Research Norvelt, Pennsylvania, and Eleanor, West Virginia. How does your research enrich your understanding of the novel’s plot, particularly Mr. Huffer’s decision to buy the empty houses and move them to West Virginia? What real controversies existed, and how does this mirror the characters’ reactions in Dead End in Norvelt?

How does Gantos use the conventions of the murder mystery genre to build suspense and narrative tension? Consider any misleading clues or red herrings in the text.

Discuss the meaning of the title and its relation to the novel. What makes Norvelt a “dead end”? How does the “dead end” relate to the themes of Confronting Death and Violence and The Force of Community?