Write an obituary for someone you admire, listing their great accomplishments. Is it okay to read other people’s notes or mail?ĭraw what you would see from the roof of your house if you had a pair of binoculars.Ĭreate the front page of a newspaper. Why does Miss Volker want to write obituaries? Why does Miss Volker dip her hands in wax? Why are people in Norvelt worried about Russian spies? Why was Jack worried about his dad finding out what happened with the gun? Would you be upset if you were asked to help an adult during summer vacation? For no pay? Why doesn’t Jack’s mom want him to take money from Miss Volker? Midas touch – an impressive ability for making moneyĭiscussion topics for during/after reading:

Transfusion – the direct transferring of blood Symptoms of anemia include weakness and breathlessness.Ĭamouflage – a clever disguise by becoming lost in the background and unseen by enemy What do you know about the Incas or the Spanish conquistadors?īunker – an underground secure place made to resist an enemy attackĪnemic – suffering from anemia or a shortage of hemoglobin ( a protein in blood cells that transports oxygen). Have you ever gotten in trouble for playing with your parents' stuff? It's best to start with ch.1, but you can skip to Miss Volker’s introduction on pg.22 after finishing ch.1īased on the cover, what do you think the book is about? Does Norvelt seem like an exciting town?ĭo you know your neighbors? Have you ever helped them with projects? 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.

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. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack's way once his mom loans him out to help a feisty old neighbor with a most unusual chore-typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town. 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. Grade Level: 5th (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)ĭead 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! Last updated Thursday, September 27, 2012 Volunteers needed in May! Click here to sign up.

Dead end in norvelt series