Dead End in Norvelt Book Review

 And now, on to a hilarious coming of age read!

Book Review #15, Dead End in Norvelt

1.       Bibliography: Gantos, Jack. Dead End in Norvelt.  Squarefish; 2013. ISBN: 9781250010230.

2.       Plot Summary: This historical fiction novel tells the story of the fictional Jack. Excited for summer vacation, all of his plans are squashed after he is grounded by his parents. The only thing he is allowed to do is help out his neighbor, Miss Volker. Miss Volker happens to be the town medical examiner, though, and the tasks that Jack takes on helping her are very unusual.

3.       Critical Analysis: This book is hilarious. I actually saw Gantos speak a few years ago at a book expo, and he talked about this book. I didn’t have a chance to read it until now, and it’s a book that I will happily recommend to reluctant readers in need of a laugh. Children will identify with Jack’s character. Like most children, he cannot wait for summer vacation, even if it is in the odd town of Norvelt. However, Jack’s father asks him to mow down his mother’s corn field, and this action sets off a string of events that become his summer. Jack is a relatable kid. His parents argue a lot, and he feels torn in the middle. He likes spending time with Miss Volker, and even has learned a lot from her. He feels uncomfortable and trapped around his parents, but Miss Volker is a trusted adult that Jack feels safe around. This relationship can teach children that even if they don’t feel like they can confide in their parents or get along with them, that there are other adults that can be helpful to them and trustworthy. He does even mention one of her lessons at the end- “the reason you remind yourself of the stupid stuff you’ve done in the past is so you don’t do it again.” Jack does hope to make some money off of helping her, but his mom insists on him just taking something like pie. Similarly, she offers the doctor that they visit pickles and jarred fruit instead of cash as payment, telling Jack that “money can mean a lot of different things.” She explains about bartering and trading, which is definitely something that was more acceptable and common during the time period of this book rather than now. His mother has integrity in wanting to help others and taking pride in offering what she has. These are traits that Jack doesn’t appreciate at first. He does later try to trade food with Mr. Spizz to get out of a ticket. There are lots of characters in this story, and they all contribute to the feel of a small town with many eccentric voices that make it special, such as Mr. Spizz (who ends up being a very eccentric character) and baseball loving Bunny. The parents are very realistic with their arguing. Jack’s father is very opposite of his mother. While she wants to help the needy and the poor, Jack’s father is very into doing things for himself, and not setting an example for his son. Remember, he is the reason Jack is grounded in the first place. The setting of a small town where everyone knows one another comes alive in the story. At one point in the beginning, Jack reflects on how his mother might view Norvelt- as a place where people were once very proud and happy to own their own tiny home. In a way, it reminds me of the community that I live in. I am on a street with several other Cape Cod style homes. The houses were built in the 1950s to lure people away from the big cities and into suburbia. There are a lot of original owners still on my street, and many of them know each other well, take care of one another, and socialize together. Many themes are evident in this book too, such as family importance, maturity/coming of age, trust, and overcoming fear. Because of this summer, Jack is able to overcome a lot (helping to solve murders can do that). He shares a special moment with his father at the end, who also encourages him to help his mother with errands, putting some peace between them. The book includes some great photographs, including some from the real Norvelt. I remember from the author talk that I attended that Gantos talked a lot about his troublesome childhood with his parents, so his real life probably inspired the story a bit too. Gantos is also the author of the Joey Pigza series, which I used to share a lot as a middle school teacher- for again featuring a relatable character going through a lot in his young life. Gantos’ style of showing empathy for young people with challenging life experiences really comes to the heart of this book. It’s a great read to both help and distract these readers. Even though it is a work of historical fiction, it's really the story of Jack overcoming fears and working with his family in their little town.. 

4.       Review Excerpts:

·         From School Library Journal, “A fast-paced and witty read.”

·         From Publishers Weekly, “…Wildly entertaining meld of truth and fiction...”

·         From Booklist, “Gantos, as always, delivers bushels of food for thought and plenty of outright guffaws.”

5.       Connections: Use as part of a display on other Scott O’Dell winning books, including the following other books:

·         Lai, Thanhha. Butterfly Yellow, HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780062229222.

·         Williams-Garcia, Rita. One Crazy Summer. Quill Tree Books, 2011. ISBN: 9780060760908.

·         Klages, Ellen. The Green Glass Sea. Puffin Books, 2008. ISBN: 9780142411490.

·         Anderson, Lori Halse. Chains. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010. ISBN: 9781416905868.

Have children write their own humorous stories based off of their own summer experiences.

Teach children about the early 1960s’, to help set the stage for the novel.

Ask children to research Norvelt and other small towns. They can make posters or slideshows with their information.

Have children research about the author to find out how he came up with the idea for the story.

Have children invent a bartering system that could work in their school or community.