Shirley Reva Vernick

In 1928 in Massena, New York, Jewish sixteen-year-old Jack Pool, in love with his Christian neighbor, is accused of killling her little sister for a blood sacrifice.

A Novel

The Blood Lie

A middle grade novel of historical fiction explores a true story of the only WWII casualties in the continental U.S. Nellie and Tamiko live on opposite sides of the world, on opposite sides of World War II. In rural Oregon, Nellie passes the time laying under the stars, wishing for her Pa to come back home, and for Joey, her next door neighbor to talk to her like they used to before his brother was killed in the war. In southern Japan, Tamiko passes the time writing in her diary, hoping one day she can work in the theater making costumes, and praying her brother Kyo will make it back home from fighting. Thousands of miles apart, the two girls share the same wish, for the war to be over. When the Japanese military recruits young girls for a secret project, Nellie and Tamiko's lives become even more directly linked. Tamiko and her classmates are tasked with making paper balloons. The work is arduous and relentless, and no one has told the girls how the balloons will help the military, but Tamiko believes she is doing her part to help Japan win and end the war once and for all. Nellie tries to do her part by rationing and working in salvage drives--though times are lean, and she worries for her father, the war feels worlds away. Until a paper balloon makes its way to her hometown. Based on Japan's Project Fu-Go during the last stretch of WWII, Falling Stars uses the alternating perspectives of Nellie and Tamiko to depict the back and forth tragedies of two countries at war. Although worlds apart, both girls understand that in a time of uncertainty and fear, blind hate for the "enemy" leaves a heavier heart and more debris. Falling Stars weaves real history with unforgettable characters who must deal with war and hatred right alongside friendship, first love, and family. Shirley Reva Vernick's interviews and feature articles have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Ladies' Home Journal, national newspapers, and the publications of Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Boston University. She also runs a popular storytelling website, storybee.org, which is used in schools, libraries, hospitals, and homes all over the world. Shirley graduated from Cornell University, majoring in Economics and Nutrition, and is an alumna of the Radcliffe Writing Seminars. Her previous works include The Blood Lie, Remember Dippy, and The Black Butterfly. She's won the Simon Wiesenthal Once Upon a World Children's Book Award, the Skipping Stone Honor, Langum Prize for American Historical Fiction, Director's Mention, the Sydney Taylor Book Award Silver Medal, and was listed as an ALA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Falling Stars

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 America—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 handsome 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. Shirley Reva Vernick is rapidly becoming the new hot item in young adult fiction. Her first novel, The Blood Lie, won the Simon Wiesenthal Children's Book Award, was silver medalist for the Sydney Taylor Book Award, and was an ALA 2012 Best Book for Young Adults. Her second novel, Remember Dippy—a feel good adventure about a fourteen-year-old boy shepherding his older autistic cousin through his summer vacation—was released in spring 2013 and won the Dolly Gray Literature Award from the Council For Exceptional Children. This time around, Shirley wanted to let loose with a page-turning coming-of-age romance mixed with ghosts and adventure. Shirley is the creator of the much visited storytelling website storybee.org. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

The Black Butterfly

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.

Ripped Away

A middle grade novel of historical fiction explores a true story of the only WWII casualties in the continental U.S.

Nellie and Tamiko live on opposite sides of the world, on opposite sides of World War II. In rural Oregon, Nellie passes the time lying under the stars, wishing for her Pa to come back home, and for Joey, her next door neighbor to talk to her like they used to before his brother was killed in the war. In southern Japan, Tamiko passes the time writing in her diary, hoping one day she can work in the theater making costumes, and praying her brother Kyo will make it back home from fighting. Thousands of miles apart, the two girls share the same wish, for the war to be over. When the Japanese military recruits young girls for a secret project, Nellie and Tamiko’s lives become even more directly linked.

Tamiko and her classmates are tasked with making paper balloons. The work is arduous and relentless, and no one has told the girls how the balloons will help the military, but Tamiko believes she is doing her part to help Japan win and end the war once and for all. Nellie tries to do her part by rationing and working in salvage drives―though times are lean, and she worries for her father, the war feels worlds away. Until a paper balloon makes its way to her hometown.

Based on Japan’s Project Fu-Go during the last stretch of WWII, Falling Stars uses the alternating perspectives of Nellie and Tamiko to depict the back and forth tragedies of two countries at war. Although worlds apart, both girls understand that in a time of uncertainty and fear, blind hate for the “enemy” leaves a heavier heart and more debris. Falling Stars weaves real history with unforgettable characters who must deal with war and hatred right alongside friendship, first love, and family.

Shirley Reva Vernick’s interviews and feature articles have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Ladies’ Home Journal, national newspapers, and the publications of Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Boston University. She also runs a popular storytelling website, storybee.org, which is used in schools, libraries, hospitals, and homes all over the world. Shirley graduated from Cornell University, majoring in Economics and Nutrition, and is an alumna of the Radcliffe Writing Seminars. Her previous works include The Blood Lie, Remember Dippy, and The Black Butterfly. She’s won the Simon Wiesenthal Once Upon a World Children’s Book Award, the Skipping Stone Honor, Langum Prize for American Historical Fiction, Director’s Mention, the Sydney Taylor Book Award Silver Medal, and was listed as an ALA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Shirley Reva Vernick

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