Dead End in Norvelt, by Jack Gantos
Meet Jack Gantos. It's the summer, and he's already managed to get himself grounded for two months for a) accidentally shooting off his dad's Japanese rifle from WWII, and for b) mowing down his mother's corn, on his dad's orders. Not that there's much to do in the tiny town of Norvelt, anyway. Built by Eleanor Roosevelt during the Depression as a place where families who lost everything could have homes and piece their lives back together, Norvelt in the 50's is dying off. Literally. Jack is only allowed out of the house for his summer job- assisting his elderly neighbor, Miss Volker, who writes obituaries about the original Norvelters who are steadily dropping dead. Between that job, hiding his dad's summer plan to get his tiny airplane flying & build a home runway, helping his mother provide meals for the elderly Norvelters, protecting the town from avenging Hell's Angels, and learning a bit of both Norvelt and world history, Jack has his hands full for the summer. And to top it all off, pretty much any fright or stress makes his nose bleed like a faucet. Making the very adventurous summer a very bloody one, as well.
A blend of truth and fiction, Dead End in Norvelt is a hilarious slice-of-life/mystery with much more than meets the eye. Gantos, who really did grow up in a town called Norvelt, does an excellent job creating setting, both through his descriptions and through the cast of characters. Miss Volker, one of the last original Norvelters, is a spicy old lady full of gumption who provides much of the picture of the old Norvelt through her obituaries and stories. Jack's parents, who are feuding about whether to stay in Norvelt or leave for better opportunities, also help complete the picture of this dying town. His mom, who provides food for the old Norvelters and tries to continue the barter system that long since died out, grew up in Norvelt and wants to see it restored to its glory days. His dad, a restless WWII vet, sees the town as a dead end with no opportunities, and wants to move on, like many young families already have. And Jack, as usual, is caught in the middle.
Part mystery, part family story, part historical fiction, part comedy, part social/political commentary, the strength of Gantos' story lies in his cast of unforgettable characters, the central character being the town of Norvelt itself. The narrator's voice is true and, at times, laugh-out-loud funny. Packed with action, quick-paced plot, and tight writing, despite the fact that the mystery element turns out somewhat predictably, this was one of my most enjoyable reads of the year.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0
To suggest other 2011 titles to the committee, please email suggestions to newberysuggestions@kcls.org.
Meet Jack Gantos. It's the summer, and he's already managed to get himself grounded for two months for a) accidentally shooting off his dad's Japanese rifle from WWII, and for b) mowing down his mother's corn, on his dad's orders. Not that there's much to do in the tiny town of Norvelt, anyway. Built by Eleanor Roosevelt during the Depression as a place where families who lost everything could have homes and piece their lives back together, Norvelt in the 50's is dying off. Literally. Jack is only allowed out of the house for his summer job- assisting his elderly neighbor, Miss Volker, who writes obituaries about the original Norvelters who are steadily dropping dead. Between that job, hiding his dad's summer plan to get his tiny airplane flying & build a home runway, helping his mother provide meals for the elderly Norvelters, protecting the town from avenging Hell's Angels, and learning a bit of both Norvelt and world history, Jack has his hands full for the summer. And to top it all off, pretty much any fright or stress makes his nose bleed like a faucet. Making the very adventurous summer a very bloody one, as well.
A blend of truth and fiction, Dead End in Norvelt is a hilarious slice-of-life/mystery with much more than meets the eye. Gantos, who really did grow up in a town called Norvelt, does an excellent job creating setting, both through his descriptions and through the cast of characters. Miss Volker, one of the last original Norvelters, is a spicy old lady full of gumption who provides much of the picture of the old Norvelt through her obituaries and stories. Jack's parents, who are feuding about whether to stay in Norvelt or leave for better opportunities, also help complete the picture of this dying town. His mom, who provides food for the old Norvelters and tries to continue the barter system that long since died out, grew up in Norvelt and wants to see it restored to its glory days. His dad, a restless WWII vet, sees the town as a dead end with no opportunities, and wants to move on, like many young families already have. And Jack, as usual, is caught in the middle.
Part mystery, part family story, part historical fiction, part comedy, part social/political commentary, the strength of Gantos' story lies in his cast of unforgettable characters, the central character being the town of Norvelt itself. The narrator's voice is true and, at times, laugh-out-loud funny. Packed with action, quick-paced plot, and tight writing, despite the fact that the mystery element turns out somewhat predictably, this was one of my most enjoyable reads of the year.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0
To suggest other 2011 titles to the committee, please email suggestions to newberysuggestions@kcls.org.
Amy @ Bellevue:
For a book about a failing town, dying people, and other morbid topics, Dead End in Norvelt is surprisingly hilarious. Miss Volker's introductory scene, involving Jack thinking that she is melting the skin off her hands, is one of the funniest passages I have read all year.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Quirky, smartly written, unique, and clever--one of my favorites from this year.
Rating: 4.75 out of 5
Angela @ Redmond
I have to agree with Amy, I groaned when I got to the end because I still wanted to know more!
The setting and characters are the strongest points of the novel. I was also interested in these towns that Elanor set up, as that was new history to me.
Score: 4.5 out of 5, possible contender