Children's Author Jack Gantos On 'Dead End In Norvelt'

Jack Gantos contains multitudes. He is an acclaimed children's book author living in Boston, a proselytizer of dedicated journal-keeping, and now he is the main character of "Dead End in Norvelt," a fictional children's novel based in Norvelt, Pa., the author's hometown.

"I was a big reader, I was very bookish child and I realized that, you know, when you look in the mirror you only see the physical self," Gantos explained. "But when you close your eyes and see yourself, you see the massive fictional adaptation of yourself... And so for me to use my name, yes it’s my body, but because there is fiction built on the foundation of Norvelt, there is fiction built on the foundation of Jack Gantos too."

Part fiction, part history, "Dead End in Norvelt" tells the story of a young Jack Gantos and the small working community — named after Eleanor Roosevelt — where he lives. The book was awarded the prestigious Newbery Medal for contributions to children's literature.

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