This 2012 Newbery Award winning book by Jack Gantos is a semi-autobiographical account of Gantos's 12th summer in Norvelt, PA. After accidentally shooting off his father's Japanese sniper rifle, he is grounded indefinitely and only allowed to go to his neighbor Miss Volker's house to help her. Miss Volker is one of the last remaining original residents of Norvelt who acts as the town's medical examiner and obituary writer for the town newspaper.
Norvelt was first established as a town in 1934 during the midst of the Great Depression by Eleanor Roosevelt who belived that "every American should have a house on a large enough piece of fertile property so that during hard times, when money was difficult to come by, a man and woman could always grow crops and have enough food to feed their family" (Dead End in Norvelt, 214).
There aren't too many original residents remaining in Norvelt the summer Jack turns twelve and all of a sudden, they appear to be dropping like flies. Is it coincidence or is someone guilty of foul play?
I would recommend this book to any teen who enjoys reading historical fiction or is a fan of Jack Gantos. Fans of Richard Peck's series about the Dowdel family will also enjoy this book.
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