerful coming-of-age story set against a complex and little-known chapter in America's war with Japan.”
Janet Fox, SCBWI Crystal Kite Award-winning author of The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle: “The Sky We Shared is a moving and beautifully researched story, rich with period detail, about two teen girls – one American, one Japanese – on either side of the Pacific in the latter days of World War 2. Readers will be captivated by the unique, powerful voices of Nellie and Tamiko as the girls discover through their experiences of family, tragedy, patriotism, and propaganda that hatred is not a cure for loss.”
The Blood Lie
One autumn afternoon in 1928, a Christian girl disappeared near her home in a small upstate New York town. By chance, it was the day before Yom Kippur. Someone started a rumor: that the Jews had kidnapped the child, murdered her, and drained her blood to use in their holiday foods. People bought the lie. The police bought the lie. And they decided to take action.
This is the true story of the blood libel that happened in Massena, NY, just a few years before Hitler took power in Germany and began using the blood libel to help justify the oppression and ultimate slaughter of the Jewish people. The Blood Lie is a novel inspired by the events in Massena. Delving into the minds of both the perpetrators and the casualties, it’s a story about hate crimes and loving acts, despair and hope, loss and redemption.
Recognition for The Blood Lie:
Best Fiction Books for Young People, American Library Association
Winner, Once Upon a World Book Award, Simon Wiesenthal Center & Museum of Tolerance
Honor Book, Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Award
Directors Mention, Langum Prize for American Historical Fiction
Honor Book, Los Angeles Unified School District Awards
Honor Book, Skipping Stones Awards
Kirkus Reviews: “…the slim novel effectively mines layers of ignorance, fear, intolerance and manipulation, and it connects the incident to Henry Ford’s anti-Semitic writing and to the lynching of Jewish businessman Leo Frank in 1915.”
Publishers Weekly: “The authentic depictions of a community driven to false accusations based on paranoid assumptions and prejudice has contemporary relevance…Vernick maintains a thread of cautious optimism, by way of characters who acknowledge the insidious reality of anti-Semitism, while refusing to have their personal relationships tainted by it.”
Remember Dippy
Twelve-year-old Johnny’s perfect summer plans fly out the window when he learns he must spend his vacation helping out with his autistic older cousin, Remember. At first, Johnny’s premonitions of disaster come to cringeworthy fruition as he gets into trouble with everyone, including the new Goth girl, the neighborhood bully, and his crush. But when the two boys save the local jock from drowning, salvage the pizzeria guy’s romance, rescue an injured octogenarian, and share girl troubles, Johnny ends up having the summer of his life. He also discovers a new friend in his cousin, as well as an appreciation for what really matters in a person.
Packed with suspenseful plotting and engaging characters–including a secret friend, a couple of clever ferrets, and a hairdresser-in-training–Remember Dippy explores the continuum of human differences with humor and heart. Between helpings of mouthwatering shortcake, mysterious disappearances, and mischievous wordplay, readers will discover the rich potential of unexpected, even improbable friendships.
Recognition for Remember Dippy:
The Council for Exceptional Children’s Dolly Gray Literature Award
Skipping Stones Honor Award
Kirkus Reviews: “Vernick displays both tenderness and humor in her story about an unusual relationship. By throwing challenges in the way of authentic, fully-formed characters, she invites readers to question assumptions about what young people are capable of, and she shows how willing they often are to view the world from a new perspective. An enjoyable and provocative exploration of the clash between ‘normal’ and ‘different’ and how similar the two really are.”
Special Needs Book Review: “Remember Dippy fits perfectly into the world of Autism media and is an effective method for children to get a view of what acceptance and friendship can be. Remember Dippy is an endearing story that answers the question, ‘How do you make friends with somebody so different?’”
The Black Butterfly
Penny is furious, and who can blame her? She has to spend Christmas break alone at the Black Butterfly, an old inn at the coldest, bleakest edge of the country—the coast of Maine. This “vacation” is the brainchild of Penny’s flaky mother, who’s on the other side of the country hunting ghosts. Penny most definitely does not believe in spirits. Or love. Or family. Until, that is, she discovers two very real apparitions which only she can see…and meets George, the strangely alluring son of the inn’s owner…and crashes into some staggering family secrets. If only Ghost Girl didn’t want Penny dead. If only George were the tiniest bit open to believing. If only she could tell her mother. Then maybe this could still be a vacation. But it’s not. It’s a race for her life, her first love, and her sanity.
Recognition for The Black Butterfly:
Junior Library Guild Selection
WPL Teens Review: “If you loved ghosts and discovery, this will be the book for you.”
Youth Services Book Reviews: “This is a unique story about holding on and letting go, about hope and forgiveness, and about ghosts and their stories.”
The Show Me Librarian: “This book is highly enjoyable and hits all the right notes for a teen reader. Penny's voice rings so true, bouncing back and forth between anger, intrigue, excitement, gratefulness, and everything in between. The plot has great variety, too, with a few unexpected ghosts, slowly-revealed family histories, and the forging of new friendships. All of these aspects are well balanced, with nothing feeling out of place or overdone. The bed and breakfast is well-drawn, adding a great sense of place to the story.”