Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Bibliographic Information:
Print:
Gantos, Jack. 2011. Dead end in Norvelt. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN  0374379939
Spoken Recording:
Gantos, Jack. 2011. Dead end in Norvelt. Read by the author. New York: Macmillan Audio. ISBN 1427213569

Plot:
In what is described as a melding of "the entirely true and the wildly fictional," the historical novel, set in Norvelt, Pennsylvania in 1962, tells the story of eleven-year-old Jack Gantos whose summer plans are derailed when he is grounded for life for disobeying his mother.  His mother does allow him out of the house to help their elderly neighbor Miss Volker, the town's nurse, medical examiner, and historian who writes obituaries for the last of the town's original residents as they die off.  Coping with frequent nose bleeds when he's nervous or scared, Jack has quite a bit about which to be nervous:  Hell's Angels with a grudge against the town, a best friend who's always trying to shock him with gruesome stories from her father's funeral parlor, a not-so-secret airplane that his father is rebuilding, houses that are vacating Norvelt to move to another town, and a string of mysterious deaths of the old ladies of the town.  

Analysis:
The quirky cast of characters that inhabit Norvelt add humor and conflict to the story from Jack's diminutive but fiery friend Bunny to crotchety, tricycle-riding, and ultimately sinister Mr. Spizz to opinionated, history-loving Miss Volker.  The feuds, friendships, and foibles of the town's inhabitants vividly depict small-town-America in a way that's engaging instead of patronizing.  The town itself, is as much a character in the story as it is setting, a former utopia that has fallen on difficult times, a place that is attempting to establish its identity just as much as Jack is.  Jack's love of history is something he shares with Miss Volker, and the pair of them manage to pass along a wealth of historical facts to the reader through their reading and obituary-writing, and as Jack learns his history, he is figuring out how the past creates the present which will create the future.  Death permeates the book, Bunny's funeral parlor, the obituaries, a dead deer, the dying town, even the looming death of Eleanor Roosevelt who founded the town.As the story progresses, Jack learns to deal with death and life with an authenticity that will resonate with young readers.

The author narrates the audio version of the book in an engaging way but without some of the polish that might be expected of a voice actor.  The vivid descriptions, absurdities, and drama are brought to life in the recording in an appealing way.

Awards & Reviews:
2012 Newbery Medal
2012 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Publisher's Weekly, starred review:  "wildly entertaining"
Horn Book, starred review:  "This is a richly layered semi-autobiographical tale, an ode to a time and place, to history and the power of reading."
Starred review, Kirkus Reviews:  "Characteristically provocative gothic comedy, with sublime undertones."

Connections:

• Explore the author website (jackgantos.com) for book discussion guide and author interviews
• Research historical Norvelt and other towns that were founded during the Depression as cooperative communities.
• Write obituaries for something lost, not necessarily a person, using the house and deer obits from the story.
• Other books by Jack Gantos:

Joey Pigza series published by Farrar Straus Giroux

Jack Henry story collections

Rotten Ralph picture books

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Bibliographic Information:
Print:
Sepetys, Ruta. 2011. Between shades of gray. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN 0399254129

Spoken Recording:
Sepetys, Ruta. 2011. Between shades of gray. Read by Emily Klein.  New York: Penguin Audio. ISBN 0142428973

Plot:
Shortly after the annexation of Lithuania and other Baltic States by the Soviet Union 1940, fifteen-year-old Lina is taken along with her family and thousands of other Lithuanians to work camps in Siberia and eventually the Arctic.  Lina tells the story of their imprisonment and the brutality of treatment that was suffered while also recounting the stories of courage and kindness shown by fellow deportees and even occasionally by their captors.  Interspersed in her narrative are flashbacks to happier times in Lina's past, most of which foreshadow what would later happen to her family.  Separated from her father, she uses her artistic talent to leave messages and clues for him in hopes that one day they will be reunited.  Although Lina will lose both of her parents to the harrowing ordeal, her spirit is not conquered.  She and her brother survive to eventually return to their home and Lina preserves her memories of that time to pass along to future generations so the world will know and not forget the atrocities that so many people endured.

Analysis:
In an author's note at the book's end, Sepetys describes her Lithuanian heritage and the research she did for the story.  The deportation of Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians to Siberia has been largely unknown or unacknowledged by western Europe or North Americans, and the Soviet Union never admitted to the events portrayed in the novel, but according to Sepetys the story survived because of people like Lina who recorded their histories and hid them away, who passed the story on so that one day the world would know.  Sepetys drew upon these firsthand accounts and interviews with those who survived to capture the reality of the world in that time.  Her descriptions of the living conditions and the harsh treatment of the soldiers who were their captors are brutal but create a vivid setting to communicate the severity of the the time period.  Bits of dialogue in both Lithuanian and Russian remind readers of the setting as well as the language barriers between characters.  So many of the characters reveal what is best (and what is worst) in people:  bravery, dignity, kindness, and strength in the face of extreme hardship are present in the same characters who are scared, selfish, pushed beyond the limits of endurance, and broken.  Lina, especially, manages to display the mercurial moods of adolescence while being forced to come to maturity and take on responsibilities far beyond what is normally asked of a fifteen-year-old.  The flashbacks reveal glimpses of her old life, a time marked by an innocence that is quickly lost.  Ultimately Sepetys manages to not only bring a forgotten history to light but also to convey a valuable message about the human spirit in the face of suffering, something that will resonate when readers consider the resilience of those who successfully overcome hardships today.

In the audio version of the novel, the narrator Klein uses inflection, pacing, and modulation to convey the strong emotions of the story although the character voices in dialogue can be distracting.  In written form the flashbacks are set apart by italics to denote a break in the chronology.  In the audiobook there is no such warning, but eventually readers may adapt to the change in rhythm of the story that these flashbacks represent.


Awards & Reviews:
2012 Golden Kite Award
2012 IRA Young Adult Book Award
New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2011
Booklist Top Ten First Novels for Youth, Top Ten Historical Novels for Youth & starred review: "an important book that deserves the widest possible readership"
Publisher's Weekly, starred review:  "The narrative skillfully conveys the deprivation and brutality of conditions . . ."
Starred review in School Library Journal:  "there are uplifting moments when the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity for compassion take over"

Starred Kirkus Reviews:  "bitterly sad, fluidly written historical novel . . . flowing prose"

Connections:

• Visit the book's website (betweenshadesofgray.com) to view an author interview and download a book discussion guide to use with book club or discussion group.
• Explore the historical setting of the novel through books that Sepetys used in her research: A Stolen Youth,a Stolen Homeland by Grinkeviviciute, Sentence: Siberia by Lehtmets and Hoile, Leave Your Tears in Moscow by Armonas,  and Lithuanians in the Arctic by the Laptevieciai Organization
• Historical fiction set in communist-era Soviet Union:

Fine, Anne. 2008. The road of bones. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374363161

Müller, Herta, and Philip Boehm. 2012. The hunger angel: a novel. New York: Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 080509301X

Yelchin, Eugene. 2011. Breaking Stalin's nose. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 0805092161

Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming

Fleming, Candace. 2011. Amelia lost: the life and disappearance of Amelia Earhart. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 0375841989

Summary:
The biography details Amelia Earhart's life and career from her childhood to her disappearance on July 2, 1937. The chapters are interspersed with an account of the disappearance and subsequent search for her lost plane. Photographs, letters, and other documents correspond to the narrative, and related sidebars appear frequently.

Analysis:
The author explains in the introduction that Earhart's reputation was the result of exaggeration and embellishment, but the biography strives to look past the folklore and tall tales to the unearth the true story of the woman.  A table of contents and index help organize the story, and the background of the sections on the disappearance and search are gray to distinguish them from the sequential chapters on Earhart's life.  The primary source documents that are reprinted in the appropriate place in the chronology lend visual interest, and the sidebars offer supplementary information.  The text is supported by an extensive bibliography and list of websites that provide resources for additional exploration.  Fleming's expertise as a biographer shines in the text which is informative and engrossing, artfully depicting a life that needs no embellishment.

Reviews & Awards:2012 Orbis Pictus Honor

2012 Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction

Kirkus Reviews, starred review:  "Handwritten notes, photos, maps and inquisitive sidebars . . . complete this impeccably researched, appealing package. A stunning look at an equally stunning lady."

The Horn Book Magazine, starred review:  "The book’s structure and scope, along with the story’s inherent drama, provide a taut, cinematic backdrop for the history of Earhart’s doomed flight."

School Library Journal, starred review: "What could be a dry recitation of facts and dates is instead a gripping and suspenseful thriller..."

Connections:

• Use in Women's History Month display with biographies of other important historic women.
• Highlight as a book club selection to encourage middle grade readers (especially girls) to explore informational texts.
• Visit the websites suggested in the "Finding Amelia on the Web" section.
• Other biographies by Candace Fleming:

Fleming, Candace. 2009. The great and only Barnum: the tremendous, stupendous life of showman P.T. Barnum. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 0375945970
Fleming, Candace. 2005. Our Eleanor: a scrapbook look at Eleanor Roosevelt's remarkable life. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689865449
Fleming, Candace. 2008. The Lincolns: a scrapbook look at Abraham and Mary. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 0375936181
Fleming, Candace. 2003. Ben Franklin's almanac: being a true account of the good gentleman's life. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689835493

We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson

Nelson, Kadir. 2008. We are the ship: the story of Negro League baseball. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786808322

Summary:
In this social history, Kadir Nelson traces the history of African-American baseball players from the 19th century to the formation of Negro Leagues in 1920 to the breaking of the color barrier in major league baseball in 1947.  Written from a first person player/narrator perspective, the story highlights important managers and players, the unique playing style of the leagues, and the discrimination and hardships that were a part of segregated baseball.  The narrative is illustrated with Nelson's life-like paintings and peppered with quotes from Negro League players, managers, and owners.

Analysis:
The text is accompanied by a foreward from baseball legend Hank Aaron, endnote citations and bibliography/filmography of sources Nelson consulted, and an author's note detailing Nelson's inspiration and research process.  An index provides access points to players, teams, and illustrations throughout the book.  The book is organized into nine "inning" chapters plus a tenth "extra inning" that recounts the fate of the Negro Leagues after Jackie Robinson and other black players were allowed into the major leagues.  The full page paintings in Nelson's characteristic style are a rich, stately accompaniment to the text, placing the reader into the action, evoking the emotion and spectacle of the national pastime.  The narrative is heavily embellished with anecdotes that convey the history in a personal and conversational way.

Reviews & Awards:
2009 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal
2009 Coretta Scott King Award, author
2009 Coretta Scott King Honor, illustrator
Booklist, starred review:  "The stories and artwork are a tribute to the spirit of the Negro Leaguers, who were much more than also-rans and deserve a more prominent place on baseball’s history shelves."
School Library Journal, starred review: "A lost piece of American history comes to life in Kadir Nelson's elegant and eloquent history of the Negro Leagues and its gifted baseball players."

Connections:

• Incorporate into seasonal displays or programming for Black History Month (February) or Jackie Robinson Day (April 15).
• Connect with related scenes/interviews of Ken Burns's documentary Baseball which features players from the Negro Leagues.
• Encourage readers to further explore Negro League players through biographies or websites.
• Explore Kadir Nelson's artwork on his website www.kadirnelson.com
• Other informational books written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Nelson, Kadir, and Martha Rago. 2011. Heart and soul: the story of America and African Americans. New York: Balzer + Bray. ISBN 0061730742

Nelson Mandela biography to be released in 2013

• Informational books illustrated by Nelson:

Weatherford, Carole Boston. 2006. Moses: when Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786851759

De la Peña, Matt. 2011. A nation's hope : the story of boxing legend Joe Louis. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0803731671

Jordan, Roslyn and Deloris Jordan. 2000. Salt in his shoes: Michael Jordan in pursuit of a dream. Ill. by Kadir Nelson. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689833717

Time to Eat by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. 2011. Time to eat. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 0547250320

Summary: 
Using torn paper collage illustrations, Jenkins and Page depict a variety of species of animals and provide facts about the unusual eating habits of each.  A brief introduction connects the readers to the subject matter by asking about favorite foods and comparing potential answers to the unappetizing diets that are featured in later pages.  Each animal description and illustration has a headline or  caption that employs humor or surprise to catch the readers' attention.  The illustrations are colorful and realistic and support the unexpected, informative, and sometimes grisly details of the ways animals seek, store, consume, and digest food.  At the end of the book, the authors have provided additional information about the habitat and lifestyle of each animal.

Analysis:
Jenkins is a prolific author of informational books on animals.  His website (http://www.stevejenkinsbooks.com/) provides background on his interest in animals and science and also provides a glimpse into the process he uses to research his books and create the illustrations.  The information provided in the end notes is full of specifics and facts that will enhance the reading.  Although the book covers a wide range of species, animals that share two-page spreads in the book are connected either by a similarity in their feeding habits or because they represent two extremes.  The common wood tick, which can wait years between meals, is contrasted with the northern short-tailed shrew which must eat every few hours or die.  Each page is simply adorned with the animal illustration with no background or clutter to distract, and white space is used to good effect.  The text is brief and simple letting the facts provide the punch.   The illustrations are sure to catch the eye of scanners or browsers and each spread is self-contained enough to stand alone, although the books as a whole will provide a more cohesive experience.

Awards & Reviews:
2011 Eureka!  Nonfiction Children's Book Award
2012 Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best
Booklist, starred review:  "Another standout science title from the husband-and-wife team."
Publisher's Weekly review:  characteristically naturalistic yet artful collages"
School Library Journal:  "With phenomenal illustrations and facts both revolting and fascinating, this title is sure to please."

Connections:

• Use as a read aloud with young elementary students in animal behavior unit.
• Have children write and illustrate an animal fact.  Assemble into a book for the classroom library.
• Encourage students to explore the author's website and view the "making books" section for insight into the research and creation of Jenkins's work.
• Other animal books by Jenkins & Page:

Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. 2011. Time for a bath. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 0547250371

Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. 2011. Time to sleep. Boston: Houghton Mifflin books for Children. ISBN 0547250401