Dead End in Norvelt

Dead End in Norvelt, a Newbery Medal and Scott O'Dell Award-winning novel, follows the summer misadventures of Jack Gantos, a boy whose vacation plans are derailed when his parents ground him for life. Tasked with helping a spirited elderly neighbor by typing obituaries, Jack embarks on an extraordinary journey filled with unusual characters and bizarre events, including molten wax, a homemade airplane, and echoes of the past. With its sharp wit and surprising twists, this narrative offers a humorous look at growing up in a quirky town where the lines between history and reality blur.