Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

This book seemed to me like it was similar to A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder--maybe it was the time, or the characters--but it was not nearly as enjoyable and magical. The story is about a boy named Jack Gantos (it's some weird mix of novel and autobiography) who is growing up in a town created by Eleanor Roosevelt and he gets grounded over the summer for helping his dad tear up his mom's cornfield. The only thing he can do is help his elderly neighbor, Mrs. Volker, write the obituaries for all of the old people in town. Mrs. Volker was the best part of this book--she was feisty and smart and talented at amazing things and not at all sentimental. I want to be like her when I grow up and grow old. I was confused by how some of the book seemed like history/autobiography, and some of it seemed like fiction, like the Hell's Angels driving through town and burning houses down, but I did really appreciate the message of how important it is to know and learn history so that we don't repeat our mistakes. I enjoyed this story and thought it was worth a read, but it was not my favorite of the Newberys I've read.