Jack Gantos is grounded for the summer of 1962. He's allowed out of his room to do chores and to go help old arthritic Mrs. Volker when she needs him, which is often.
I really didn't get this book. The author's name is Jack Gantos and so is the the main character's -- but there's no way this story is true as it involves the remaining "original Norvelters" mysteriously dying off much more quickly than they ought, an infestation of Hells Angels, a nose that bleeds so often that it should land its owner in the hospital, and so much other ridiculata that it tips into "ugh. enough" territory.
I didn't think it was funny, interesting, or anything really -- it read a bit like a NaNoWriMo effort: just throw all the words out there and we'll fix it later. Only they gave it an award rather than an editor.
D+
