This was laugh-out-loud, oh-you-poor-boy wild ride. Jack Gantos is the author and main character of this "entirely true and wildly fictional" account of a kid who has been grounded for life (2 months of summer) by his feuding parents. He has frequent nose bleeds which are cauterized by a feisty old neighbor who writes obituaries for the newspaper. She is terribly arthritic so Jack's mom volunteers him to type the obits as dictated by Miss Voelker(sp). She always includes wonderful historical sidebars of events that occurred on days significant to the deceased - excellent! She is paying homage to the original residents of Norvelt - one of the towns established at the behest of Eleanor Rossevelt. A Pandora's box of fun, Dead End in Norvelt has something for everyone - girl scout cookies, a bomb/fall out shelter under construction, a homemade airplane...even murder!
"History often spreads more light on the present than on the past."
"The only way to turn enemies into friends is with respect."
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