Dead End in Norvelt

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Copyright: 2011

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

Literary Awards, Honors, and/or Nominations

1. 2012 John Newbery Award: Winner
2. 2012 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction: Winner
3. 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults: Winner

Reading Level:
Grade Level Equivalent: 6.4
Lexile: 920L
DRA: 60
Guided Reading: Y

-Original description of the book
Jack Gantos does a fantastic job with the descriptions and story twists in his book. The book is an exciting read with mysteries with every page turn. His writing makes this a great book to read for all ages and ends the reader wondering how Jack’s life could get any better than the summer he just had.

-Corresponding Common Core State Standard
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6: Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3: Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

-Suggested delivery
1) Read aloud
2) Small group read
3) Independent read

-2 electronic resources
1) Dead End in Norvelt Trailer
2) A Teacher's Guide to Dead End in Norvelt

-3 teaching suggestions for grades 4-6
1) Students can learn about the friendships that can be formed between two vastly different people. Here are some ways to teach this concept to students:
   -Ask students to discuss Jack’s reputation among his peers.
   -Bunny Huffer is Jack’s best friend. Trace their relationship from the beginning of the novel to the end.
   -At first, Jack is simply Miss Volker’s scribe. At what point does he become her friend?
   -How does Bunny regard Jack’s relationship with Miss Volker?
   -Ask students to discuss the relationship between Mr. Spizz and Miss Volker.
   -Mr. Spizz enjoys pestering Jack. Debate whether he is jealous of Jack’s relationship with Miss Volker

2) Another way to use this book in the classroom is to teach students about courage. There are many examples throughout the book where Jack displays courage. Some prompts are listed below.
   -Jack tells his mother that his dad made him mow down the corn. Why does he feel that squealing on his dad was a cowardly thing to do?
   -Anytime that Jack is anxious or fearful, his nose bleeds. How does it take courage to let Miss Volker operate on his nose?
   -Explain how Bunny contributes to Jack’s fears. How does she also help him gain courage?
   -What is Jack’s most courageous act in the novel?

3) Another theme that Jack Gantos touches on is honesty and lying. There are multiple examples in this book from different characters. Here are a few example to get the students thinking about how honesty is represented in the book.
   -Explain what Mrs. Gantos means when she tells Jack, “Remember, a person first lies to himself before he lies to others” (pp. 207–8).
   -Jack tells his parents that he didn’t put the bullet in the rifle. Why does it take Mr. Gantos a while to admit that Jack is telling the truth?
   -Who are the most honest and trustworthy characters in the novel?
   -Discuss the most dishonest characters. How do they lie to themselves and to the entire community?

-Key vocabulary
1) Capillaries: smallest blood vessels
2) Cauterize: burning skin tissue to stop bleeding
3) Colossal: extremely big; huge
4) Tentatively: not fully thought or worked out
5) Dismissively: not giving serious consideration
6) Spewing: expelling quantities of something rapidly and forcefully
7) Exasperated: caused by irritation or annoyance
8) Abscond: leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft
9) Noxious: harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant

-An inferential comprehension writing activity
For another assignment, ask students to think about the humor in both character and plot in the novel. Then have them do a funny live radio interview with Miss Volker and Jack about the day Miss Volker is held captive by Mr. Spizz, how she got him to confess to the murders, and how he arranged his getaway. Ask other folks in Norvelt to react to his crime.

-Before Reading Comprehension Activity: This EdHelper website contains a literary unit that uses Dead End in Norvelt as the main resource. It has extended activities, ideas for a word wall, reviews and vocabulary activities for chapters.

-During Reading Comprehension Activity: Using a Question the Author activity would be a great way to assess students’ comprehension of what they have read so far. This activity will require students to think about why the author wrote a specific phrase, what the author is trying to say, or why the author sequenced the events a certain way. The following Reading Rockets website has different examples of how to use QtA in different subjects and how to QtA.

-After Reading Comprehension Activity: Students will use a story sequence activity to show how much they were able to comprehend. This website describes how story sequences can be used in different life aspects, such as cooking, along with how it can be used in different subjects.