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Norvelt #1
Dead End in Norvelt
Dead End in Norvelt is the winner of the 2012 Newbery Medal for the year's best contribution to children's literature and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction!
Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is "grounded for life" by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack's way once his mom loans him out to help a feisty old neighbor with a most unusual chore―typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launched on a strange adventure involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels . . . and possibly murder.
Endlessly surprising, this sly, sharp-edged narrative is the author at his very best, making readers laugh out loud at the most unexpected things in a dead-funny depiction of growing up in a slightly off-kilter place where the past is present, the present is confusing, and the future is completely up in the air.
Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is "grounded for life" by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack's way once his mom loans him out to help a feisty old neighbor with a most unusual chore―typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launched on a strange adventure involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels . . . and possibly murder.
Endlessly surprising, this sly, sharp-edged narrative is the author at his very best, making readers laugh out loud at the most unexpected things in a dead-funny depiction of growing up in a slightly off-kilter place where the past is present, the present is confusing, and the future is completely up in the air.
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 2011
688 people are currently reading
17125 people want to read
About the author
Jack Gantos
81 books551 followersJack Gantos is an American author of children's books renowned for his portrayal of fictional Joey Pigza, a boy with ADHD, and many other well known characters such as Rotten Ralph, Jack Henry, Jack Gantos (memoirs) and others. Gantos has won a number of awards, including the Newbery, the Newbery Honor, the Scott O'Dell Award, the Printz Honor, and the Sibert Honor from the American Library Association, and he has been a finalist for the National Book Award.
Gantos was born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania to son of construction superintendent John Gantos and banker Elizabeth (Weaver) Gantos. The seeds for Jack Gantos' writing career were planted in sixth grade, when he read his sister's diary and decided he could write better than she could. Born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and raised in Barbados and South Florida, Mr. Gantos began collecting anecdotes in grade school and later gathered them into stories.
After his senior year in high school (where he lived in a welfare motel) he moved to a Caribbean island (St Croix) and began to train as a builder. He soon realized that construction was not his forté and started saving for college. While in St. Croix he met a drug smuggler and was offered a chance to make 10 000 dollars by sailing to New York with 2,000 pounds of hash. With an English eccentric captain on board they set off to the big city. Once there they hung out at the Chelsea hotel and Gantos carried on dreaming about college. Then, in Jacks own words, "The **** hit the fan" and the F.B.I. burst in on him. He managed to escape and hid out in the very same welfare motel he was living during high school. However, he saw sense and turned himself in. He was sentenced to six years in prison, which he describes in his novel -HOLE IN MY LIFE-. However, after a year and a half in prison he applied to college, was accepted. He was released from prison, entered college, and soon began his writing career.
He received his BFA and his MA both from Emerson College. While in college, Jack began working on picture books with an illustrator friend. In 1976, they published their first book, Rotten Ralph. Mr. Gantos continued writing children's books and began teaching courses in children's book writing. He developed the master's degree program in children's book writing at Emerson College in Boston. In 1995 he resigned his tenured position in order to further his writing career (which turned out to be a great decision).
He married art dealer Anne A. Lower on November 11, 1989. The couple has one child, Mabel, and they live in Boston, Massachusetts.
www.jackgantos.com
Gantos was born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania to son of construction superintendent John Gantos and banker Elizabeth (Weaver) Gantos. The seeds for Jack Gantos' writing career were planted in sixth grade, when he read his sister's diary and decided he could write better than she could. Born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and raised in Barbados and South Florida, Mr. Gantos began collecting anecdotes in grade school and later gathered them into stories.
After his senior year in high school (where he lived in a welfare motel) he moved to a Caribbean island (St Croix) and began to train as a builder. He soon realized that construction was not his forté and started saving for college. While in St. Croix he met a drug smuggler and was offered a chance to make 10 000 dollars by sailing to New York with 2,000 pounds of hash. With an English eccentric captain on board they set off to the big city. Once there they hung out at the Chelsea hotel and Gantos carried on dreaming about college. Then, in Jacks own words, "The **** hit the fan" and the F.B.I. burst in on him. He managed to escape and hid out in the very same welfare motel he was living during high school. However, he saw sense and turned himself in. He was sentenced to six years in prison, which he describes in his novel -HOLE IN MY LIFE-. However, after a year and a half in prison he applied to college, was accepted. He was released from prison, entered college, and soon began his writing career.
He received his BFA and his MA both from Emerson College. While in college, Jack began working on picture books with an illustrator friend. In 1976, they published their first book, Rotten Ralph. Mr. Gantos continued writing children's books and began teaching courses in children's book writing. He developed the master's degree program in children's book writing at Emerson College in Boston. In 1995 he resigned his tenured position in order to further his writing career (which turned out to be a great decision).
He married art dealer Anne A. Lower on November 11, 1989. The couple has one child, Mabel, and they live in Boston, Massachusetts.
www.jackgantos.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,612 reviews
March 8, 2012
Dead End in Norvelt was selected as the 2012 Newbery Award Winner. About ten years ago, I made (and met!) a goal to read all the Newbery Award winning books from the inception of the award in 1922 to that date. Since that time, I look forward to the announcement of the year's Newbery winner so that I can read it and keep my achievement current. Winners of this prestigious award are quite often remarkable literary works (as one might expect), but sometimes the selected book makes me shake my head and wonder what the Newbery selection committee could possibly have been thinking. Unfortunately, Dead End in Norvelt falls into the latter category.
This book belongs in a genre that might be called "how-can-we-get-boys-to-read," complete with fart jokes and baby-talk cursing (cheeze us crust). It is peppered with historical "facts" of dubious authenticity. On page 214, Gantos even has Mrs. Volker, the character spouting most of the "history," tell Jack "If you don't know your history you won't know the difference between the truth and wishful thinking." When Jack wants to know whether what she had told him is truth or wishful thinking, she tells him "Look it up for yourself."
Speaking of research, Gantos has one of the minor characters selling Girl Scout Cookies. The year is 1962, and he has the girl quote a price of 20 cents per box. Ten seconds of research would have been sufficient to determine that the price per box of Girl Scout Thin Mints was 50 cents in the late 1950s and early 1960s. To further expose his ignorance of Girl Scout cookie sales, he later states that this girl is selling the cookies to make money for her family. That's just sloppy, lazy writing.
One final irritation: the author, Jack Gantos, has named his main character...wait for it...Jack Gantos! Is this work of fiction meant to be autobiographical (Lord, I hope not), or is Gantos just that egotistical?
It's a good thing I have had practice as a Cubs fan, because the only thing I can say about the Newbery Award is "Wait 'til next year!"
This book belongs in a genre that might be called "how-can-we-get-boys-to-read," complete with fart jokes and baby-talk cursing (cheeze us crust). It is peppered with historical "facts" of dubious authenticity. On page 214, Gantos even has Mrs. Volker, the character spouting most of the "history," tell Jack "If you don't know your history you won't know the difference between the truth and wishful thinking." When Jack wants to know whether what she had told him is truth or wishful thinking, she tells him "Look it up for yourself."
Speaking of research, Gantos has one of the minor characters selling Girl Scout Cookies. The year is 1962, and he has the girl quote a price of 20 cents per box. Ten seconds of research would have been sufficient to determine that the price per box of Girl Scout Thin Mints was 50 cents in the late 1950s and early 1960s. To further expose his ignorance of Girl Scout cookie sales, he later states that this girl is selling the cookies to make money for her family. That's just sloppy, lazy writing.
One final irritation: the author, Jack Gantos, has named his main character...wait for it...Jack Gantos! Is this work of fiction meant to be autobiographical (Lord, I hope not), or is Gantos just that egotistical?
It's a good thing I have had practice as a Cubs fan, because the only thing I can say about the Newbery Award is "Wait 'til next year!"
February 28, 2023
There are authors you suspect must be dead. Face it, when you haven’t heard anything from an author in years, you think they must have passed on and perhaps you just missed seeing the obit.
I thought Jack Gantos was dead. Well, I thought he was dead until I saw him at last fall’s Texas Book Festival, alive, amazingly, with Elvis Costello glasses and shirt and pants, like was an image straight from the Kennedy sixties. Oddly, he wasn’t a geezer, either, just a older fellow, very close to my own age.
He’d just come out with a new Rotten Ralph book and I thought that was it. Then I heard a fan congratulate him on his new YA novel, raving about it in the way that readers often do when confronted with a book author, so I wasn’t terribly sure whether the new book was really worth seeking out. After all, I’d never even checked out any of the Joey Pigza books; I really think I’d forgotten Jack Gantos was even connected with them.
And then Dead End in Norvelt wins the Newbery this week. Then it’s a done deal; I read every Newbery.
It came in for me at the library yesterday and I immediately started to read.
What a yummy book. Hilariously funny in a Richard Peck-ish, A Christmas Story-ish kind of way. You’ve got your main character, a boy Jack Gantos imaginatively names Jack Gantos, living in a town named Norvelt, the town Gantos actually grew up in, in the early sixties, who manages to shoot off a Japanese rifle from WWII and get himself grounded for the entire summer. His parents only give him dispensation to help out an arthritic old lady with her obituary writing for the paper. But this kid somehow, during the course of this summer, meets up with the Hells Angels, a funeral home, murders, digs a bomb shelter, drops water balloons from a vintage plane, gets his blood-dripping nose cauterized, and writes the most incredibly interesting obituaries I’ve ever seen.
Crazy-funny.
I thought Jack Gantos was dead. Well, I thought he was dead until I saw him at last fall’s Texas Book Festival, alive, amazingly, with Elvis Costello glasses and shirt and pants, like was an image straight from the Kennedy sixties. Oddly, he wasn’t a geezer, either, just a older fellow, very close to my own age.
He’d just come out with a new Rotten Ralph book and I thought that was it. Then I heard a fan congratulate him on his new YA novel, raving about it in the way that readers often do when confronted with a book author, so I wasn’t terribly sure whether the new book was really worth seeking out. After all, I’d never even checked out any of the Joey Pigza books; I really think I’d forgotten Jack Gantos was even connected with them.
And then Dead End in Norvelt wins the Newbery this week. Then it’s a done deal; I read every Newbery.
It came in for me at the library yesterday and I immediately started to read.
What a yummy book. Hilariously funny in a Richard Peck-ish, A Christmas Story-ish kind of way. You’ve got your main character, a boy Jack Gantos imaginatively names Jack Gantos, living in a town named Norvelt, the town Gantos actually grew up in, in the early sixties, who manages to shoot off a Japanese rifle from WWII and get himself grounded for the entire summer. His parents only give him dispensation to help out an arthritic old lady with her obituary writing for the paper. But this kid somehow, during the course of this summer, meets up with the Hells Angels, a funeral home, murders, digs a bomb shelter, drops water balloons from a vintage plane, gets his blood-dripping nose cauterized, and writes the most incredibly interesting obituaries I’ve ever seen.
Crazy-funny.
October 31, 2011
I got impatient with this about halfway through. Occasional moments of clever brilliance, but Newbery-wise, I can't see this standing out in a field that includes Okay For Now. Also, the punk kid with quirky elderly neighbor plot ought to be locked in the vault for the next ten years or so.
February 7, 2024
✰ 2 stars ✰
“When the sun goes down each day it turns its back on the present and steps into the past,” she started with a strong, even voice, “but it is never dead. History is a form of nature, like the mountains and sea and sky {...}
Every living soul is a book of their own history, which sits on the ever-growing shelf in the library of human memories.”
Were it not for the fact that I was continuing my trend of reading the recipients of the Newbery Award, I probably would have never considered reading Dead End in Norvelt. And having read it, I am surprised that it did actually receive it, considering how I felt that it didn't quite serve as a middle grade read - add to the fact that the dead in the title plays such a pivotal part to the plot that I couldn't bring myself to really enjoy it as much as I should have.
“Norvelt was built so that families would have a fresh start in life, but now those people are old as the hills and the longer they hang on the less likely it is this town will survive.”
Set in the ancient sleepy town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack spends his summer grounded for an accident that literally backfired on him, which results in him being assigned to assist his elderly neighbor, Miss Volker with various unusual chores around the house, along with the task of typing out obituaries for their town newspaper, as the number of elderly people starts to escalate at an increasingly rapid pace. And while battling nose bleeds and chasing down varmints, he learns a little bit about the impact of history and the meaning of life.
So I'm going to be as gentle as I can with my thoughts, because as far as Middle Grade reads go, it definitely falls into a category that is not just unpleasant, but rather odd. 🙍🏻♀️If anything, I would have been much more accommodating, if this had been labeled as literary fiction instead - where it's a young narrator paired off with an older character and learning about the meaning of life, given the fact that not only was there only one other character close to the protagonists' age, but so much of the plot was focused on death, itself, that it was such a morbid concept that i couldn't understand why it could even be considered a middle grade. 🙄
Add to that, why did the author have to give Jack this ailment of constant nose bleeding and treat it so irresponsibly? 😫 It made me downright uncomfortable and alarming at how often he was suffering from blood loss. Almost as if it was some humorous plot device to show the extent of how challenging Jack's life was, in an attempt of a twisted sense of humor that attempts to show the time period in which adults were more concerned about the basic necessities, rather than trying to arrange a suitable way to raise enough money to treat their son's prevalent health concern.
But, I think what really sealed the deal for me was some word usage that, in all honesty, didn't quite seem suitable for me, for even a twelve-year-old to be reading. For I'm pretty sure, when I was twelve - even if I'm not a boy - I did not come across words like and and . 😒
I mean, there must be some standards that deem what is appropriate for readers to read. I did a double take when I read it, and okay, I may be a bit innocent compared to most, but even I learned these words quite later in my years! 😮💨 Even if Jack firmly believes 'Besides, I was a boy. It is okay to be a boy slob because moms think they still have time to cure you of your bad habits before you grow up and become an annoying adult slob for someone else.' 🙅🏻♀️ Maybe it's just a sign of the times to show how boys were openly crass and crude at that time, but I didn't quite appreciate it here. Hence leading me to believe that perhaps an older audience was the intended target instead. While I appreciated what the author was attempting to convey with these old ladies passing away so swiftly, I still felt that it was being treated in a rather disrespectful manner. Despite how eloquent Miss Volker's obituary for each fallen comrade was heartfelt and emotional, the truth behind their deaths when revealed also left a bitter taste in my mouth. 😑
Somehow, I get that the author is trying to capture the essence of the era - that while bleak and kind of laid back as its on the threshold of advancing into the dawn of a new era while still clinging to the remnants of a lifestyle that worked - it wasn't done in a light that made me feel that it even wanted to be something worthwhile.... If that makes any sense? 😒 I didn't feel compassion for Jack's situation or his thoughts, or him being a whisper history' because he never came across as a protagonist that I wanted to care about. It's not that he was unlikable, he just... ah, the fact that there is a sequel to this story and I don't have the remotest interest or desire to read it - goes to show just I guess, just how unlikable the story was for me. 🙎🏻♀️
“Only then I had no idea how frightening it would be if I had shot someone or just scared someone. Now I knew exactly what I was doing.
The reason you remind yourself of the stupid stuff you’ve done in the past is so you don’t do it again.”
Rant aside, let me take a breather and mention the few things that I did appreciate. Despite how I felt about Jack's parents' questionable parenting capabilities, you could tell that they loved their son dearly and wished to imprint on him the true values of a meaningful and well-lived life. The gifts he received on his birthday were clever ideas, but still with enough love to them to show how much they wanted to give their son the very best - at whatever capacity they could. 😔 I also enjoy context clues that lay out information that give you an idea of what time period it is - never out worldly stating that it was 1962, except for the development of Jack's father's keen intent of building a bomb shelter to save them from the Russians, I liked that the way the author informed us that it was in fact, 1962 by pointing out that Jack may have been suffering from the same sickness that killed Ernest Hemingway a year ago. Which in turn led me to search when he did die, therefore giving me the knowledge of when exactly the story was taking place. 😅
Miss Volker's views on history captured in the obituaries she wrote for her fallen comrades - ie the elder populace of the town that were suddenly passing away. Her take on how history impacts life was moving and impassioned by her need to point out the flaws of time. 'Don’t ever forget your history,” she sang, “or any wicked soul can lie to you and get away with it.' She didn't shy away from showing the unfairness of situations and clearly stating how vital history is on the current affairs of the world. 👌🏻 Despite her crazed notions, she was possibly the only character that stood out most for me and I found myself nodding along to many of her insightful views. She helped Jack improve his skills and open his mind to the world in a way that really did make it read like a worthwhile coming-of-age story. Had it not been for so much of it being unpleasant rather than compelling, perhaps I could have enjoyed it more - but that's really only asking so much. 😕
“When the sun goes down each day it turns its back on the present and steps into the past,” she started with a strong, even voice, “but it is never dead. History is a form of nature, like the mountains and sea and sky {...}
Every living soul is a book of their own history, which sits on the ever-growing shelf in the library of human memories.”
Were it not for the fact that I was continuing my trend of reading the recipients of the Newbery Award, I probably would have never considered reading Dead End in Norvelt. And having read it, I am surprised that it did actually receive it, considering how I felt that it didn't quite serve as a middle grade read - add to the fact that the dead in the title plays such a pivotal part to the plot that I couldn't bring myself to really enjoy it as much as I should have.
“Norvelt was built so that families would have a fresh start in life, but now those people are old as the hills and the longer they hang on the less likely it is this town will survive.”
Set in the ancient sleepy town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Jack spends his summer grounded for an accident that literally backfired on him, which results in him being assigned to assist his elderly neighbor, Miss Volker with various unusual chores around the house, along with the task of typing out obituaries for their town newspaper, as the number of elderly people starts to escalate at an increasingly rapid pace. And while battling nose bleeds and chasing down varmints, he learns a little bit about the impact of history and the meaning of life.
So I'm going to be as gentle as I can with my thoughts, because as far as Middle Grade reads go, it definitely falls into a category that is not just unpleasant, but rather odd. 🙍🏻♀️If anything, I would have been much more accommodating, if this had been labeled as literary fiction instead - where it's a young narrator paired off with an older character and learning about the meaning of life, given the fact that not only was there only one other character close to the protagonists' age, but so much of the plot was focused on death, itself, that it was such a morbid concept that i couldn't understand why it could even be considered a middle grade. 🙄
Add to that, why did the author have to give Jack this ailment of constant nose bleeding and treat it so irresponsibly? 😫 It made me downright uncomfortable and alarming at how often he was suffering from blood loss. Almost as if it was some humorous plot device to show the extent of how challenging Jack's life was, in an attempt of a twisted sense of humor that attempts to show the time period in which adults were more concerned about the basic necessities, rather than trying to arrange a suitable way to raise enough money to treat their son's prevalent health concern.
But, I think what really sealed the deal for me was some word usage that, in all honesty, didn't quite seem suitable for me, for even a twelve-year-old to be reading. For I'm pretty sure, when I was twelve - even if I'm not a boy - I did not come across words like and and . 😒
I mean, there must be some standards that deem what is appropriate for readers to read. I did a double take when I read it, and okay, I may be a bit innocent compared to most, but even I learned these words quite later in my years! 😮💨 Even if Jack firmly believes 'Besides, I was a boy. It is okay to be a boy slob because moms think they still have time to cure you of your bad habits before you grow up and become an annoying adult slob for someone else.' 🙅🏻♀️ Maybe it's just a sign of the times to show how boys were openly crass and crude at that time, but I didn't quite appreciate it here. Hence leading me to believe that perhaps an older audience was the intended target instead. While I appreciated what the author was attempting to convey with these old ladies passing away so swiftly, I still felt that it was being treated in a rather disrespectful manner. Despite how eloquent Miss Volker's obituary for each fallen comrade was heartfelt and emotional, the truth behind their deaths when revealed also left a bitter taste in my mouth. 😑
Somehow, I get that the author is trying to capture the essence of the era - that while bleak and kind of laid back as its on the threshold of advancing into the dawn of a new era while still clinging to the remnants of a lifestyle that worked - it wasn't done in a light that made me feel that it even wanted to be something worthwhile.... If that makes any sense? 😒 I didn't feel compassion for Jack's situation or his thoughts, or him being a whisper history' because he never came across as a protagonist that I wanted to care about. It's not that he was unlikable, he just... ah, the fact that there is a sequel to this story and I don't have the remotest interest or desire to read it - goes to show just I guess, just how unlikable the story was for me. 🙎🏻♀️
“Only then I had no idea how frightening it would be if I had shot someone or just scared someone. Now I knew exactly what I was doing.
The reason you remind yourself of the stupid stuff you’ve done in the past is so you don’t do it again.”
Rant aside, let me take a breather and mention the few things that I did appreciate. Despite how I felt about Jack's parents' questionable parenting capabilities, you could tell that they loved their son dearly and wished to imprint on him the true values of a meaningful and well-lived life. The gifts he received on his birthday were clever ideas, but still with enough love to them to show how much they wanted to give their son the very best - at whatever capacity they could. 😔 I also enjoy context clues that lay out information that give you an idea of what time period it is - never out worldly stating that it was 1962, except for the development of Jack's father's keen intent of building a bomb shelter to save them from the Russians, I liked that the way the author informed us that it was in fact, 1962 by pointing out that Jack may have been suffering from the same sickness that killed Ernest Hemingway a year ago. Which in turn led me to search when he did die, therefore giving me the knowledge of when exactly the story was taking place. 😅
Miss Volker's views on history captured in the obituaries she wrote for her fallen comrades - ie the elder populace of the town that were suddenly passing away. Her take on how history impacts life was moving and impassioned by her need to point out the flaws of time. 'Don’t ever forget your history,” she sang, “or any wicked soul can lie to you and get away with it.' She didn't shy away from showing the unfairness of situations and clearly stating how vital history is on the current affairs of the world. 👌🏻 Despite her crazed notions, she was possibly the only character that stood out most for me and I found myself nodding along to many of her insightful views. She helped Jack improve his skills and open his mind to the world in a way that really did make it read like a worthwhile coming-of-age story. Had it not been for so much of it being unpleasant rather than compelling, perhaps I could have enjoyed it more - but that's really only asking so much. 😕
May 2, 2012
Jack Gantos is the perfect narrator for his own work. This book is partly autobiographical, partly fiction, and totally wacky. We received a review copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio and from the onset, I knew only that it was a Newbery Award winner and that Norvelt was the name of the town in which the main character lived, so basically nothing. (It also won the Scott O'Dell Award For Historical Fiction) I enjoyed Gantos' voice acting but I couldn't put my finger on what it was about his voice that kept making me say to myself, "I've never heard anyone with a voice like his read an audiobook. What is it about his voice?" And then it came to me like a brick to my head--my extremely embarrassed head, that is. He's from western Pennsylvania! He totally sounds like my childhood and relatives. I am seriously so embarrassed about my lack of pickup on this one. I sauntered up to my parents and said, "So, have you two ever heard of Norvelt?" and they both were like, "Of course! That's right near Mt. Pleasant!" *facepalm* Long story only semi-shortened, my father grew up at the same time as Jack Gantos in a town twenty minutes north of Norvelt. (Greensburg) My mother, same deal but half an hour northwest. (Irwin) Even if the historical facts in this book are only partially true, I still wish I knew about the history of Norvelt when I lived in Pittsburgh so I could go check it out. As it is, I'll do that next time I'm in PA. After I figured out why I was enjoying Gantos' narration so much, I became even more attached to the story because I imagined the streets near my grandparents' house, the geographic area, the coal miner historical feeling in western Pennsylvania, and what it might've been like for my dad growing up around the same time. (Let's hear it for the western PA tradition of getting the first day of hunting season off of school!)
The story of Dead End in Norvelt is one we've heard before, but with a few twists. Eleven or twelve-year old Jack ends up grounded for the entire summer because he disobeys his mother by listening to his father. (I felt awful that he was grounded for the whole summer because of his parents' disagreement!) The only place Jack is allowed to go is his elderly neighbor's house to help her write obituaries for the town newspaper because her arthritic hands don't allow her to have a lot of mobility. Mrs. Volker, the old woman, is one crazy character in a cast so quirky that they must be based loosely on people Mr. Gantos has known throughout his life. There is an old man who rides a huge adult tricycle around town, an ex-postmistress who plasters her walls with undeliverable mail, and even Jack himself, who gets a nosebleed every time he gets excited, scared, surprised, or, well, anything at all. (I read that the nosebleeds were a fact of young Gantos' life) While most of the story reads like an enjoyable middle-grade memoir, there is a potential murder mystery integrated into the book, as well as Hells Angels wreaking havoc at a few points, and some plot points about Girl Scouts. (I'm glad I had some Tagalongs to munch on during the week or so I listened to this book. All it takes is one mention of Girl Scout cookies and I get a craving. Side note: does anyone else wonder if the secret ingredient is cocaine? Juuuust kidding.)
I think I just love middle grade tales of everyday life. Movies like The Sandlot and My Girl, as well as books like When You Reach Me and The Wednesday Wars. Sure, there are other events occurring in the plots of those books and movies but they are basically just about what's going on in the life of one young person, or a group of young people. The slight difference in Dead End in Norvelt, and it is one I really enjoyed, was the injection of more history. Norvelt was its own character and it was so interesting to hear different characters weighing in on their feelings about the town fading away, people moving away or dying, and whether or not they should fight to continue the values on which the town was based. For those who never plan to read this book (or listen to it, which I recommend), Norvelt was built up by the federal government after the Depression to house out-of-work coal miners and their families. The town was/is named for EleaNOR RooseVELT and after listening to small tidbits peppered throughout the book, I went to read up more on the history of the town. As someone whose favorite time period in American history to learn about is the New Deal era, this book and the subsequent Wikipedia articles it inspired me to go and read were like a pleasant treat.
This book isn't for everyone and I can understand why the ratings and reviews are all over the place. This is a book about a young boy--there is a gratuitously long section about farting while hunting. Necessary? Heck no, but definitely realistic for boys that age to be talking/thinking about. Sensational at parts? Again, yes, but that's part of the overall feeling of the novel. If even half of the events happened and even a quarter of those people existed, Jack Gantos had a hugely eventful childhood. Or at least one hilarious and memorable summer.
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me us with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story of Dead End in Norvelt is one we've heard before, but with a few twists. Eleven or twelve-year old Jack ends up grounded for the entire summer because he disobeys his mother by listening to his father. (I felt awful that he was grounded for the whole summer because of his parents' disagreement!) The only place Jack is allowed to go is his elderly neighbor's house to help her write obituaries for the town newspaper because her arthritic hands don't allow her to have a lot of mobility. Mrs. Volker, the old woman, is one crazy character in a cast so quirky that they must be based loosely on people Mr. Gantos has known throughout his life. There is an old man who rides a huge adult tricycle around town, an ex-postmistress who plasters her walls with undeliverable mail, and even Jack himself, who gets a nosebleed every time he gets excited, scared, surprised, or, well, anything at all. (I read that the nosebleeds were a fact of young Gantos' life) While most of the story reads like an enjoyable middle-grade memoir, there is a potential murder mystery integrated into the book, as well as Hells Angels wreaking havoc at a few points, and some plot points about Girl Scouts. (I'm glad I had some Tagalongs to munch on during the week or so I listened to this book. All it takes is one mention of Girl Scout cookies and I get a craving. Side note: does anyone else wonder if the secret ingredient is cocaine? Juuuust kidding.)
I think I just love middle grade tales of everyday life. Movies like The Sandlot and My Girl, as well as books like When You Reach Me and The Wednesday Wars. Sure, there are other events occurring in the plots of those books and movies but they are basically just about what's going on in the life of one young person, or a group of young people. The slight difference in Dead End in Norvelt, and it is one I really enjoyed, was the injection of more history. Norvelt was its own character and it was so interesting to hear different characters weighing in on their feelings about the town fading away, people moving away or dying, and whether or not they should fight to continue the values on which the town was based. For those who never plan to read this book (or listen to it, which I recommend), Norvelt was built up by the federal government after the Depression to house out-of-work coal miners and their families. The town was/is named for EleaNOR RooseVELT and after listening to small tidbits peppered throughout the book, I went to read up more on the history of the town. As someone whose favorite time period in American history to learn about is the New Deal era, this book and the subsequent Wikipedia articles it inspired me to go and read were like a pleasant treat.
This book isn't for everyone and I can understand why the ratings and reviews are all over the place. This is a book about a young boy--there is a gratuitously long section about farting while hunting. Necessary? Heck no, but definitely realistic for boys that age to be talking/thinking about. Sensational at parts? Again, yes, but that's part of the overall feeling of the novel. If even half of the events happened and even a quarter of those people existed, Jack Gantos had a hugely eventful childhood. Or at least one hilarious and memorable summer.
Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me us with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2011
What makes Jack Gantos tick? It’s a question that haunts every book he writes, from the simplest Rotten Ralph to his own YA autobiography Hole in My Life. It’s a talent to write compelling characters, but what if the most compelling character of them all is the author himself? With each Gantos tome I find myself coming back to this question: Why is Jack Gantos the way he is? To be fair, I suspect the man is asking himself the same question at the same time. How else to explain the Jack Henry books like Jack Adrift that cull from the author’s life? Or the aforementioned autobiography? Or the fact that Dead End in Norvelt, his latest outing, stars a kid named “Jack Gantos” who lives in a town Jack lived in for a time and experiences many of the things Jack experienced. We’re dealing with a book that melds memoir and fiction by turns, managing to drop little tidbits of information that appear to be the seeds of everything from Joey Pigza to The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs. Folks, it’s a weird book. No question about that. It may also be one of the finest he’s produced in years. Just don’t go walking into it with your eyes closed, is all.
1962, Norvelt, PA. It’s a town that owes its existence to Eleanor Roosevelt (for whom it is named) and the residence of one young Jack Gantos. A kid with a perpetually bleeding proboscis, Jack’s looking forward to having an awesome summer. That is, before his mother forces him to help out old Miss Volker write the town’s obituaries. Before he’s grounded for mowing down his mom’s corn (because his dad told him to, and how fair is that?). Before it seems as though the whole summer might pass him by. Fortunately, Jack finds his time with Miss Volker to be fascinating, and that’s before all the little old ladies in town start dying off at an remarkably quickfire rate. Is there something natural or unnatural behind these deaths? And more importantly, will Jack ever get to play an honest game of baseball under the shining sun ever again?
Here’s a quick tip on how you can determine if a writer’s any good. Generally speaking, if you can get to page three and already know the personalities of four different characters exquisitely well, that’s a writer to keep an eye on. Gantos does precisely that with this book too. By the fourth page you’ve a good sense of your narrator (a nose-bleeder who pities a pony and likes a good war movie), his mother (helpful to neighbors, critical of her son’s behavior, with her own projects to take care of), his uncle (a “confused jerk”, or so says his sister), and his father (a former navy man who once stripped dead Japanese soldiers of their weapons and keepsakes). It’s quick, it’s fast, it’s easy. Without lingering, Gantos can give you snapshot after snapshot of a character’s qualities, both good and bad.
I’m a sucker for a good theme and though I know that Dead End in Norvelt probably wasn’t Mr. Gantos’s first choice of a title, it may suit the book to a certain extent. Not too long ago there were a couple middle grade books set in or around funeral homes (Each Little Bird That Sings, The Funeral Director’s Son, etc.). Gantos doesn’t go quite that far, but a funeral home does play a role in this book and death becomes one of two themes here. I mean, think about it. From the idea of a town that is dying (dramatically and quickly) to the people in that town that die, to the rats and vermin in Miss Volker’s basement, to the perpetual obituaries, to the historical deaths recounted gloriously, there’s a whole lotta dying going on here. Not that you’d initially notice, I think. Really,
The other theme? There’s a bit the comic Eddie Izzard does about Scooby-Doo that comes immediately to mind. Izzard argues that Shaggy and Scooby are significant literary characters because they are cowards and you root for them. “And is there any other character out there, a cowardly character, that you root for in the same way?” Falstaff, maybe, but there’s a melancholy to him that sort of rules him out. Cowardice is a great theme of Novelt too, but one could easily argue that though the main character might describe himself as a coward (dead people do nothing for him) the reader could see that the opposite is the case. Consider the role of the Hell’s Angels in this book. They are built to look tough (and, indeed, they make for fantastic literary villains since unlike a lot of demonized groups of this time period the Angels didn’t have an underlying philosophy to make them historically sympathetic). They wear tough clothes and get into fights and look mean. Yet Miss Volker puts her finger on it when she calls them cowards. They sneak into small towns burning down buildings just for the heck of it. They beat up old men because there’s no chance of retribution. They are cowards. Jack, in contrast, is willing to do what is frightening to him. The Angels could hardly say as much.
Of course the whole reason to come to this book in the first place is to bear witness to the poetry of the language. Individual lines would just jump out at me and demand to be noticed. Lines like “Something had to be wrong with me, but one really good advantage about being dirt-poor is that you can’t afford to go to the doctor and get bad news.” Even better: “. . . if you think about it a refrigerator is just a coffin for food that stands upright.” Or the line from Jack’s friend who stares at his incoming irate mother while his nose bleeds: “Why are you standing around like vampire bait?” There are a million good lines in this book. These are just some of my own personal favs.
Some folks will be turned off by the less than enticing details surrounding the book. The dead bodies, the blood that pours from Jack’s nose like a faucet, etc. Others will be fine with that but will find the ending of the story a bit darker than they’d expected. I had no problems with any of these, and I don’t think most kids will either. What I did have a small problem with was the fact that though the book is set in the post-WWII era, Jack is one heckuva forward thinking guy. The kind of kid who sides with the Aztecs when he reads about their slaughter at the hands of the Spaniards. I’d like to think that the kid would be that liberal in his history reading, but frankly I’m not so sure. I mean, it’s not like he has that many influences in his life that would inform such thoughts. His father, sure as heck, wouldn’t be encouraging Jack to think that way. Dunno. Seemed a bit out of place in an otherwise consistent novel.
In the Preface, Mr. Gantos does not care to specify which elements of this story have their basis in truth and which have their basis in far-flung fiction. I suspect you’ll be able to parse the two in your own mind, even while you sit back and admire the man’s storytelling skills. By and large, the book is built for a stage production. You’ve a limited number of sets and a small manageable cast. Kids, however, will be most intrigued by the book if you hook them on the darker elements. The sheer gushing torrents of blood (this has got to be the most inadvertent blood-soaked book of the year), the deaths, and even the mystery, when told properly, should lure them in. It’s not an easy book, but it does make for a compelling story, in spite of the protagonist’s limited movements. I walked into this title looking for an explanation of what makes Jack Gantos tick. I never found my answer. Instead, I found a book I can read and enjoy and recommend ad nauseum. And as trades go, that one sounds like a good deal to me.
For ages 10 and up.
1962, Norvelt, PA. It’s a town that owes its existence to Eleanor Roosevelt (for whom it is named) and the residence of one young Jack Gantos. A kid with a perpetually bleeding proboscis, Jack’s looking forward to having an awesome summer. That is, before his mother forces him to help out old Miss Volker write the town’s obituaries. Before he’s grounded for mowing down his mom’s corn (because his dad told him to, and how fair is that?). Before it seems as though the whole summer might pass him by. Fortunately, Jack finds his time with Miss Volker to be fascinating, and that’s before all the little old ladies in town start dying off at an remarkably quickfire rate. Is there something natural or unnatural behind these deaths? And more importantly, will Jack ever get to play an honest game of baseball under the shining sun ever again?
Here’s a quick tip on how you can determine if a writer’s any good. Generally speaking, if you can get to page three and already know the personalities of four different characters exquisitely well, that’s a writer to keep an eye on. Gantos does precisely that with this book too. By the fourth page you’ve a good sense of your narrator (a nose-bleeder who pities a pony and likes a good war movie), his mother (helpful to neighbors, critical of her son’s behavior, with her own projects to take care of), his uncle (a “confused jerk”, or so says his sister), and his father (a former navy man who once stripped dead Japanese soldiers of their weapons and keepsakes). It’s quick, it’s fast, it’s easy. Without lingering, Gantos can give you snapshot after snapshot of a character’s qualities, both good and bad.
I’m a sucker for a good theme and though I know that Dead End in Norvelt probably wasn’t Mr. Gantos’s first choice of a title, it may suit the book to a certain extent. Not too long ago there were a couple middle grade books set in or around funeral homes (Each Little Bird That Sings, The Funeral Director’s Son, etc.). Gantos doesn’t go quite that far, but a funeral home does play a role in this book and death becomes one of two themes here. I mean, think about it. From the idea of a town that is dying (dramatically and quickly) to the people in that town that die, to the rats and vermin in Miss Volker’s basement, to the perpetual obituaries, to the historical deaths recounted gloriously, there’s a whole lotta dying going on here. Not that you’d initially notice, I think. Really,
The other theme? There’s a bit the comic Eddie Izzard does about Scooby-Doo that comes immediately to mind. Izzard argues that Shaggy and Scooby are significant literary characters because they are cowards and you root for them. “And is there any other character out there, a cowardly character, that you root for in the same way?” Falstaff, maybe, but there’s a melancholy to him that sort of rules him out. Cowardice is a great theme of Novelt too, but one could easily argue that though the main character might describe himself as a coward (dead people do nothing for him) the reader could see that the opposite is the case. Consider the role of the Hell’s Angels in this book. They are built to look tough (and, indeed, they make for fantastic literary villains since unlike a lot of demonized groups of this time period the Angels didn’t have an underlying philosophy to make them historically sympathetic). They wear tough clothes and get into fights and look mean. Yet Miss Volker puts her finger on it when she calls them cowards. They sneak into small towns burning down buildings just for the heck of it. They beat up old men because there’s no chance of retribution. They are cowards. Jack, in contrast, is willing to do what is frightening to him. The Angels could hardly say as much.
Of course the whole reason to come to this book in the first place is to bear witness to the poetry of the language. Individual lines would just jump out at me and demand to be noticed. Lines like “Something had to be wrong with me, but one really good advantage about being dirt-poor is that you can’t afford to go to the doctor and get bad news.” Even better: “. . . if you think about it a refrigerator is just a coffin for food that stands upright.” Or the line from Jack’s friend who stares at his incoming irate mother while his nose bleeds: “Why are you standing around like vampire bait?” There are a million good lines in this book. These are just some of my own personal favs.
Some folks will be turned off by the less than enticing details surrounding the book. The dead bodies, the blood that pours from Jack’s nose like a faucet, etc. Others will be fine with that but will find the ending of the story a bit darker than they’d expected. I had no problems with any of these, and I don’t think most kids will either. What I did have a small problem with was the fact that though the book is set in the post-WWII era, Jack is one heckuva forward thinking guy. The kind of kid who sides with the Aztecs when he reads about their slaughter at the hands of the Spaniards. I’d like to think that the kid would be that liberal in his history reading, but frankly I’m not so sure. I mean, it’s not like he has that many influences in his life that would inform such thoughts. His father, sure as heck, wouldn’t be encouraging Jack to think that way. Dunno. Seemed a bit out of place in an otherwise consistent novel.
In the Preface, Mr. Gantos does not care to specify which elements of this story have their basis in truth and which have their basis in far-flung fiction. I suspect you’ll be able to parse the two in your own mind, even while you sit back and admire the man’s storytelling skills. By and large, the book is built for a stage production. You’ve a limited number of sets and a small manageable cast. Kids, however, will be most intrigued by the book if you hook them on the darker elements. The sheer gushing torrents of blood (this has got to be the most inadvertent blood-soaked book of the year), the deaths, and even the mystery, when told properly, should lure them in. It’s not an easy book, but it does make for a compelling story, in spite of the protagonist’s limited movements. I walked into this title looking for an explanation of what makes Jack Gantos tick. I never found my answer. Instead, I found a book I can read and enjoy and recommend ad nauseum. And as trades go, that one sounds like a good deal to me.
For ages 10 and up.
October 14, 2020
This review contains spoilers - I'm not a good enough writer to express my displeasure with this book without revealing plot points.
OK, so I am definitely not on the "Dead End in Norvelt" bandwagon. Not only do I not understand how this book won the Newbery, I'm not really sure why it even got published. A lot of folks on Amazon are quoted as thinking it funny, charming, a fast read. It was none of those things for me. I slogged through it right to the end, and I will say, I was rewarded. Because on the last page, the main character, Jack, realizes that the stunt he and his father are pulling is actually not funny, but frightening, and misguided. It was the one thing in this book I could agree on. I did not like any of the characters, and found the relationship between the parents inexplicable. If the dad hates "commies" so much, how did he ever marry - or even meet - a woman raised in what she considers a sort of socialist paradise, who embraces socialist principles (although the word "socialist" is never uttered by anyone)? Maybe kids wouldn't really pick up on this, but it is my sad fate to prefer logic, and children's books shouldn't be exempted.
The whole setup of the book is that Jack is grounded because he does something that makes his mom really, justifiably, mad. The problem is, it's something his dad ordered him to do, knowing the mom would object, but not really caring. So mom gets mad at Jack, but not Dad? Or at least madder at Jack than Dad. As for the humor, I could tell the places where I was supposed to laugh, but I just couldn't. Kind of like when I see the Three Stooges. Maybe if I had liked the characters, I could enjoy their banter, but everyone just seemed cartooney. In fact, I really think this book would have benefited by having lots of illustrations, like "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", to complement the cartoon actions of everyone in the book. Of course, that would mean it would never win the Newbery. And it would also mean lots of pictures of nosebleeds, since our hero is prone to nosebleeds. If you took out all the references to nosebleeds in this book, the thing would be half as long. I got so tired of reading about blood streaming, spilling, being sopped up by hankies, etc.
I think what the Newbery committee liked about this book was the many references to history sprinkled throughout the book. And I can understand that. The character who knows and shares all this history is Miss Volker, the local writer of obituaries as well as the town medical examiner. She ultimately proves to be so in love with writing obituaries - laced with history lessons - for longtime community members that she neglects to do her job, which leads to several people being murdered. Oops! No one ends up being particularly sorry about these deaths, I guess because they're old widowed women; presumably the world is better off without them. And how could we have had those many enjoyable history lessons if the ladies were allowed to live? When Miss Volker finds out her mistake, she decides to retire, but mentions that she did have an enjoyable time getting the confession out of the real murderer. Well, as long as she enjoyed herself, that's all that matters.
OK, I did my duty as a Children's Librarian. I read this year's Newbery Award winner, in its entirety. But I'm glad that I never have to go back to Norvelt ever again.
OK, so I am definitely not on the "Dead End in Norvelt" bandwagon. Not only do I not understand how this book won the Newbery, I'm not really sure why it even got published. A lot of folks on Amazon are quoted as thinking it funny, charming, a fast read. It was none of those things for me. I slogged through it right to the end, and I will say, I was rewarded. Because on the last page, the main character, Jack, realizes that the stunt he and his father are pulling is actually not funny, but frightening, and misguided. It was the one thing in this book I could agree on. I did not like any of the characters, and found the relationship between the parents inexplicable. If the dad hates "commies" so much, how did he ever marry - or even meet - a woman raised in what she considers a sort of socialist paradise, who embraces socialist principles (although the word "socialist" is never uttered by anyone)? Maybe kids wouldn't really pick up on this, but it is my sad fate to prefer logic, and children's books shouldn't be exempted.
The whole setup of the book is that Jack is grounded because he does something that makes his mom really, justifiably, mad. The problem is, it's something his dad ordered him to do, knowing the mom would object, but not really caring. So mom gets mad at Jack, but not Dad? Or at least madder at Jack than Dad. As for the humor, I could tell the places where I was supposed to laugh, but I just couldn't. Kind of like when I see the Three Stooges. Maybe if I had liked the characters, I could enjoy their banter, but everyone just seemed cartooney. In fact, I really think this book would have benefited by having lots of illustrations, like "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", to complement the cartoon actions of everyone in the book. Of course, that would mean it would never win the Newbery. And it would also mean lots of pictures of nosebleeds, since our hero is prone to nosebleeds. If you took out all the references to nosebleeds in this book, the thing would be half as long. I got so tired of reading about blood streaming, spilling, being sopped up by hankies, etc.
I think what the Newbery committee liked about this book was the many references to history sprinkled throughout the book. And I can understand that. The character who knows and shares all this history is Miss Volker, the local writer of obituaries as well as the town medical examiner. She ultimately proves to be so in love with writing obituaries - laced with history lessons - for longtime community members that she neglects to do her job, which leads to several people being murdered. Oops! No one ends up being particularly sorry about these deaths, I guess because they're old widowed women; presumably the world is better off without them. And how could we have had those many enjoyable history lessons if the ladies were allowed to live? When Miss Volker finds out her mistake, she decides to retire, but mentions that she did have an enjoyable time getting the confession out of the real murderer. Well, as long as she enjoyed herself, that's all that matters.
OK, I did my duty as a Children's Librarian. I read this year's Newbery Award winner, in its entirety. But I'm glad that I never have to go back to Norvelt ever again.
July 11, 2016
What was the Newbery Committee thinking? I wish I could give this Newbery winner 3 and a half stars, but that's not an option and, sadly, it doesn't deserve 4 in my mind. Readers will find Jack and the wacky characters who fill his life in 1960s Norvelt, a government-sponsored social experiment in western Pennsylvania, funny and will enjoy the read. However, an award-winning novel for children or adults should be more than amusing. It should have a universal, worthwhile theme and dynamic characters who grow and change from their experiences, and these two elements are what this historical fiction lacks.
Gantos' child-self is surrounded by a kind, idealistic mother; a restless, sometimes immature father; an elderly neighbor who conveniently invents and embellishes history; and more. While the characters are well-rounded only Jack, our young protagonist, can be called dynamic. He at least learns to appreciate history and develops empathy for others. No one else seems to learn anything at all from their experiences. I found the old Three Dog Night hit "Easy to Be Hard" running through my mind often as I read this slyly ironic tale:
"Easy to be hard. Easy to be cold.
Especially people who care about strangers,
Who care about evil and social injustice.
Do they only care about the bleeding crowd?
How about a needing friend?"
More mature readers may recognize the irony in Norvelt... Jack's mother fiercely espouses the commune-like social justice tenets upon which the town was built yet unfairly punishes her son for obeying his father; several elderly women are murdered, yet there is no anger, no outrage, and no resolution to the crime, just a statement that authorities would probably catch up with the culprit before long; and Miss Volker talks about the importance of history but doesn't hesitate to fabricate it. Gantos' social injustice theme is revealed through these and other small ironies, but it was all so casual and offhand that most of his audience will totally miss it.
Every young reader I talked with thought the events in the book were true. Why? Because the author deliberately gives readers the impression that the novel is a memoir by using himself as the protagonist and his childhood home as the setting. Further, he provides no author note or informative sources to help sort the real from the imagined. This does a disservice to readers. His tone is light and humorous, the plot is fast-paced and amusing with a hint of mystery, and readers will enjoy it. But Newbery worthy? Like I said, what was the committee thinking?
Gantos' child-self is surrounded by a kind, idealistic mother; a restless, sometimes immature father; an elderly neighbor who conveniently invents and embellishes history; and more. While the characters are well-rounded only Jack, our young protagonist, can be called dynamic. He at least learns to appreciate history and develops empathy for others. No one else seems to learn anything at all from their experiences. I found the old Three Dog Night hit "Easy to Be Hard" running through my mind often as I read this slyly ironic tale:
"Easy to be hard. Easy to be cold.
Especially people who care about strangers,
Who care about evil and social injustice.
Do they only care about the bleeding crowd?
How about a needing friend?"
More mature readers may recognize the irony in Norvelt... Jack's mother fiercely espouses the commune-like social justice tenets upon which the town was built yet unfairly punishes her son for obeying his father; several elderly women are murdered, yet there is no anger, no outrage, and no resolution to the crime, just a statement that authorities would probably catch up with the culprit before long; and Miss Volker talks about the importance of history but doesn't hesitate to fabricate it. Gantos' social injustice theme is revealed through these and other small ironies, but it was all so casual and offhand that most of his audience will totally miss it.
Every young reader I talked with thought the events in the book were true. Why? Because the author deliberately gives readers the impression that the novel is a memoir by using himself as the protagonist and his childhood home as the setting. Further, he provides no author note or informative sources to help sort the real from the imagined. This does a disservice to readers. His tone is light and humorous, the plot is fast-paced and amusing with a hint of mystery, and readers will enjoy it. But Newbery worthy? Like I said, what was the committee thinking?
February 8, 2012
I see that the reviews for this book are all over the place. I actually really enjoyed it. I don't think it is the best thing I ever read, but it is highly entertaining and a change from the angst-ridden books that often garner the Newbery Medal. It kind of reminded me of some of Richard Peck's books ("A Long Way from Chicago" and "A Year Down Yonder")with the quirky characters and humorous situations. I had really enjoyed Mr. Gantos' Joey Pigza books, and this one follows that format of having a basically nice boy have to work his way out of the screwy situations life hands him. In those books and in this one, the father is often dealing with a lot of problems of his own, and the mother is the one holding things together. There is a lot of "boy humor" in this book, and I enjoyed that too. I could imagine my six-year-old grandson getting a real charge out of some of the situations (the hunting scene in particular----why is it that boys find passing gas so hilarious?). Early in the book, when Jack is sent to help his elderly neighbor and finds her with her hands in a steaming pot, I just cracked up. Really, some of this book is just laugh-out-loud funny. This is a book to read just for the fun of it----thank goodness!
May 27, 2019
2.5 stars
August 25, 2015
Fabulous middle grade historical fiction book that was hilarious. My 10 year old daughter might not get everything but lots of the history she learned in 4th grade. It's a fun read! Don't let this "kids" book deter you as an adult from reading. Great recommendation from GR friend, Tina.
December 21, 2020
I laughed so much during Dead End in Norvelt! This one's a sure thing for those who like nostalgia, Americana, youthful innocence, idealistic parents/elders, and wacky humor.
This semi-autobiography is about 12yo Jackie Gantos, a resident of Norvelt - a town Eleanor Roosevelt founded where residents were meant to trade goods and services with each other rather than use money. In the summer of 1962 there's one person in town who only accepts cash payment: the mortician. Bunny Hopper, Jack's best friend, just wants to play baseball but Jack is grounded all summer for firing a rifle he swears he didn't know was loaded. To punish him for getting grounded, Bunny makes him sneak out to see the latest "client" at the mortuary. Trouble is, Jackie's nose bleeds when his blood pressure rises so anything exciting gives him away. To keep him out of trouble his mother makes him help Mrs. Volker, their neighbor who writes obituaries for the newspaper. Jack sees a lot of dead people that summer, and learns a lot about life, too.
DEiN got mixed reviews from my GR friends-and-followed, but it was right up my alley. I intend to read the sequel, From Norvelt to Nowhere.
This semi-autobiography is about 12yo Jackie Gantos, a resident of Norvelt - a town Eleanor Roosevelt founded where residents were meant to trade goods and services with each other rather than use money. In the summer of 1962 there's one person in town who only accepts cash payment: the mortician. Bunny Hopper, Jack's best friend, just wants to play baseball but Jack is grounded all summer for firing a rifle he swears he didn't know was loaded. To punish him for getting grounded, Bunny makes him sneak out to see the latest "client" at the mortuary. Trouble is, Jackie's nose bleeds when his blood pressure rises so anything exciting gives him away. To keep him out of trouble his mother makes him help Mrs. Volker, their neighbor who writes obituaries for the newspaper. Jack sees a lot of dead people that summer, and learns a lot about life, too.
DEiN got mixed reviews from my GR friends-and-followed, but it was right up my alley. I intend to read the sequel, From Norvelt to Nowhere.
February 29, 2012
DEAD END IN NORVELT is a cornfield plowed under. It is bloody bad. It reminds me of a bomb shelter waiting to be annihilated. And it has about as much usefulness. I didn't like it; I don't recommend it much. But then, I'm not among the demographic for which it is written. I'm no kid. Rather, I stem from the era it is set in. In 1960, I was twelve years old. So I believe I know something of the time period. At least, I do from an old man's perspective looking back and remembering. And that's one thing I liked about the book: it did make me think of that period of my life; it was nostalgic, in some respects.
So, Jack, the protagonist in DEAD END IN NORVELT, gets into trouble and gets grounded. After all, he's just a young boy and he needs to learn a lesson from his errors. Or not. First, he's grounded for firing a souvenir Japanese rifle of his father's --- Why the heck (cheese us crust, by the way, as a euphemism, is pathetic) does Jack have access to the gun in the first place? --- then he gets in trouble for mowing his mother's corn down --- After his father told him to do it. --- then he gets in trouble for something else, and something else, and something else, etc. The cycle repeats itself again and again, tirelessly, tiresomely. And most of the time, Jack's not entirely at fault for the trouble he gets into, but nobody else (eg. his parents and mentors) seems to take any responsibility at all for him getting into trouble. For heaven sakes, the adults have him driving a car around all over with an eighty-year-old mentor, Mrs. Volker, in it without him being old enough to do so or having a driver's license. No biggie.
Over against that scenario of being grounded for getting into trouble, Jack's nose bleeds. Then it bleeds some more and some more and some more, etc. Jack doesn't ever seem to get any help from his parents for his bloody nose (or much else). It's not the type of trouble that they take action to help him out with. Instead, they send him off to Volker, the old-lady obituary-compiler of all the old people dying off in the dead end town. Volker suffers from crippling arthritis; her hands operate like the extremities of a crab. She melts wax to dip them in to get enough relief to stick a sharp instrument up Jack's nose to cauterize his blood vessels.
Caricatures. The characters in DEAD END IN NORVELT seem more like caricatures rather than fleshed out individuals who are real. The adults, for example, are substantially portrayed as selfish and self-interested, even when shown to have compassion for others. They have agendas, and they pursue their agendas to the exclusion of looking after the welfare and benefit of their kids. Dad: A bomb shelter. An airplane. A runway. Mom: Take care of the poor and elderly. Stay grounded. Mrs. Volker: Write the obituaries. Deride the tricycle guy. Etc.
Bottom line, the book's a mortuary, and you know what you'll find there: dead people. And that's where it all ends.
I had read OKAY FOR NOW some time ago and had hoped it would win the Newbery. When DEAD END IN NORVELT won, I had to read it for comparison's sake. I'm glad I did, but it hasn't changed my evaluation.
I wrote Alejandro the Great,Time for All Eternity, and Making Expression Less Taxing.
So, Jack, the protagonist in DEAD END IN NORVELT, gets into trouble and gets grounded. After all, he's just a young boy and he needs to learn a lesson from his errors. Or not. First, he's grounded for firing a souvenir Japanese rifle of his father's --- Why the heck (cheese us crust, by the way, as a euphemism, is pathetic) does Jack have access to the gun in the first place? --- then he gets in trouble for mowing his mother's corn down --- After his father told him to do it. --- then he gets in trouble for something else, and something else, and something else, etc. The cycle repeats itself again and again, tirelessly, tiresomely. And most of the time, Jack's not entirely at fault for the trouble he gets into, but nobody else (eg. his parents and mentors) seems to take any responsibility at all for him getting into trouble. For heaven sakes, the adults have him driving a car around all over with an eighty-year-old mentor, Mrs. Volker, in it without him being old enough to do so or having a driver's license. No biggie.
Over against that scenario of being grounded for getting into trouble, Jack's nose bleeds. Then it bleeds some more and some more and some more, etc. Jack doesn't ever seem to get any help from his parents for his bloody nose (or much else). It's not the type of trouble that they take action to help him out with. Instead, they send him off to Volker, the old-lady obituary-compiler of all the old people dying off in the dead end town. Volker suffers from crippling arthritis; her hands operate like the extremities of a crab. She melts wax to dip them in to get enough relief to stick a sharp instrument up Jack's nose to cauterize his blood vessels.
Caricatures. The characters in DEAD END IN NORVELT seem more like caricatures rather than fleshed out individuals who are real. The adults, for example, are substantially portrayed as selfish and self-interested, even when shown to have compassion for others. They have agendas, and they pursue their agendas to the exclusion of looking after the welfare and benefit of their kids. Dad: A bomb shelter. An airplane. A runway. Mom: Take care of the poor and elderly. Stay grounded. Mrs. Volker: Write the obituaries. Deride the tricycle guy. Etc.
Bottom line, the book's a mortuary, and you know what you'll find there: dead people. And that's where it all ends.
I had read OKAY FOR NOW some time ago and had hoped it would win the Newbery. When DEAD END IN NORVELT won, I had to read it for comparison's sake. I'm glad I did, but it hasn't changed my evaluation.
I wrote Alejandro the Great,Time for All Eternity, and Making Expression Less Taxing.
January 30, 2021
Dead End in Norvelt (Norvelt #1) by Jack Gantos is one of those middle grade books I honestly wish I could have read when I was much younger. I think it would have really been right for me when I was about 11 or 12 years old. Looking at it now, though, it doesn't quite work for me as much as I would have liked it to. There are moments when it's really great, but for the most part I would just classify it as solid humorous historical fiction. You know, this is actually the first Jack Gantos book I've ever read. I've never even read the Joey Pigza books even though those would have been new back when I would have been part of the target audience.
November 8, 2011
Reads like a hot mess at first with bizarre, seemingly disconnected characters and events, but Gantos pulls it together and builds something brilliant out of it.
March 29, 2018
I did not enjoy this book at all. Jack's parents drive me nuts, and there's way to much talk of the devil, curses, and of course there are occurrences of God's name in vain.
I DNF this one.
I DNF this one.
August 15, 2011
It's the summer of 1962 and Jack Gantos has been grounded by his mother. It's not for ruining multiple shirts because of his frequent nosebleeds (Jack's nose opens up anytime he's feeling nervous or unsettled). Instead it's for plowing under his mother's corn field, even though he was just following his father's orders. His mother planned to use the harvest corn as a barter instrument and food supply for those less fortunate in the small town of Norville. Jack's father wants to use the field for a bomb shelter and a runway for the plane he's fixing up.
Jack's only respite from his room is helping his neighbor Ms. Volker. Charged by Eleanor Roosevelt to take care of the town's founding members, Ms. Volker is a former nurse turned obituary journalist who can no longer write or type due to arthritis. Seeing each obit as a chance to give the town a history lesson, Ms. Volker transcribes the obit to Jack who then types it up and delivers to the home town paper for publication.
"Dead End in Norvelt" blends the fictional with the semi-autobiographical into a novel that is sweet, charming and, at times, laugh out loud funny. How much or how little of the story is actually true doesn't really matter--the story Gantos tells here feels authentic and believable. Some absurd things happen in the story, but Gantos wisely keeps it all grounded, leading to some touching and funny moments. "Dead End" easily transitions from the insightful to the humorous without missing a beat.
This was my first foray into the fictional world of Jack Gantos but it certainly won't be the last.
Jack's only respite from his room is helping his neighbor Ms. Volker. Charged by Eleanor Roosevelt to take care of the town's founding members, Ms. Volker is a former nurse turned obituary journalist who can no longer write or type due to arthritis. Seeing each obit as a chance to give the town a history lesson, Ms. Volker transcribes the obit to Jack who then types it up and delivers to the home town paper for publication.
"Dead End in Norvelt" blends the fictional with the semi-autobiographical into a novel that is sweet, charming and, at times, laugh out loud funny. How much or how little of the story is actually true doesn't really matter--the story Gantos tells here feels authentic and believable. Some absurd things happen in the story, but Gantos wisely keeps it all grounded, leading to some touching and funny moments. "Dead End" easily transitions from the insightful to the humorous without missing a beat.
This was my first foray into the fictional world of Jack Gantos but it certainly won't be the last.
July 8, 2011
I was lucky enough to experience this via Advanced LISTENING Copy. This means I got to hear Jack Gantos do Jack Gantos. It was a genuine summer treat.
The real charm here is the colorful cast of characters that include Jack's parents, childhood friend, neighbors and quirky community members. While there is a grim aspect to the story, there is thoughtfulness in the historical bytes and socialist ideals that contrast to a burgeoning capitalist community.
I don't mean to make it sound too fancy. It's a fun book, really. Great for boys!
Fictional memoir at it's finest. Cheers, Jack! Thanks for sharing your story.
The real charm here is the colorful cast of characters that include Jack's parents, childhood friend, neighbors and quirky community members. While there is a grim aspect to the story, there is thoughtfulness in the historical bytes and socialist ideals that contrast to a burgeoning capitalist community.
I don't mean to make it sound too fancy. It's a fun book, really. Great for boys!
Fictional memoir at it's finest. Cheers, Jack! Thanks for sharing your story.
July 7, 2023
YA book I had on my to-read tag in the Libby app. I found this book humorous and a total preteen boy book. It was silly and at times gross (sometimes funny sometimes very weird) but oddly engaging. Easy read, wouldn’t recommend for my boys because there are much better books.
January 14, 2022
بخشی از کتاب:
گفت: «خب من شخصا دوست ندارم مردن اهالی قدیمی نورولت رو ببینم، اما برای بعضیها مرگ بهترین نعمت است.»
پرسیدم: « چهطور مرگ میتواند بهترین باشد؟»
انگار حقیقتی را بیان میکرد، گفت: « وقتی زندگی بدترین است.»
گفت: «خب من شخصا دوست ندارم مردن اهالی قدیمی نورولت رو ببینم، اما برای بعضیها مرگ بهترین نعمت است.»
پرسیدم: « چهطور مرگ میتواند بهترین باشد؟»
انگار حقیقتی را بیان میکرد، گفت: « وقتی زندگی بدترین است.»
December 7, 2020
A guy writes about growing up in a dying town and helping his neighbour to write obits. A wonderful read with history and coming of age themes. I will look for more from this author.
July 13, 2023
The Newbery Medal was awarded to this book in 2012. Jack Gantos was born and raised in Norvelt so I assume the book is autobiographical fiction.
Norvelt is a dying midwest town, literally. All the original towns people are aging or dying and no one new is moving in. The time is mid-60s. The town was part of a project created by Eleanor Roosevelt to create towns for disadvantaged, low-income people in the 1940s, I think.
Jack is a 12 year old kid who has been grounded for the summer by his mom, who is pretty mean. Still, he manages to get out of the house occasionally to work for Miss Volker, who writes obits and history bits for the town newspaper. She has bad arthritis in her hands and needs a typist.
The action is nonstop, the antics pile up. There is a mystery behind all the elderly deaths. I liked it OK but would recommend it to reluctant reader boys and tomboys.
Norvelt is a dying midwest town, literally. All the original towns people are aging or dying and no one new is moving in. The time is mid-60s. The town was part of a project created by Eleanor Roosevelt to create towns for disadvantaged, low-income people in the 1940s, I think.
Jack is a 12 year old kid who has been grounded for the summer by his mom, who is pretty mean. Still, he manages to get out of the house occasionally to work for Miss Volker, who writes obits and history bits for the town newspaper. She has bad arthritis in her hands and needs a typist.
The action is nonstop, the antics pile up. There is a mystery behind all the elderly deaths. I liked it OK but would recommend it to reluctant reader boys and tomboys.
October 17, 2020
Over the years, I’ve read a few Jack Gantos’ articles or speeches in The Horn Book magazine and have really enjoyed them. One must have appeared there when this book won the Newbury Medal, because I remember it stating where he wrote it: the Boston Public Library. That and many other things got this on my to-read list.
Gantos is a quirky writer, it seems, with a schtick and a suit and a lot of intelligence. He aims his books at boys, and teaches at Emerson College, or did. He also has a serious criminal conviction on his record, which is interesting too. I may read his nonfiction book about it next time I pick up something by him.
Anyway, Jack Gantos has written a lot of books, including the Joey Pigza books, which are about a boy with ADHD. On the back, Jon Scieszka praises this book, and Jack Gantos. I like what Scieszka says: “It’s funny. It’s thoughtful. It’s history. It’s weird.”
Unfortunately, it’s also a bit uneven. His portrayal of a boy named Jack Gantos is a great character sketch. Things happened, but the middle dragged. Jack Gantos the character is grounded for the summer but is allowed to help an elderly neighbor, Miss Volker, by writing out obituaries she dictates and delivering them to the local newspaper. Like Miss Volker, the Jack Gantos character is into history. She likes to tack it onto her obituaries. This history is excellent. I enjoyed its angle, but some readers who believe a critical perspective is unpatriotic may find it challenging at times. Jack’s father buys an airplane, Hell’s Angels come to town, but Jack rarely interacts with children his own age because of being grounded. That may have been one reason I had difficulty with the middle. The old folks dying off becomes something late in the game, but it is not integral to what may or may not be the heart of the story, which lies with Jack. That, and some things that happen at the very ending might be what Scieszka is referring to when he says it’s weird, and it is. Those abrupt moves, I guess, is what kept it from being weird brilliant for me and I think my son, though my son did laugh out loud a lot while I read to him.
Gantos is a quirky writer, it seems, with a schtick and a suit and a lot of intelligence. He aims his books at boys, and teaches at Emerson College, or did. He also has a serious criminal conviction on his record, which is interesting too. I may read his nonfiction book about it next time I pick up something by him.
Anyway, Jack Gantos has written a lot of books, including the Joey Pigza books, which are about a boy with ADHD. On the back, Jon Scieszka praises this book, and Jack Gantos. I like what Scieszka says: “It’s funny. It’s thoughtful. It’s history. It’s weird.”
Unfortunately, it’s also a bit uneven. His portrayal of a boy named Jack Gantos is a great character sketch. Things happened, but the middle dragged. Jack Gantos the character is grounded for the summer but is allowed to help an elderly neighbor, Miss Volker, by writing out obituaries she dictates and delivering them to the local newspaper. Like Miss Volker, the Jack Gantos character is into history. She likes to tack it onto her obituaries. This history is excellent. I enjoyed its angle, but some readers who believe a critical perspective is unpatriotic may find it challenging at times. Jack’s father buys an airplane, Hell’s Angels come to town, but Jack rarely interacts with children his own age because of being grounded. That may have been one reason I had difficulty with the middle. The old folks dying off becomes something late in the game, but it is not integral to what may or may not be the heart of the story, which lies with Jack. That, and some things that happen at the very ending might be what Scieszka is referring to when he says it’s weird, and it is. Those abrupt moves, I guess, is what kept it from being weird brilliant for me and I think my son, though my son did laugh out loud a lot while I read to him.
June 27, 2018
Winner of the 2012 Newbery, this entertaining semi-autobiographical tale tells of an America now long gone. Set in 1962 in a government-planned town as part of a program spearheaded by Eleanor Roosevelt to help Americans live decent, middle-class lives, it’s much more a tale of Depression-era New Deal progressivism, that’s sadly such a bad word today, than it is of small-town ‘60s America. It’s the beginning of summer, and twelve-year-old Jack has just accidentally fired his father’s looted “Jap” rifle, which results in his being grounded for the rest of vacation. Nearly the only interaction Jack gets is with two older people. There’s the slightly ludicrous but still self-righteous, tricycle-riding Mr. Spizz, who hands out citations for mundane infractions. And then there’s the indefatigable, eccentric Miss Volker, a walking encyclopedia of New Deal Americana, who gets him to help write vivid obituaries of the now mostly elderly townspeople and a column about the town’s leftist history. There’s also his friend Bunny, but she keeps scaring him with tales of her father’s mortuary, so he gets panic nosebleeds.
The characters are colorful, the plot is far-fetched and episodic, and many of the scenes would not be out of place in a slapstick comedy serial. One scene in particular when Jack, wearing a Grim Reaper costume, wakes a woman whom he thinks may be dead, is particularly hilarious. Gantos has an engaging, fun writing style and a great deal of wit, and he writes with a real love not only for the larger than life characters, but Norvelt, its values and its history of social progressivism. Indeed, a murder mystery pops up near the end of the book, as if to give it more of a plot-driven reason for being, but Gantos isn’t as interested in that as he is the moral message of the book: know your facts of history, question authority, and above all, get the most out of life while you can.
The characters are colorful, the plot is far-fetched and episodic, and many of the scenes would not be out of place in a slapstick comedy serial. One scene in particular when Jack, wearing a Grim Reaper costume, wakes a woman whom he thinks may be dead, is particularly hilarious. Gantos has an engaging, fun writing style and a great deal of wit, and he writes with a real love not only for the larger than life characters, but Norvelt, its values and its history of social progressivism. Indeed, a murder mystery pops up near the end of the book, as if to give it more of a plot-driven reason for being, but Gantos isn’t as interested in that as he is the moral message of the book: know your facts of history, question authority, and above all, get the most out of life while you can.
May 30, 2012
1.5 stars.
Let me begin by saying that ROTTEN RALPH is one of my favorite read-aloud picture books, and I even have a copy signed by Mr. Gantos from when I was in preschool and he came to visit...but DEAD END IN NORVELT is no ROTTEN RALPH. I ended the book with a big "huh?" tattooed on my thought-bubble. I read another review that said this is the sort of book that's targeted to get little boys to read...and I guess I can see that...but from the beginning I was confused as to how old the protagonist was, what his motivations were, why his family and friends act the way they do, and what it's all supposed to mean. The last line of the book seems to sum it up...but it's ridiculous. The events become more and more surreal, until I thought I was reading a poor imitation of some South American magic realist novel. The magical realist short story "The Third Bank of the River," BTW, is a much better coming-of-age tale than this one.
I guess in the end what bothered me most was that I could have cared less about the whole town, despite Mr. Gantos' attempts to make me love it as a piece of Americana. But what were the Newbery people thinking?
Let me begin by saying that ROTTEN RALPH is one of my favorite read-aloud picture books, and I even have a copy signed by Mr. Gantos from when I was in preschool and he came to visit...but DEAD END IN NORVELT is no ROTTEN RALPH. I ended the book with a big "huh?" tattooed on my thought-bubble. I read another review that said this is the sort of book that's targeted to get little boys to read...and I guess I can see that...but from the beginning I was confused as to how old the protagonist was, what his motivations were, why his family and friends act the way they do, and what it's all supposed to mean. The last line of the book seems to sum it up...but it's ridiculous. The events become more and more surreal, until I thought I was reading a poor imitation of some South American magic realist novel. The magical realist short story "The Third Bank of the River," BTW, is a much better coming-of-age tale than this one.
I guess in the end what bothered me most was that I could have cared less about the whole town, despite Mr. Gantos' attempts to make me love it as a piece of Americana. But what were the Newbery people thinking?
December 27, 2011
Dead End in Norvelt offers up a historical comedy that chronicles one summer in the life of young Jack Gantos living in Norvelt, Pennsylvania. Gantos writes a funny, off-beat, and nostalgic tale about childhood growing up in the shadows of World War II, a simpler time in many ways, but also one marked by impending change. You have to like a character who loves "to sniff the insides of books...Because each one has its own special perfume." And who firmly believes that "history isn't dead. It's everywhere you look. It's alive." This book might appeal to tween/teen readers if they can appreciate the humor, history, and mystery. It's not action packed, but it is chock full of many interesting historical tidbits and oddball characters. Good recommendation for historical fiction though not in a strict definition of the genre perhaps. Definitely a period piece. It was easy to imagine this being narrated much in the way that the films "A Christmas Story, "Brighton Beach Memoirs," and "Stand By Me" are voiced by the adult character.
July 24, 2017
Just picked up the audio of this book for $5 at a second hand music store in town and I'm about halfway through the first disc. With all of the critical attention this book received, I'm looking forward to the rest of it.
Once I figured out that Jack Gantos the author was being intentionally funny, and that he'd written the character of Jack Gantos as unintentionally funny, the book took off for me. This was a fantastic audio book experience!
Once I figured out that Jack Gantos the author was being intentionally funny, and that he'd written the character of Jack Gantos as unintentionally funny, the book took off for me. This was a fantastic audio book experience!
May 14, 2021
Author and narrator Jack Gantos does a marvelous job in the audiobook of Dead End in Norvelt. Very cleverly written, with humor at every corner, it was a fast paced read with many laugh out loud moments! Gantos intertwines true history from his own life as well as historical facts from US and world history that act as wonderful teaching platforms. I enjoyed every minute of it!
Find Dead End in Norvelt at the Westminster Public Library today!
And if you are in search of new books to read, try our services, What Do I Read Next. Our library staff are standing by to create a personalized recommendation list for you!
Find Dead End in Norvelt at the Westminster Public Library today!
And if you are in search of new books to read, try our services, What Do I Read Next. Our library staff are standing by to create a personalized recommendation list for you!
October 23, 2021
Pretty funny. The use of the racial terms of the time (mainly Jap) when it was set was a bit jarring, however it captured the time without sugar coating with how the author would have liked the character to talk.
November 26, 2025
some good moments, but I didn't like it that much overall and truly can't imagine liking it as a kid
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