JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY by Jack Gantos

I listened to this book on audio with my husband, who is also a 9th grade algebra teacher in the car. About an hour into the book Alex announced "every teacher should be required to read this book." This is a pretty big statement from him since he is not a reader. I tend to agree with Alex, it should be read by all teachers, and I think students too.

This book made me laugh out loud, want to cry, but most importantly it educated me on what it must be like to WANT to do the right thing but not quite be able to control yourself. In the real world it is actions not intentions that matter and Joey finds himself friendless, often in hot water with consequences to live with, and frustrated. The story is told from Joey's point of view and we find that he is a sympathetic character, with lots of insights to offer the rest of us as we deal with students and peers with ADHD.

This is a perfect book to read to introduce kids to the idea of differences. It is my experience that most grades, if not classrooms have students with ADHD, some that have medicine, but sometimes "forget" to take it and show up at school a completely different student and others who are not diagnosed or medicated. I think this book will help students look upon these kids like real people with problems as opposed to a "freak" or a kid to be shunned.



Amazon.com Review
Joey Pigza has problems. Big problems. He was emotionally abused by his grandmother. He has never met his dad. He can't get along in his elementary school classroom because of his mood swings and his "dud meds." We gradually see that Joey must have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), which is not being effectively controlled with his current medication. Joey's life is a terrifying roller-coaster ride, and Jack Gantos, author of the Rotten Ralph books, drags the reader along to see what life is like with ADD. The story is written from the boy's point of view in a sharp, worried style that veers out of control when Joey does. Joey's control of his own behavior slips away as we read, horrified to see this boy trying to get a grip on his life and failing. He disrupts the class field trip; he puts his finger in a pencil sharpener and injures himself; he swallows his house key. Then he runs through the classroom holding open sharp scissors. When he trips and falls, seriously injuring a classmate, he is transferred to a special-education program in another school. Here, thankfully, he encounters a caring teacher who recommends further medical evaluation, and Joey is eventually able to return to his former school. There is hope for Joey on the last page--he sits in the Big Quiet Chair to read. Gantos has achieved an unusual feat with this book. We want to turn away from Joey's shifting prison of emotions. But for those who stick with him, he shows us what his life is like. We walk a mile in his shoes, our feet hurting all the way. For young readers touched by ADD--and for their teachers and parents--Joey gives us the key to his world. (Ages 10 and older) --Marcie Bovetz --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
In a starred review, PW called this National Book Award finalist "an accurate, compassionate and humorous appraisal of a boy with attention-deficit disorder." Ages 10-up. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Joey Pigza suffers from severe attention deficit disorder and struggles to remain calm when his world chaotically slips through his fingertips. When his medicine wears off, he cannot concentrate or sit still and is constantly in trouble at school. After leaving him for several years in the care of his abusive grandmother, his mother returns to reclaim him and her parental responsibilities. But Joey remains a challenge: he continually disrupts his class, swallows his house key, and runs away during a field trip. Eventually, he injures a classmate and is sent to a special education center for six weeks; here his medication is regulated and he learns how to manage his behavior. Joey leaves the center feeling strong and in control and he triumphantly returns to his old school. Gantos creates a strong cast of multidimensional characters. Joey is inherently a good kid and just as his teachers want him to succeed, readers will empathize and feel his emotional and physical bruises. References to alcoholism and abuse add realism to the novel without impeding the flow of the plot. In his first-person narrative, Joey relates incidents that are heart wrenching and humorous. From the powerful opening lines and fast-moving plot to the thoughtful inner dialogue and satisfying conclusion, readers will cheer for Joey, and for the champion in each of us.
Shawn Brommer, Southern Tier Library System, Painted Post, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
"Gantos is a terrific writer." -- School Library Journal

"In this rollercoaster of a ride, ingenuously and breathlessly narrated by Joey himself, readers are treated to an up-close introduction to life with attention deficit disorder-or being wired, as Joey puts it...Readers of this compelling tragicomedy will know almost from the start that Joey's not just a good kid-he's a great kid." --Starred, The Horn Book
-- Review --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
"In this rollercoaster of a ride, ingenuously and breathlessly narrated by Joey himself, readers are treated to an up-close introduction to life with attention deficit disorder-or being wired, as Joey puts it...Readers of this compelling tragicomedy will know almost from the start that Joey's not just a good kid-he's a great kid." --Starred, The Horn Book
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.