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    Dead End in Norvelt: (Newbery Medal Winner)
    Dead End in Norvelt: (Newbery Medal Winner)
    Dead End in Norvelt: (Newbery Medal Winner)
    Audiobook7 hours

    Dead End in Norvelt: (Newbery Medal Winner)

    Written by Jack Gantos

    Narrated by Jack Gantos

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    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 fiesty 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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateSep 13, 2011
    ISBN9781427213570
    Author

    Jack Gantos

    Jack Gantos is the celebrated author of Joey Pigza Loses Control, a Newbery Honor Book. He is also the author of the popular picture books about Rotten Ralph, and Jack's Black Book, the latest in his acclaimed series of semi-autobiographical story collections featuring his alter ego, Jack Henry. Mr. Gantos lives with his wife and daughter in Boston, Massachusetts.

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    Reviews for Dead End in Norvelt

    4/5

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    • 3/5
      It is hard to know how to describe this story. It is supposed to be a melding of events that are entirely true and wildly fictional. I, for one, have no idea which were which. This is historical fiction taking place in the summer of 1962 about a young boy named Jack Gantos is a poor Pennsylvania town. The town was almost a character in this novel. Norvelt was created and begun by Eleanor Roosevelt as a way for the poor to get homes. Now the town is dying and so are the elderly residents. This dying town is a source of conflict between Jack's parents. His mom is a life-long resident and doesn't want to leave. She embraces the lifestyle and the ideals that founded the town. His dad wants to move a way to get, as he says, "a bigger slice of the pie." His dad is convinced that the town is dead and sensible people leave.Jack is caught in between this summer that he turns twelve. After a loaded gun incident and a "mowing down the corn that his mother has planted to feed the hungry to build the fallout shelter (or runway) his father wants." young Jack is grounded - perhaps for life. His only escape is when his mother lends him out to an elderly neighbor. Miss Volker is crippled by arthritis and needs Jack's help. She is also one of the original residents of Norvelt and was charged by Mrs. Roosevelt to be the nurse and medical examiner for the community. Miss Volker is determined to keep her promise to Mrs. Roosevelt to stay until the last original resident is gone. She has taken it upon herself to write obituaries for each of the elderly residents as they die. She needs Jack to do the writing and then type them up on her old typewriter. Miss Volker also adds history - both of the town and of the world - to each obituary.When Jack isn't with Miss Volker, he is usually in his room reading his collection of Landmark biographies and reflecting on them, or, he is digging in the yard for his father's fallout shelter. Jack also is plagued by very frequent nose bleeds. Any time there is any stress or excitement, Jack's nose bleeds. His parents are too poor to have the doctor fix the problem - and he won't barter for the service as Jack's mom hopes. But Miss Volker has a plan that involves surgery on her kitchen table. This was a quiet book that was filled with lots of quotable text and arresting images. What it wasn't filled with was much action. It reads to me as a quiet but sort-of weird, old-fashioned story of a slice of pretty ordinary life. Jack is an interesting and thoughtful observer of the events around him. But even his best friend Bunny Huffer thinks he is sort of weird.I'm not sure what sort of reader that I could give this to. I think that it might make an appealing read-aloud title with a teacher leading the discussion about that time in history.
    • 4/5
      it was a very good audiobook, but the recording missed/skipped a few parts and that is why I did not give five stars.

      I like the mystery element.
    • 3/5
      Good story. My favorite line, "I love to sniff the insides of books."
    • 5/5
      Dead End in Norvelt is an autobiographical/fiction novel by the Jack Gantos, a well-known children and YA author. It features a boy named Jack Gantos and is based partly on the author's childhood in Norvelt, Pennsylvania. It received Newberry award in 2012. The novel centers on a two month period (in the early 1960s) when Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is "grounded for life" by his parents, after he accidently shots his father’s Japanese rifle and not so accidently mows down his mother’s corn field. But plenty of excitement comes Jack's way once his mom loans him out to help a neighbor, Miss Volker, with an unusual chore—typewriting obituaries (for the "original Norvelters") filled with stories about the people who founded his town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack begins his summer adventure—which includes molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, Hells Angels and possibly murder. I loved this book and decided I want a friend like Miss Volker. I loved the idea of taking an obituary and adding a historical note that heightened the life of the deceased—what a wonderful idea. Jack learns over the summer the importance of being part of a community, the lessons of history and what fun a car and an old lady can be. This book is laugh out loud funny at times—and a great book for the YA reader or a wonderful book to share as a family. 4 ½ out of 5 stars.
    • 4/5
      Narrated by the author. This put me in mind of "A Long Way to Chicago." Both books have opinionated elder ladies who take no prisoners. I really enjoyed listening to Jack Gantos read his work; very funny interpretation and even though he doesn't do any distinctive voices for the characters, he still manages to give each a clear personality.
    • 5/5
      It was funny and creative . I had to read this for school but it turns out I would read this in my free time. I recommend this book for anyone.
    • 3/5
      listened to it cus i recognized it from reading it when i was in middle school. not as good as i remember, the characters are unlikeable, (especially the mom who grounds her only child for a whole summer and makes his life hell for something that his dad forced him to do) and the audiobook glitched a few times for me
    • 4/5
      Reason for Reading: The book is this year's (2012) Newbery Medal winner and I always read each new winner as I'm working my way through the entire list. I had never read this author before.Having never read Jack Gantos before, honestly I've never looked past the titles of the others, I didn't know what to expect from this award winning novel. I was very pleasantly pleased. While set in Pennsylvania (in the existing town of Norvelt) the book is written with a typical Southern flare including a cast of eccentric characters. The book is suitable for those tween years (10-14) and made for a very engaging read. Since the boy in the book is named Jack Gantos and the author bio on the back cover tells us Jack actually grew up in a town called Norvelt we can probably surmise that this tale contains some biographical elements of the author's own childhood.A coming of age story, this book focuses on the summer a boy turns twelve, he has been grounded for a serious mishap for the entire summer. The motley cast of characters include his neighbour to whom his mother hires him out to help write the obituary's for the town's original settlers, Mrs. Volker is crippled with arthritis of the hands and has lived an exciting life which she shares with Jackie both through conversation and the obits. There is crazy old man Spizz, who is like the town's by-line enforcer and he rides around town on a giant adult tricycle. Jack's best friend, Bunny, a girl his age who is half his size and is meaner and tougher than almost any guy around is ticked off that Jack can't play at all this summer. With being grounded to his room, Jack spends a great deal of his time reading, having an old set of Landmark History books, he quickly reads through those and imparts what he's read and thought cool back to the reader. This really endeared him to me as I went through a period in my life in which I read all those books too. Another thing about Jack, which some readers may find odd, but also endeared me to him right away is that he has numerous nosebleeds. His seem to come on whenever he gets uptight, nervous or scared. Then his nose blows a gaskets and bleeds everywhere. Medically the capillaries are too close to the surface in his nose and need to be cauterized but his poor family has to save up, very slowly, for this. I too had constant nose bleeds as a child and right up into my mid-twenties, for the exact same reason! Mine were brought on by climate changes. Hot/sunny one day, chilly/damp the next and I was sure to have a nose bleed. They occurred where ever I was: on the bus, in the movies, walking down the street, etc. I was told about the operation but my bleeds just gradually stopped when I moved to a much higher altitude and they've never returned even though I've returned to the low altitude.This was my type of book, along with the quirky characters, add in a running theme of death, wry humour, a possible murder going on, strange events going on in his Dad's workshop, and you have an exciting, never dull story of a boy coming of age, of a town trying not to die, a family that loves one another and a place where neighbours still care for each other. A good read. I'm enticed to at least take look at Ganto's other books, now.
    • 2/5
      Wacky and entertaining if you are a 10 year old boy -- unfortunately, I have the sense of humor of a 12 year old boy, so it didn't grip me. I was listeing to the audio book, which was well read, but when it had to go back to the library before I had finished it, I didn't really feel the need to find out what happened. Sorry Jack Gantos -- I thoroughly believe that this is a great book, just not for me.
    • 5/5
      Young Jack Gantos stands between his sometimes feuding parents, trying to deal with each of them giving him conflicting instructions, and knowing he'll be in trouble with whichever parent he disobeys. He ends up grounded for the entire summer, granted a reprieve only when the somewhat loony Mrs. Volker, who writes the obits for the local paper, asks for his help. Jack grows fond of the crazy old lady, who promised Eleanor Roosevelt that she would look after all the original inhabitants of the town of Norvelt until the last original had died. But suddenly that summer, it seems like the original inhabitants are dying at a remarkable rate. We don't really learn until the second half of the book that they are perhaps being murdered, and that there is a mystery involved.This book is a rollicking fun ride, filled with humor, crazy situations, and a likable protagonist. I'd give it five stars, except the ending seemed rather rushed compared to the rest of the book, and then there was the last few pages, which felt tacked on. In those last pages, Jack learned a valuable lesson in life... but one which really didn't seem related to anything else in the book. So, 4.5 stars.
    • 3/5
      Children's/middle grade fiction (boys); historic fiction (1960s). Liked this one--had fun wondering which parts were true stories from Gantos' boyhood in Norvelt and which parts were fictionalized (probably not that many old ladies kicked the bucket due to rat poison, I hope). Cover art stinks (the "action" of the plane should be more prominent; maybe the town/scenery could be entirely constructed from yellowed newspaper?) but might be an easy sell to boys, especially if you read them the part about Jack's saving the deer from being shot by his hunter dad by way of silent fart signal (yes, you read that right).
    • 5/5
      Although the narrator's name is Jack Gantos, this isn't really a memoir. It's some fairly far-fetched fiction, a murder mystery set in the 1960s in a threadbare development called Norvelt (a real place in Pennsylvania!). The mystery, while it involves plenty of dead bodies and a fair amount of poison, isn't really the focus of the book; instead, the focus is on the relationships among the quirky characters--and on recurring historical ideas and forces. It's a fast read, at times not giving the reader a chance to rest, like many novels written for young people these days. I enjoyed it very much and may offer it as a literature circle option for my students.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed how history and the wisdom of his mother and friend were woven into the story. The ending didn't satisfy me, but if that's what happened...
    • 3/5
      This is the fifth of seven books I've been reading for a Books on Tap event sponsored by a public library and a local cidery. Unusually so for this event, nearly every book on this session's list is directly written for young people or could easily been appreciated by them. It has been described as historical fiction for it is written by an author who actually lived in the town of Norvelt and has lots of "facts" revealed in it that actually occurred, but the story line is decidedly fiction. Even with that, unlike most other books I have read geared toward young people, this book's author goes out of his way to not thrown in actions, situations, and acts of nature that are not based on reality. In fact, except for an important story thread -- which I cannot reveal without offering spoilers -- the book as is remarkably realistic, believable, and often quite humorous. I should also add that I read the book while listening to the audio book, which was narrated by the author himself, and he does a bang up job of it, making it seem all the more like a "true" childhood memoir. If it wasn't for the exception I mentioned earlier, which struck me as incongruous with the rest of the book, I would have rated the book a notch higher.
    • 3/5
      It was okay.
    • 5/5
      Jack Gantos is such a clever and funny writer. I haven't read any of his works since the Joey Pigza days. This one was actually based "kinda" on his own life. The setting is early 1962, so if you are of that era you will get an even greater understanding of references to bomb shelters, the Japs and so on. The story takes place over two months in the summer when Jack is out of school and expecting a fun break from school. Instead, he is caught in the middle of his feuding parents where he becomes grounded for the whole summer? His one saving grace is when his mother allows him to help out an old eccentric woman who writes the obituaries for the local paper. Her hands are arthritic so Jack learns to type on an ancient typewriter for her. There is a mystery involving the numerous deaths of the old ladies of Norvelt. I think the end will surprise you as it did me.
    • 3/5
      Jack is a teenager (? or preteen?) in the 1960s in the small town of Norvelt (named for Eleanor Roosevelt). When he is grounded for a summer, he is allowed to leave the house to help a neighbour, Miss Volker, write obituaries for the town paper. Miss Volker can no longer type due to the arthritis that has crippled her hands. They strike up an interesting friendship while musing on the town's deaths and other goings-on.The book was ok. I listened to the audio, read by the author, and he did a good job. I didn't tend to lose focus with this one, but the story was merely ok for me. There was a brief interview with the author at the end, and it does seem that much of the book (or at least the characters in the book) were drawn from his life (first clue is that the main character has the author's name).
    • 5/5
      Although this book is copyrighted 2011, it has the feel of a book written decades ago. It would appeal to young adults who are interested in stories with historical flavor. The narrative takes place during the Cold War. Gantos captures the flavor of small-town eccentrics during an unusual time period of American history.The protagonist, 12-year-old Jack, suffers from spontaneous nosebleeds whenever he is stressed. As you would expect, this puts a big crimp in his social life. Through an unfortunate series of events, Jack is grounded for the summer, his only social outlet helping an elderly, peculiar woman who, in tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt, insists on writing long-winded and eclectic obituaries for the original founders of the town of Norvelt.What promises to be a long and boring summer takes a sharp turn into the strange and disturbing. Why are so many of the elderly suddenly dying? Is Jack’s father building a bomb shelter or a airplane landing strip and why? Will the motorcycle gang continue to seek revenge upon the town for the death of one of their own by burning down the homes of its citizens one by one?Mostly zany, often insightful, Dead Ends In Norvelt is an unusual book that will interest young and old readers alike.
    • 5/5
      What an odd story. Brilliant, but it definitely will make you think. I mean, it's a nice family story, but it includes a murder mystery. I like the Kirkus review on the back, that describes it as a 'provocative gothic comedy.'

      The family is happy, but Jack is caught in the middle of serious spousal disagreements. Well, at least that's how Jack sees his family. But he is a kid, and the author has minimized his own 'voice' in order to let Jack tell us about this summer from Jack's point of view.

      I do believe it's under-appreciated by some because it's hard to get a handle on it. Some folks, for example, might not believe that Jack would be so helpful to Miss Volker, or might think that the mystery is irrelevant & far-fetched. Well, I think Gantos might be just a bit too smart for his own good, so to speak - but I like that.

      Ah well, you can get more from reading other reviews, or from joining the discussion in the Children's Books group. I'll just share some book-dart marked bits:

      I like how Jack's Mom used newspaper for placemats. Jack says it's because she doesn't like waste; I bet she's fully aware that he's becoming a better reader and citizen because he's reading the papers.

      He is *such* a nice boy, devoted to old Miss Volker. When she calls him for help because of the poisoned vermin in her cellar, he doesn't hesitate. 'I'll be right down... Don't go into the basement without me.'"

      Such an interesting community. Another one of the little old ladies was "a champion duck carver and carved the portraits of all the presidents that hang in the school library.

      His friend Bunny, the undertaker's daughter, is quite the character, too. Instead of calling him 'chicken' or some other name, she says, "'You are worse than one of Dad's stiffs... At least they know they are dead. You don't even know you're alive.'"

      And of course there's good advice to the kids reading this. "... like any lie, the fewer details you give the better it is.""
    • 5/5
      This book is a bit long for how slowly it unfolds, but the persistent reader will be rewarded with a rich, and informative joyride through the fast paced thrill ride of rural Pennsylvania in 1962. I am joking. Or am I? You will find sniper rifles, Hells Angels, personal aircraft, arson, conspiracy, and even mass murder. Am I joking?!? A very good book worthy of all its accolades.
    • 3/5
      “School was finally out and I was standing on a picnic table in our backyard getting ready for a great summer when my mother walked up to me and ruined it.” -- Jack Gantos

      It is the summer of 1962 and Jack’s mom informs him that he has been enlisted to help out their old neighbor, Miss Volker, to write obituaries for the local paper. She will dictate the stories about the residents who have passed on and Jack will prepare them for print.

      But that was the least of his problems. “Oh sweet cheeze-us!” Jack hadn’t known that the rifle was loaded when he aimed and fired at the enemy on the drive-in movie screen, which led to his being grounded for the summer.

      And then there was the small problem of his “sensitive” nose from which blood would come spewing out of whenever Jack got a little excited

      Oh, and did I mention that someone might be killing off all the original little old ladies of Norvelt?

      You’ll get to know the locals as you join Jack on his adventures, some of which include:
      -trying to silently pass gas to save the life of a deer
      -checking on the elderly to see if it is too soon to write an obituary…while dressed as the Grimm Reaper
      -sneaking out of the house to go on Girl Scout fire patrol with his best friend, Bunny

      This pleasant story is part adventure, part historical fiction, part murder mystery and full of quirky characters.
    • 3/5
      Norvelt, Pennsylvania in the 1960s is the setting for this 2011 Newbery winner that recounts the strangely engaging summer of 11 yr old Jack Gantos and the cast of characters that populate his small town.
    • 4/5
      Jack gets grounded for the summer by his mother and father. The only time he can leave the house is to go to Miss Volker's and help her write up the town obituaries, act as the medical examiner and help her out with chores and errands. At first he is horrified by the idea but as the summer passes his bond with Miss Volker grows stronger and there seems to be an alarming number of little old ladies passing away.

      This book is an interesting mix of true things from the author's life, such as town life in Norvelt, what his parents and Ms. Volker (name changed to protect the innocent) are like and the false such as crazy murder mysteries.

      This was another great, funny read. There were definitely times where it was more than a little gross out. There was a ton of interesting history that I would definitely love to learn more about. There was also a great author interview at the end of the cd. I was so thrilled it was there since I was dying to learn what was true and what wasn't.
    • 3/5
      Gantos does a very good job of presenting the world from the 12 year boy's point of view. There is some seriously sad material in here but it is also transcendent.
    • 2/5
      This book wasn't bad, per se, but I'm not sure I feel comfortable calling it good, either. I generally enjoy stories that revolve around slight off-center small towns that seem to have their own rules for reality, but this story of a summer in Norvelt just fell flat for me. Between the mysterious deaths of old ladies, the selling of houses to be shipped off to another town, Jack's perpetual groundings for things that weren't really his fault, and the weird Hell's Angels subplots, there was just too much going on and too many loose threads still dangling by the end of the book. In its semi-autobiographical wackiness, I felt that the events were too out there to be considered as reality, but not over-the-top enough to be charmingly kooky.
    • 4/5
      Jack Gantos was only eleven when he’s grounded for an entire summer, but with it comes the most exciting thing he’ll ever experience, and you’ll never expect it. Dead End in Norvelt is a realistic fiction book written by Jack Gantos, who happened to have named the main character after himself.Jack was playing with his father’s rifle when he accidentally fires it, but what’s really interesting yet riddling, is that there was a bullet in the gun, yet he never loaded it. He is then grounded and forced to work for Mrs. Volker, his elderly neighbor. Through the summer he must try to keep out of trouble, keep up his work for Mrs. Volker, help his father build an airplane and launch pad, and solve the mystery of why the old ladies in his town continue to drop like flies, and the only evidence is his mother’s donated casseroles. It gets a little deeper than that though once he finds out exactly why who did it, did it.The target audience is around eight years old to thirteen years old, anyone younger wouldn’t understand the slightly larger words and anyone older wouldn’t bother. It was quite interesting, it reeled me in as soon as I realized that these old ladies all dying at the same time was no coincidence and that someone was purposely murdering these ladies. The reason at the end was almost perfect, really, and wrapped up a feud between two characters, while also leading way for a sequel which had already come out by the time I had started to read it. Overall, the book held quite a few plot points I
    • 5/5
      Jack's plans for summer vacation fun are shot down when he is grounded for life by his parents. But he still ends up with plenty of excitement when his mom loans him out to an old neighbor to help her type obituaries for the founders of his small hometown of Norvelt.I really enjoyed the blend of humor, history and drama in this book. The town of Norvelt is full of colorful, quirky characters, and as Miss Volker dictates the obituaries for those who die in the course of the story, she sprinkles in accounts of historic events that somehow connect to them, adding some life lessons into the mix as well. It definitely deserved the awards it got!
    • 4/5
      Such a great story of a kid growing up in the early '60s. Loved all the characters, and I was surprised by how sweet Jack is in the story. I also love that this is semi-autobiographical.
    • 3/5
      Meh, is about the only reaction I have to this book. From the beginning, the tone of the writing style didn't work for me. I want to use the word "patronizing"; I don't think that's the right word, but something along those lines, basically the feeling of "I'm going to write a book for kids" instead of "I'm going to tell a great story". I read a blog post by a fellow writer talking about the difference between "situation" and "story". A situation is when something happens to the character, and story is when the character takes action and makes things happen. For the most part, I'd say Dead End in Norvelt is a book of situations, as the boy Jack finds himself put into situations by others and pretty much does as he is told and only does things to provoke the movement of the story once at the beginning and a little bit at the end. I got seriously bored about halfway through, and almost considered giving up. Things picked up and got more interesting toward the end and the story wrapped up in a fairly satisfactory manner, but I still didn't love it. All throughout I never felt that sense of risk, you know the cost of the character not talking action or making a bad decision or getting in trouble with his parents. Even when he's grounded, he doesn't seem very upset by it and does little to resist, and really, because he's made friends with the arthritic old lady down the street, things are actually going swimmingly for him. Things happen, quirky and maybe darkly funny things, bunt none of them seem to matter on more than a superficial level. And even though there are interesting, strange characters, I didn't really care about any of them. I couldn't find anyone to latch onto and love, anyone who I cared whether they lost their home or moved away from this poverty stricken town, or even if they died as some of the old folks did — at which point, the arthritic old lady would have Jack type out the obituary that would be quirky and darkly funny and spin off into a "this day in history" thing, which now that I think about it, really made light of the death as opposed to making it meaningful. Another strange thing about this book is that the author is Jack Gantos and he grew up in Norvelt and he's writing a story about a young boy named Jack Gantos growing up in a town called Norvelt. It's not clear at all whether this book is in any way autobiographical, or if he just decided to name a character after himself for the hell of it, or what. It would be great if there was an author's note or something to explain it, because I'm curious, but I'm not so driven as to try to sift through google to find out. *sigh*Anyway, yeah, so, another book down.
    • 4/5
      Pre-teen Jack Gantos is looking forward to the summer of 1962 in Norvelt, Pennsylvania, until he does something so stupid that his mother grounds him for life. Now he is actually looking forward to helping Miss Volker write obituaries for the elderly original residents who are dying right and left. It's about the only way he'll get out of the house. Jack learns a lot during the summer – about the history of the town's founding by Eleanor Roosevelt, about the cycle of history and the importance of learning from the mistakes of the past, about life, and about about death.I'm not sure I would have enjoyed this book when I was the age of its target audience. I would have probably viewed it as a book with more appeal for boys than for girls of that age. I appreciate it more as an adult reader, although I'm not as impressed with it as the Newbery panelists were. Even with the quirky setting, eccentric characters, and the underlying pathos of a dying town, it seems to be missing some special spark. It was worth reading once, but it isn't a book I'll want to revisit.