Book Summary:
This story takes place in Norvelt, Pennsylvania during the
summer months after Jack fires his father's Japanese sniper rifle at the Drive
Inn movie screen. As punishment he is
grounded for life but he is sent by his mother to help their elderly neighbor
Miss Volker write obituaries for the town newspaper. Jack uncovers and solves
the murder mysteries of many elderly citizens in his town. Jack, a history
lover, learns about American history that he has never been taught in school by
Miss Volker's chats. Jack helps his father re-build a plane, which they have an
adventure with paint balloons at the end of the story. Eleanor Roosevelt was also an important part
of the history and background of their town because she helped Norvelt survive
by helping the people get into homes.
Miss Volker made a promise to Eleanor that she would keep the medical
and death records of the original town members, which meant that she would have
to outlive the originals that were introduced to the town.
APA Reference:
Gantos, J. (2011). Dead end in Norvelt. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux.
Impressions:
This a wonderful example of a young boy who serves and assists an elderly neighbor and helps her perform her daily tasks. He learns the value and importance of history and keeping accurate records. The value of knowing what happened in the past so that precious memories and experiences will not be lost or forgotten. Jack learns the value of making and keeping deadlines and the importance of being a dependable worker. The lesson of hard work provides the means to earn money to purchase and fix up a car. There are many lessons of compassion, friendship and history that might not be interesting for younger readers and the humor might go over their heads.
Professional Review:
In 1962, Jack accidentally discharges his father's war
relic, a Japanese rifle, and is grounded for the summer. When a neighbor's
arthritic hands get the best of her, his mother lifts the restriction and
volunteers the 12-year-old to be the woman's scribe, writing obituaries for the
local newspaper. Business is brisk for Miss Volker, who doubles as town
coroner, and Norvelt's elderly females seem to be dropping like flies. Prone to
nosebleeds at the least bit of excitement (until Miss Volker cauterizes his
nose with old veterinarian equipment), Jack is a hapless and endearing
narrator. It is a madcap romp, with the boy at the wheel of Miss Volker's car
as they try to figure out if a Hell's Angel motorcyclist has put a curse on the
town, or who might have laced Mertie-Jo's Girl Scout cookies with rat poison.
The gutsy Miss Volker and her relentless but rebuffed suitor, Mr. Spizz, are
comedic characters central to the zany, episodic plot, which contains unsubtle
descriptions of mortuary science. Each quirky obituary is infused with a bit of
Norvelt's history, providing insightful postwar facts focusing on Eleanor
Roosevelt's role in founding the town on principles of sustainable farming and
land ownership for the poor. Jack's absorption with history of any kind makes
for refreshing asides about John F. Kennedy's rescue of PT-109 during World War
II, King Richard II, Francisco Pizarro's conquest of Peru, and more. A
fast-paced and witty read.
Reutter, V. (2011). Dead end in Norvelt. School Library Journal, 57(9), 154.
Library Uses:
This book could be used when discussing Newbery award winners and the criteria and selection process when choosing a winner each year.
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