Jack Gantos

Jack Gantos is twelve years old and lived with his mother and father in a small town called Norvelt, located in Pennsylvania. Jack had just begun his summer break from school when he made a very unwise move. One night, he was watching the war movie playing at the near-by drive-in screen. He became so enthralled that he decided to be part of it. He grabbed an old Japanese military rifle and when an enemy emerged from behind a bush, he fired. He didn't know the gun was loaded. The fire power knocked him off the bench he was standing on. His mother was scared to death but her fear quickly turned into anger. Jack was grounded for the entire summer.

The only time Jack wold be allowed to leave his house was to help his elderly neighbor, Miss Volker, who had requested his assistance. Miss Volker...