crystal_reading's review against another edition
3.0
I laughed my way through Dead End in Norvelt multiple times, so I had expectations of some humor. They were certainly satisfied. Once again, Jack Gantos manages to pull together bizarre and amazingly funny situations throughout the novel. I would recommend that people read Dead End in Norvelt first, but Gantos does provide a bit of review in the beginning in case readers have forgotten some of the first book or haven't read it.
I was disappointed that Jack's best friend dresses up as an Indian for Halloween. It is something that children do, but with all of the many costumes that could be chosen, I just wished that a different choice had been made. That was a negative for me, but Gantos did win points when the topic of Abraham Lincoln came up. Miss Volker spews history and she doesn't only tell the boring, sanitized textbook type of information. She brings up some of the aspects of people's lives that people may typically ignore or gloss over so that hero status is maintained. Lincoln ordered thirty-eight Sioux men hanged in 1862. That isn't something that elementary students or even older students always get taught, but Jack learns about it from Miss Volker. Reading this book could really turn students on to history because Miss Volker tells about people with their warts and all. She even shares about FDR cheating on his wife.
Seeing two sides of people is a major theme that comes up over and over along the way. Jack sees many examples of this starting with the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde classic comic he reads near the beginning of their road trip. Jack notices that he himself seems to bounce back and forth and the adults around him, especially Miss Volker, are also fighting this type of battle inside.
The mystery that began in the first novel continues in From Norvelt to Nowhere kept me reading. I still wanted to know for sure who killed all those ladies back in Norvelt. Before the crime is solved, Jack gets naked, harpoons are launched, and all kinds of mayhem ensues. The humor and the juicy bits of history make this book a lot of fun. It seemed a bit more complex and more of a middle school book than the first, so I am not sure how many of my elementary students are going to rip through this one though many fifth graders enjoyed Dead End in Norvelt. I really appreciate that Gantos is able to write historical fiction that can bring a smile to your face since so many are about war and serious subjects. Books like these from Gantos can help to show students a more lively view of history.
I am looking forward to book talking From Norvelt to Nowhere and hearing back from my students.
Originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-from-norvelt-to-nowhere.html
I was disappointed that Jack's best friend dresses up as an Indian for Halloween. It is something that children do, but with all of the many costumes that could be chosen, I just wished that a different choice had been made. That was a negative for me, but Gantos did win points when the topic of Abraham Lincoln came up. Miss Volker spews history and she doesn't only tell the boring, sanitized textbook type of information. She brings up some of the aspects of people's lives that people may typically ignore or gloss over so that hero status is maintained. Lincoln ordered thirty-eight Sioux men hanged in 1862. That isn't something that elementary students or even older students always get taught, but Jack learns about it from Miss Volker. Reading this book could really turn students on to history because Miss Volker tells about people with their warts and all. She even shares about FDR cheating on his wife.
Seeing two sides of people is a major theme that comes up over and over along the way. Jack sees many examples of this starting with the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde classic comic he reads near the beginning of their road trip. Jack notices that he himself seems to bounce back and forth and the adults around him, especially Miss Volker, are also fighting this type of battle inside.
The mystery that began in the first novel continues in From Norvelt to Nowhere kept me reading. I still wanted to know for sure who killed all those ladies back in Norvelt. Before the crime is solved, Jack gets naked, harpoons are launched, and all kinds of mayhem ensues. The humor and the juicy bits of history make this book a lot of fun. It seemed a bit more complex and more of a middle school book than the first, so I am not sure how many of my elementary students are going to rip through this one though many fifth graders enjoyed Dead End in Norvelt. I really appreciate that Gantos is able to write historical fiction that can bring a smile to your face since so many are about war and serious subjects. Books like these from Gantos can help to show students a more lively view of history.
I am looking forward to book talking From Norvelt to Nowhere and hearing back from my students.
Originally posted at http://readingtl.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-from-norvelt-to-nowhere.html
jay2351's review against another edition
2.0
I wish I could say I loved the second book as much or even more than the first, but I can't. I found it very flat and it seemed to drag on and on with no action what so ever. I made it a little over halfway through the book before I had to stop reading and I still haven't finished.
wiseowl33's review against another edition
4.0
Miss Volker is a great character. This was an interesting sequel. Mostly enjoyable story.
sherming's review
3.0
Jack picks up his semi-autobiographical tale where "Dead End in Norvelt" left off. One last Old Norvelt Lady has been killed, and Mrs. Volker enlists underage Jack to be her travelling companion as they hunt down the killer. It's a bit more bizarre than the first book and has a quick ending that gets Jack to the next segment of his life. I wonder if he'll have another book that fills in the blanks in southern Florida.
katrina_daquin's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
beecheralyson's review against another edition
4.0
Jack Gantos does a great job narrating the audiobook for his newest book which is the follow-up to Dead End in Norvelt. On some level, I think this one is even better than the first one.
kallbri's review against another edition
2.0
I raved about Dead End in Norvelt for months. Even today, I am still suggesting it to many people. I was very excited when I heard Gantos had a sequel, despite my general discontent with series books. Well, unfortunately that was not turned around. The book often felt like train-of-thought writing. One moment Spizz was the murderer, and the next it was a bunch of others. I will still highly recommend Jack Gantos, but I may only mention there is a sequel, as opposed to my glowing recommendations of his other books.
kmc3050's review
3.0
3. This book is so stupid (in a good way). It's perfect for adventurous girls and boys. I enjoyed the history bits and references to classic literature.
Jack Gantos does a fine job reading his story.
Jack Gantos does a fine job reading his story.
pkrawr's review against another edition
2.0
A bizarre bit of lunacy that somehow manages to consistently fall short of being funny. I think this book fell into the sequel trap of trying to hard and failing, therefore managing to undermine fond memories of the original. Gantos takes too far a leap into the fictional, making his cast of memorable characters from Dead End in Norvelt behave in ways that no one, regardless of the circumstances, would ever do. It makes all of them unsympathetic, and the increasingly unbelievable plot careens along like an inevitable train wreck. One additional star granted for interesting history tidbits sprinkled throughout.
pomo's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0