Dial Leroi Rupert Dj.

by Jamie Gilson, John Wallner (Illustrator)

Desperate to pay back 50 dollars they owe, three 12-year-olds form a jazz combo and then receive some surprising assistance from a local disc jockey.

126 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1979

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars -- This story of three boys - Mitch McDandel (the narrator) and best friends, Aaron Colby & Leonard 'Lenny' Barker - and their effort to raise money to pay for damages caused during a disastrous lawn care experience is good, sometimes laughingly good. I especially love the radio station WOGR and its use of its call letters - OGRE, anyone? - as well as the radio DJ, Leroi Rupert, & the hilarious way that he is drawn into the plot of the story.

BUT,
1) It is dated (the numerous times the word 'jive' is used - are you jiving me? - though that would be a great discussion point).
2) The boys are ruthlessly bullied on the train to Chicago & no one steps in.
3) I am not a fan of what they did to owe the money (purposefully drove dogs & a cat crazy because they didn't like the owner).
4) That said owner never really gets a comeuppance for her horrible attitude.

With no checkout history and my library being the only one - district or public - to have this title, #32 in the 2026 Search & Purge is weeded. Farewell.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamie Gilson is one of those authors on my short list of Juv. Lit. writers that I love but that only I seem to have heard of (the other one being Helen Cresswell). I read Gilson's books over and over again as a child because they manage to not only be hilarious, but genuine as well. My favorites of hers will always be the Hobie Hanson books, though - even though I still like this one, I always know the part with the hat is coming up, and it makes me cringe.