Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

On either side of my bed, sit two, shelf-lined end tables that are full of the books that are next in line on my reading list.  As soon as I finish one book, I reach for the next.  However, because I keep adding books that friends recommend or those titles that I see listed on Twitter or hear about in podcasts, I never exhaust the shelves of my little night stands.  Sometimes the books that I add to my shelves get lost at the back of the stack since I don’t ever read them in order of purchase.  I choose based on what I feel like reading on that particular selection day.  So, when I went to pull the next “chosen one” from my shelves and saw a little Newbery winner that had slipped precariously close to the back of the line, I knew what I needed to do.  Now, after reading Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos, I can honestly say that I am sorry that it took me so long to get to that one.

Gantos’ 2012 Newbery winning book is a delight, and it is definitely one that I will begin recommending.  I knew about Gantos’ humorous style of writing, having been through a few adventures with Joey Pigza in the past.  But, this book had me laughing out loud.  Jack Gantos is the main character in this hilarious piece of historical fiction.  Yes, I did say hilarious and historical fiction in the same sentence.  From Jack’s attempt to save a deer with flatulence to his Grim Reaper visits to little old ladies, I laughed out loud so many times while living vicariously in the world that both the real and fictional Jacks took me.

The story is set in Norvelt, PA in the 1960s.  Jack is eleven and has just landed himself in a summer-long grounding for doing something really “corny” that sent his mother over the edge.  He then spends his summer digging a bomb shelter, reading old history books, and working as a scribe and typist for his elderly neighbor, Miss Volker.  She just happens to be the town’s medical examiner and, appropriately, author of all obituaries and historical pieces for the small-town newspaper.  The relationship that develops between the two is both funny and heartwarming.  But, the tasks that cantankerous Miss Volker charges Jack with make the book completely engaging and delightful, and there is even a scary encounter with the Hell’s Angels and a murder mystery that must be solved, which just add to the many reasons that readers will want to keep reading this book. 

One of the most fascinating things about this book, though, is the historical setting.  At the beginning of the book Gantos & Gantos introduce the reader to the history of Norvelt.  The reader learns that the town was birthed from a government-sponsored experiment is socialism that was led by none other than Eleanor Roosevelt herself.  After reading about fifty pages of the book, my curiosity got the best of me.  I looked it up.  It is historically accurate, and there are so many interesting facts about this town and its history.  I was shocked because I had never heard of it and was feeling rather glum about my lack of historical context for this book.  It turns out that, when I asked others about their knowledge of the town, not many had heard of it.  In addition, since the real Gantos spent the first few years of his life living in Norvelt, it is hard to tell how many of fictional Jack’s antics are real or imagined.  That makes the historical piece even more fun to try to parse out.  So, not only is the book a great read that would be perfect for reluctant readers who have yet to find joy in a reading life, it is wrought with history and provides so many avenues for historical research.  So, readers who love history and historical fiction will be fans of the book as well. 

As I was reading, I could envision so many routes that students could take in terms of their questions about history, all because of Jack’s story.  What a great springboard for reader-led inquiry.  I know that I have certainly loved my own research and additional reading.  This is a must-read for teachers of upper elementary and intermediate grade students; they will definitely want to share it with their students.  It is just so great all around, and I am certain now that it is well-deserving of that little gold medal on its cover.  And, now, I cannot wait to read the next in the series of Norvelt adventures that Gantos has written!   

Dead End in Norvelt, 341 pages from RR Donnelly & Sons Company (2011); ISBN: 9780374379933

Ideal for upper elementary and intermediate school (and people who love to laugh and/or love history…they can be the same person, you know)

Waiting by Kevin Henkes

I just picked up Waiting by Kevin Henkes…such sweetness wrapped up in the hardbound covering of a picture book.  I am so glad that it is now added to the collection of picture books on my shelves.  Of course, I initially picked it up while perusing the bookstore because I saw the author’s name.  He’s one of my favorites (Yes, I say that about a lot of authors; I have many favorites.)!  You all know him.  He is the author of one of your favorites too, Chrysanthemum.  He is that mice-loving author of Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse; Julius, the Baby of the World; Wimberly Worried; and more.  He is also the author of books without mice, like the Caldecott winning Kitten’s First Full Moon.  And, he even won Newbery honors for his chapter books The Year of Billy Miller and Olive’s Ocean.  Now you know why I had to pick up Waiting when I saw it for the first time. 

Because Henkes is both author and illustrator, I happily get to write about both in this blog.  The soft pastels of the illustrations match the softness of the story.  They are a perfect partnership.  From the simple setting of a paned window to the simple concept of waiting, readers meet five friends who spend their time on the windowsill, side by side, each simultaneously waiting for something special, or maybe nothing particular at all.  The charming faces of the pig, the owl, the dog, the rabbit, and the bear are just so inviting.  It has a charm that is felt in the simplicity of the words as well.

For the five main characters, days come and go, things come and go (and sometimes do not come back), and they just wait, content to be beside one another.  Then, one day a cat comes.  They are curious; she does not seem to be waiting.  Yet, she is waiting for something very special.  And, she doubles the joy of who they are as friends on the windowsill.

Now, I too am waiting.  I am waiting to share this book with others.  You, reader, are my first.  But, I am waiting to read this book with preschool-aged children.  This book will make a super sweet read aloud, I am sure.  So, now, I am also waiting for you to read it with your students.  I can imagine the quiet room as a teacher softly whispers the story to the students.  I can imagine the wonder of the little eyes as they take in the beautiful colors of the illustrations and the sweet faces of the animal friends.  I can hear the concern in the voices of the students as they ponder the elephant’s situation.  I can feel the warmth of the hearts in the room as they realize that friends are always there for each other, even when they are waiting for something different.  I love this sweet picture book, and I cannot wait for you to share it with your students.  I will be waiting to hear how you and your students share your time together with this special book.

Waiting, by Kevin Henkes, 32 pages from Greenwillow Books of Harper Collins (September 1, 2015); ISBN: 978-0-06236843-0

Ideal for Preschool-Grade 2 children (or those of us who just cannot resist a sweet picture book)

The Skinjacker Trilogy by Neal Shusterman

I will never look at those little moments of forgetfulness or those unexplained chills in the same way ever again.  Now that I have schema for the possibility of skinjacking and for the idea that I am just a fleshie for some Afterlight in Everlost, how can I ever see those everyday anomalies in the same way ever again?   

The creative mind of Neal Shusterman has once again planted ideas for seeds that I rationally know to be fictional, yet those seeds somehow sprout some semblance of what reality might be in the back of my mind.  Shusterman knows how to play with the questions that people have about life, death, and an afterlife and build on our fears about ghosts and loss.  He takes all of that and then spins it into an unbelievable fantasy world filled with rivalries, heroes, villains, and battles. He does all of this in Everlost, Everwild, and Everfound…the Skinjacker trilogy.  Intrigued?  Well, before I give you more of the details, let me take you back a step or two first. 

These three books are older than Unbound and the rest of the Unwind Dystology that I wrote about in a previous blog.  So, this is not Shusterman’s latest, although I have seen the cover for his latest…Scythe (think The Giver meets the Skinjacker trilogy meets The Hunger Games), which will be released on November 26, 2016.  The Skinjacker trilogy is a book series that my son had been trying to get me to read for years.  Over the years, I have read about 10 Shusterman books, but I was not looking forward to reading these.  The word skinjacker just made me feel creepy.  Well, I finally did it.  I conquered my fear, and I can now say that I know both the good and bad of skinjacking, I know that not all Afterlights are good, and I know that I do not always have to fear monsters and chocolate. 

  

As is obvious from above, the Skinjacker trilogy has a vocabulary of its own.  Even the book’s antagonist makes up new vocabulary as the book moves along, thus highlighting her arrogance.  It is a fun read for those who like adventure mixed with the perfect amount of eeriness.  There are so many creative characters with special powers that a reader will be captivated by the possibility of what might come next in the series. 

Everlost begins with two children who are in a car accident and then wake up on the forest floor being watched by an unusual tree-dwelling boy.  They soon learn that they have “died” and are now living in a state between life and the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.  The two struggle to learn the rules of this new world (reserved only for children) and meet others who have failed to cross over into the light.  They soon learn that they have to watch out for an egomaniacal Sky Witch who has lured many children into the “safety” of her care and the McGill, a monster who is powerful enough to banish an Afterlight to the center of the Earth or sentence her to chiming. 

The first book shows readers how Nick and Allie manage in Everlost, and Everwild begins with new adventures for each character.  Allie finds new powers that can be used for good or bad and even drags a monster on her journey.  Nick begins his mission to stop his foe and deliver as many mysterious, and freeing, coins to Afterlights as he can.  Both come back together in the end to battle the antagonist, which sets the stage for a much greater confrontation in the third book, Everfound. 

There are so many fascinating characters and interesting stories introduced as Allie and Nick find their place in Everlost that it is easy to see why this series is my son’s favorite Shusterman work.  It is also the favorite of many other young tweens and teens, as a quick search on the Internet will reveal many, many Skinjacker fandom blogs.  And, while it was not my favorite Shusterman book, I can see how the story line will draw in readers.  I think that this series would be a great one to offer reluctant readers, both boys and girls alike.  If they like it, they will be hooked.  If they are hooked on Everlost, they will have to read the other two in the series.  If they get hooked on the series, then they will want to read the Unwind Dystology.  Then, they will want more and more Shusterman (As I said in a previous blog, the man has written a lot of books.).  By the end of their Shusterman travels, they will consider themselves readers and move into other authors and other genres.  This is the beauty of a series like the Skinjacker trilogy.  It has the power to turn our staunchest reluctant readers into book-loving fanatics! 
    

Everlost, Everwild, and Everfound by Neil Shusterman, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (2009, 2010, & 2012); ISBN: 9781416997498, 9781416958642, & 9781416990505

Ideal for older tweens and young teens (or readers who aren't afraid to grapple with the afterlife or love adventure and unimaginable characters or just love Neal Shusterman or...)