JANUARY 2013: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos - A hilarious read for older elementary & middle school kids.
"School was finally out and I was standing on a picnic table in our backyard getting ready for a great summer vacation when my mother walked up to me and ruined it." Jack pg. 3 Dead End in Norvelt
Twelve year old Jack Gantos has big plans for his summer vacation, unfortunately so does his mom, but when Jack gets stuck in the middle of an argument between his parents those big plans turn into being grounded for the entire summer. "You can only leave your room to do your chores, or go to the bathroom, and if you are lucky mister, you might have the privilege of having dinner with me and your father." pg. 70 Luckily for Jack his mom had already made plans for him to help their elderly neighbor, Miss Volker, for the summer and now something Jack had previously dreaded, might be the only thing that saves his summer. As Jack assists Miss Volker in writing the obituaries of the last remaining original residents of Norvelt, he is able to sneak a little of his freedom back and the crazy adventures start to pile up. A summer that started out as bad as the bloody noses Jack always gets, turns out to be a fun as a ride in his dad's re-built army surplus airplane.
While Dead End in Norvelt isn't a totally true story, Norvelt is a real town in Pennsylvania; you can check-out its unique history on ExplorePAhistory.com. Jack Gantos is also real, and he did live in Norvelt when he was young; you can read more about Jack on his website: JackGantos.com. Below are a few pictures I took last summer and a drive through Norvelt, PA. The funeral home in the story is called Huffer Funeral Home and is owned by Jack's best friend's family - coincidence or just a slight name change?
Dead End in Norvelt won the 2012 Newbery Medal for Children's Literature. The 2013 Newbery Medal will be awarded the end of January, here are a few books that might be in contention for this year’s award:
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine
The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
Wonder by RJ Palacio
Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
Crow by Barbara Wright
Click on any of the titles above and you will be sent to their record in the library catalog where you can see if the book is available or put a hold on it.
Twelve year old Jack Gantos has big plans for his summer vacation, unfortunately so does his mom, but when Jack gets stuck in the middle of an argument between his parents those big plans turn into being grounded for the entire summer. "You can only leave your room to do your chores, or go to the bathroom, and if you are lucky mister, you might have the privilege of having dinner with me and your father." pg. 70 Luckily for Jack his mom had already made plans for him to help their elderly neighbor, Miss Volker, for the summer and now something Jack had previously dreaded, might be the only thing that saves his summer. As Jack assists Miss Volker in writing the obituaries of the last remaining original residents of Norvelt, he is able to sneak a little of his freedom back and the crazy adventures start to pile up. A summer that started out as bad as the bloody noses Jack always gets, turns out to be a fun as a ride in his dad's re-built army surplus airplane.
While Dead End in Norvelt isn't a totally true story, Norvelt is a real town in Pennsylvania; you can check-out its unique history on ExplorePAhistory.com. Jack Gantos is also real, and he did live in Norvelt when he was young; you can read more about Jack on his website: JackGantos.com. Below are a few pictures I took last summer and a drive through Norvelt, PA. The funeral home in the story is called Huffer Funeral Home and is owned by Jack's best friend's family - coincidence or just a slight name change?
Dead End in Norvelt won the 2012 Newbery Medal for Children's Literature. The 2013 Newbery Medal will be awarded the end of January, here are a few books that might be in contention for this year’s award:
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine
The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
Wonder by RJ Palacio
Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead
Crow by Barbara Wright
Click on any of the titles above and you will be sent to their record in the library catalog where you can see if the book is available or put a hold on it.