Dead End in Norvelt
by Jack Gantos · Grades 4–7
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos is on US reading lists at grades 4–7. It appears on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Grades 4–7 · 350 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781429962506). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 1 state
Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).
This page shows where Dead End in Norvelt is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
Reading level at a glance
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-20; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
Good fit for grade 3?
If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Newbery Medal?
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About this book
Book facts and sources (3)
- Awards won
- On award reading lists
- Garden State Children's Book Award (source: njla.org)
- Catalog record
- First published 2011 · 350 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)
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See all books like Dead End in Norvelt→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Where this book is recommended
Garden State Children's Book Award
- recommended·4th grade · New Jerseysource: New Jersey Library Association — Garden State Children's Book Award selections (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1977)
- recommended·5th grade · New Jerseysource: New Jersey Library Association — Garden State Children's Book Award selections (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1977)
- recommended·6th grade · New Jerseysource: New Jersey Library Association — Garden State Children's Book Award selections (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1977)
- recommended·7th grade · New Jerseysource: New Jersey Library Association — Garden State Children's Book Award selections (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1977)
Newbery Medal
- recommended·3rd gradesource: Newbery Medal (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2012 Newbery Medal winner
- recommended·4th gradesource: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2012 Newbery Medal
- recommended·5th gradesource: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2012 Newbery Medal
- recommended·6th gradesource: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2012 Newbery Medal
- recommended·7th gradesource: Newbery Medal winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2012 Newbery Medal
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
- recommended·5th gradesource: Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction winners, via Wikipedia — 2012 Scott O'Dell Award
- recommended·6th gradesource: Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction winners, via Wikipedia — 2012 Scott O'Dell Award
- recommended·7th gradesource: Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction winners, via Wikipedia — 2012 Scott O'Dell Award
- recommended·8th gradesource: Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction winners, via Wikipedia — 2012 Scott O'Dell Award
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Common questions
- What grade level is Dead End in Norvelt?
- Dead End in Norvelt is listed for grades 4–7. It appears on 3 book-award lists across 1 state, from grade 3 to grade 8. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read Dead End in Norvelt?
- It takes about 6h 25m to read Dead End in Norvelt (350 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 385 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign Dead End in Norvelt?
- Dead End in Norvelt appears on reading lists for Garden State Children's Book Award, Newbery Medal, Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Dead End in Norvelt banned in schools?
- Dead End in Norvelt does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
Why this book is on this list
How we classifyHide
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
- Grade band
- Grades 4–7 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.