From Norvelt to Nowhere

Written by Jack Gantos

Part of the Norvelt series

A boy and his mentor chase an elusive outlaw, uncovering chaos and secrets far from home.

3.6 Goodreads · 1,937 ratings

304 pages· 930L

$9.99Save 4%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In the shadow of the Cuban missile crisis, young Jack Gantos faces unexpected chaos in Norvelt. An explosion and a murder send him on a wild journey with his eccentric mentor, Miss Volker. As they pursue a peculiar outlaw, their adventure spirals into a whirlwind of bizarre events and revelations. Will Jack find the answers he seeks, or will the road lead to more questions? Join them on a raucous quest filled with roots, revenge, and the power of friendship in a tale where every mile brings new surprises.

From the publisher

This rocket-paced follow-up to the Newbery Medal-winning novel Dead End in Norvelt opens deep in the shadow of the Cuban missile crisis. But instead of Russian warheads, other kinds of trouble are raining down on young Jack Gantos and his utopian town of Norvelt in western Pennsylvania. After an explosion, a new crime by an old murderer, and the sad passing of the town’s founder, twelve-year-old Jack will soon find himself launched on a mission that takes him hundreds of miles away, escorting his slightly mental elderly mentor, Miss Volker, on her relentless pursuit of the oddest of outlaws. But as their trip turns south in more ways than one, it’s increasingly clear that the farther from home they travel, the more off-the-wall Jack and Miss Volker’s adventure becomes, in From Norvelt to Nowhere, a raucous road novel about roots and revenge, a last chance at love, and the power of a remarkable friendship. A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2013

At a glance