Remember Dippy

May 1, 2013
Summer is supposed to be about lazy days, but for Johnny, summer doesn't quite turn out the way he expects. When his mother gets a job in upstate New York, too far from Hull, Vt., for commuting, rising freshman Johnny is sent to live with his aunt and her son for the summer. This wouldn't be so bad except that his cousin, Remember Dippy, isn't like other kids--his name is just the start. He likes his days to follow a certain order, and the introduction of excitement often has disastrous results. Johnny, on the other hand, enjoys the occasional adventure, especially when a certain pretty girl is a part of it. Despite Remember's reluctance, risky escapades seem to find the two cousins: A pet ferret goes missing, a close friend suffers a fall, and a new love interest might change Remember's life in ways he doesn't even suspect. Author of the Sydney Taylor Honor-winning The Blood Lie (2011), 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. (Fiction. 12-15)

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September 1, 2013

Gr 5-8-School is out for summer and Johnny can't wait to enjoy pizza lunches, trips to the lake, and video-game marathons with his friends. Then his mother drops the news: she'll be spending the summer in New York for work and Johnny will be staying with his aunt, taking care of his older, autistic cousin. Remember is different from other teenagers-he doesn't like to be touched, he loves to watch the Weather Channel, he often doesn't know what's socially appropriate. While Remember's mom is at work at the local 7-11, it falls to Johnny to keep an eye on him (and his two ferrets, Jumbalaya and Linguini). Several adventures ensue, and what starts out as a burden ends up being an opportunity for Johnny to learn how to beat previously unbeatable game levels (turns out that Remember is a video-game genius), and how to look for the good in others. Vernick populates Johnny and Remember's town with quirky versions of classic characters, from bullies to curmudgeons with hearts of gold. Although the secondary characters are a bit thinly developed and the plot twists a bit predictable, the author captures an important part of growing up-that time when young people first start to see beyond their own perspectives and really understand the people around them.-Gesse Stark-Smith, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2013
Grades 5-8 No, it's not a rallying cry. Remember Dippy is the name of a 16-year-old autistic boy whose eccentricities are about to overwhelm 14-year-old Johnny. When Johnny's mom goes away for the summer, Johnny has to live with quirky Aunt Collette and exhausting Remember, aka Mem, aka Mr. Literal, aka Mr. Tag-Along, aka the Dipp. With Mem's penchant to repetition, obsession with the Weather Channel, and frequent hissy fits, Johnny can barely concentrate on his major goals: hanging with his buds and catching the attention of the beautiful Jo. As you might expect, the boys gradually come to accept each other, with Mem's robotic talents helping Johnny win video games, fend off Dirk the Jerk, befriend a mean mutt, and more. There are few surprises in this gentle, jokey read, and the series of dramas that conclude the book seem to pop up out of nowhere. Mem himself remains a mystery, but it's clear why Johnny comes to appreciate him: Life would be a lot easier if people said what they mean, the way Mem does. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
Johnny spends the summer with his aunt Collette and "wired differently" older cousin named Remember Dippy. A lost ferret, missing diamond ring, bully, crush, a girl with extreme hairstyles avoiding her dysfunctional family, a grumpy injured neighbor, two teetering adult romances--it's too much for any one book, and everything is resolved much too neatly. Quirky supporting characters may appeal to some readers.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)