Dead End in Norvelt

Humorous, Entertaining, Unique, Suspenseful, Different

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos  

Published by Farrar Straus Giroux an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Copyright 2011

Jack Gantos’ summer does not end up like he imagined it to be. After getting grounded for life by his parents, he spends his days helping his neighbor, Miss Volker, with the unusual activity of writing obituaries. Despite her peculiar habits, Jack soon finds a friend in Miss Volker. As he learns about the original “Norveltors” and the town’s history, he finds himself in the middle of a possible real-life murder mystery. 

Grade level: 6

Lexile Measure: 920L

Description: Fiction

Suggested delivery: Group read  

Electronic Resources:

Book Trailer
Students can watch this book trailer to obtain background information on what the book will be about.

Author's Website

Jack Gantos’ website is good resource for students and teachers. It contains teaching guides for some of his book, including Dead End in Norvelt. It features a list of all of his books with excerpts that students can read if they are interested in reading more by the author. Students can also read his biography on this website to get to know what the real Jack Gantos is like. This will help them understand that the main character in the story is based on the author. 

Teaching Strategies

Key vocabulary:

·         Delusional – a belief that is not true

·         Abscond – to escape from a place secretly 

·         Contempt – a lack of respect for something 

·         Incredulous – not willing to believe something 

·         Willful – intentional, done on purpose 

·         Ingrate – a person who does not show proper appreciation for something

Before reading: Have students research the 1960s, including the differences between communism and our government, using credible websites. There are historical aspects to the story that students need to understand in order to comprehend parts of the book, particularly on pages 54-56. You can also show students this info graphic of what life was like when the story took place:

Link to Infographic

During reading: Encourage students to write down unfamiliar words that they come across in the book and try to figure out their meanings using context clues.

After reading: Have students note the ways in which Jack has changed throughout the story. Some ideas include his priorities, his responsibilities, his maturity, and relationships. They can organize their ideas in a chart comparing Jack in the beginning and the end of the book.

Writing activity: Write a response to the questions, “How does Jack’s friendship with Bunny change throughout the course of the story? How does his relationship change with Miss Volker? Is there a correlation between the two?”

 Gantos, J. (2011). Dead End in Norvelt. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.