Module 4: Dead End in Norvelt

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Book Summary: Jack finds himself in for what he assumes will be a boring summer after he finds himself grounded for mowing over his mom's corn to make room for his father's airplane runway. The only time he is allowed out is to help the elderly Miss Volker, who has arthritis, write the obituaries of the original town inhabitants, of which she is one. Throughout the summer, Jack learns the stories of the people who lived in the town and learns more history of the town from Miss Volker, as well as dealing with Hells Angels, a vicious biker gang, helping his dad build an airplane runway, and trying to squeeze in some time to play baseball with Bunny, his best friend.

APA Reference of the Book: Gantos, J. (2011). Dead end in Norvelt. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Impressions: This book is one that I chose to read simply because I was curious about the title. When I realized the book was about a kid growing up in a small town, I could relate to that since I grew up in a small town myself, albeit not at the same time the story is set in. Throughout the book, the characters were what brought the story alive. I never ceased to be entertained by Miss Volker's opinionated views and thoughtful obituaries, and I never stopped sympathizing with Jack's feeling of unfairness about being grounded in the first place (he was following his dad's instructions to mow down the corn, even if his mom was very against it). In many ways the book effectively captures small town life, from being able to walk or ride a bike just about anywhere to the way that neighbors know each other and help out when things go wrong. Similarly, the way Jack grows throughout the story and changes in his thinking is interesting to see. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others.

Professional Review: "A bit of autobiography works its way into all of Gantos's work, but he one-ups himself in this wildly entertaining meld of truth and fiction by naming the main character… Jackie Gantos. Like the author, Jackie lives for a time in Norvelt, a real Pennsylvania town created during the Great Depression and based on the socialist idea of community farming. Presumably (hopefully?) the truth mostly ends there, because Jackie's summer of 1962 begins badly: plagued by frequent and explosive nosebleeds, Jackie is assigned to take dictation for the arthritic obituary writer, Miss Volker, and kept alarmingly busy by elderly residents dying in rapid succession. Then the Hells Angels roll in. Gore is a Gantos hallmark but the squeamish are forewarned that Jackie spends much of the book with blood pouring down his face and has a run-in with home cauterization. Gradually, Jackie learns to face death and his fears straight on while absorbing Miss Volker's theories about the importance of knowing history. "The reason you remind yourself of the stupid stuff you've done in the past is so you don't do it again." Memorable in every way. Ages 10-14."

[Review of Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos]. (2011). Publisher's Weekly, 258(30), p. 54-55. Retrieved from: http://www.publishersweekly.com/

Library Use: This book could be included in a display of Newbery winners to show students some of the books that have won the award. It could also be included in a display of books that are centered around the theme of remembering the past.