Review for "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Gantos, Jack. Dead End in Norvelt. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2011.  ISBN 9780374379933 

PLOT SUMMARY 

Jack lives with his mom and dad in Norvelt, Pennslyvania, a town that was specifically developed by Eleanor Roosevelt in the 1930s to help the poor live with dignity during the Great Depression. The year is now 1962, and the town has changed a lot since its founding. Most of the original residents are dead or dying and not many people remember the town when it was thriving. 

Jack find himself "grounded for life" or for the summer when he disobeys his mom in order to please his dad. He is only really allowed to leave the house to visit Miss. Volker, an elderly woman who serves as the town's coroner and writes historically embellished obituaries for the newspaper. Jack spends the summer typing the obituaries for the severely arthritic woman and driving her around town to examine dead bodies. 

As the summer progresses, the number of deaths increases at an unusually fast rate...and most of the dead are members of the original Norvelt community in the 1930s. This is alarming to Jack, and is the beginning of an adventure to find out what or who is killing off the community's elderly residents.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

Jack Gantos provides an authentic story set during the Cold War in a New Deal community that is rapidly declining and struggling economically. The characters are very easy to relate to. For example, the main character, Jack, is stuck in a feud between his parents where he is the only one that is losing. He is an average twelve-year-old kid who is smart, curious, loves history, and doesn't always think before he acts. Jack has a fear of death, and working around dead people makes him anxious and causes him to have nosebleeds. Jack's character is not perfect by any means, but he is someone that just about any typical preteen boy can empathize with. The plot of the story deals a lot with war and death, and Gantos presents details about these sensitive accurately and appropriately for middle grade readers.  

There are many themes that are carried throughout the book. One of the big themes is death. From death caused by hunting animals, to the elderly dying, to deaths caused by war, this theme is constant throughout the book and is something that causes Jack great anxiety. Overall, the book helps us to understand that death is necessary and that a healthy fear of death is good as long as it does not consume a person's life entirely. 

Gantos does a great job writing a story about a preteen boy in a style that is appropriate to be read by preteen boys. The story is written in mostly short paragraphs that are fast-paced. His sentences and language are not overly complicated and even though he uses a lot of figurative language, he does not get into complicated, extended metaphors.  

REVIEW EXCERPT(S) 

Newbery Medal 2012 

Kirkus Starred Review 2011 

Horn Book Magazine Starred Review 2011 

From School Library Journal 2011: “A fast-paced and witty read.” 

From Booklist 2011: “Those with a nose for history will be especially pleased." 

CONNECTIONS 

Gather other Newbery Award winning books to read such as: 

Holes by Louis Sachar ISBN: 978-0440414803 

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool ISBN: 978-0375858291 

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen ISBN: 978-1416936473 

Check out the sequel to Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos: 

From Norvelt to Nowhere.  ISBN 978-1250062789 

Divide students into groups and have each group develop a script and perform a one-act play from their favorite chapter of the book. 

Have students choose a date in July or August and research historical events that happened on that day. Then, have students write an article for the "This Day in History" column that Jack loves to read in the Norvelt News.

Review for "The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Kelly, Jacqueline. The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2015.  ISBN 9780805097443 

PLOT SUMMARY 

This book is a follow-up to Jacqueline Kelly's first book, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, but it also works well as a stand-alone novel. This story follows Callie Vee as she turns 13 in the year 1900. She enjoys and thrives on studying science with her grouchy grandfather, the man whom she helped discover a new plant species in The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. However, a life and career in science is not a practical dream for this young girl. Money is not an obstacle. In fact, her six brothers are able to pursue their dreams with the sky being the limit. Unfortunately, Callie was born as a female which means she is destined to become a Texas debutante even though she would rather be a scientist, making discoveries and changing the world. She spends a lot of time helping and protecting her soft-hearted brother, Travis, as he continues to bring home rescued animals against his mother's wishes. Callie is angry because she feels like she is stuck in a world where it doesn't matter that she's smarter and harder-working than her brothers, because her destiny is already determined by society. In this story, Callie learns some valuable tools for achieving the life she wants to live as she spends time with two people that just happen to end up in her hometown because of a huge flood.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

Jacqueline Kelly has developed a truly accurate and authentic historical fiction novel set in the early 1900's in Texas. She has woven real world events, such as the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900, into an adventurous story about a young girl, Callie Vee, which keeps readers intrigued. Kelly incorporates science into the novel in a way that peaks the interest of the audience. Young readers will be encouraged to read more about scientists such as Darwin and will be excited to experience more hands-on science learning activities. She also does a great job developing characters that readers can relate to and learn from. She is not perfect, which makes her much more interesting to readers. For example, Callie hates playing the piano and sewing, and she is not very patient or graceful. However, Callie is a bright young girl who wants to change the world, despite her limitations. She struggles to find a way to further her education instead of just becoming another wealthy matron. The supporting characters, such as Granddaddy, Travis, Mother and Callie's cousin Aggie, are also fully developed into people that readers can relate to. 

One of the themes throughout the book is inequity. Callie consistently struggles with the fact that her brothers have opportunities that she will never have because she is a female. This theme accurately reflects the attitudes, values and morals of America in the early 1900s and helps readers understand what life was like for women during this time in history. 

This book is an excellent read-aloud or novel study for classes studying Texas History. It is also a great resource for teachers looking to integrate science and history into language arts as well. Callie's story is adventurous and informative and will be enjoyed by boys and girls alike.  

REVIEW EXCERPT(S) 

From Kirkus Reviews 2015: "A warm, welcome stand-alone companion to Kelly's lauded debut. "

From School Library Journal 2015: “Recommended for fans of the original novel and strong readers who enjoy character-driven narratives.” 

From Booklist 2015: “The novel offers many pleasures, from its well-realized setting to its vividly portrayed characters, but the most irresistible is Callie’s wry, observant narration.” 

CONNECTIONS 

Check out other books by Jacqueline Kelly: 

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate ISBN: 978-0312659301 

Return to the Willows ISBN: 978-0805094138 

Gather other historical fiction novels that take place in the United States: 

A Paradise Called Texas by Janice Jordan Shefelman ISBN: 978-0890155066 

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse ISBN: 978-0590371254 

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis ISBN: 978-0439402002 

Use the story to add a literature component to a Texas History unit/class. 

Have students create a Calpurnia-style science notebook to write down questions and observations, make sketches, doodle, and participate in nature studies or art journaling. 

Use this book for an afterschool book club. Serve pecan cookies, in honor of the Tate’s pecan grove, as a snack to all participants.