Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key: (National Book Award Finalist)

by Jack Gantos

Book Overview

"They say I'm wired bad, or wired sad, but there's no doubt about it -- I'm wired."

Joey Pigza's got heart, he's got a mom who loves him, and he's got "dud meds," which is what he calls the Ritalin pills that are supposed to even out his wild mood swings. Sometimes Joey makes bad choices. He learns the hard way that he shouldn't stick his finger in the pencil sharpener, or swallow his house key, or run with scissors. Joey ends up...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250061687
• ISBN13: 9781250061683
• Release Date: July 2014
• Publisher: Square Fish
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

Adhd

Wow, a book about attention disorders through the eyes of the main character. Impressive.

A Must Read or Listen To

This book was a required reading for my masters class in children's literature. I listened to it in my car and I was blown away. It allowed me to feel what a child with ADHD deals with on a daily basis. It allowed me as a teacher to have a greater amount of empathy towards my ADHD students. I have suggested this book to many parents of ADHD children. It made me laugh and cry and may help a child feel less terminally unique. In my book that makes a 5 star read!

Crawl into the mind and body of an ADHD kid!

As an elementary school librarian, who was diagnosed as an adult with ADHD, and who lives in a household with other ADHD people, I highly recommend this book! "Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key," is a fast-paced novel written at about the 5th grade level. Since we acquired two copies in our library about a month ago, it has been constantly checked out! I've had a student and his mom come into the library specifically to thank me for bringing this book to their attention and for discussing it with the his sixth grade class.If you want to crawl into the mind and body of a youngster with attention problems, spend some time with "Joey Pigza." What this kid does with his body, I've done in my mind my entire life, and I'm thankful to a number of medical professionals for helping me discover that I really was "wired" differently. (The book that really got me to seek help was "Driven to Distraction," by Edward M. Hallowell, which I also highly recommend.)The reviewer who attributes Joey's problems to his physical environment, overstates the situation. Yes, diet, chemicals and emotional problems can contribute to attention problems, but as a person who has eaten healthy foods for many years, and who has very few chemicals in the home, I can attest that ADD/ADHD people are usually born this way. I found relief through meds. Last year, I secretly took myself off the meds, and people around me noticed the difference within weeks. So, now I know it really does make a difference.Some people are misdiagnosed or over-medicated, which is why it's important to see a doctor who knows this disorder inside and out, like Joey finally did at the end of the book. This book should be read by any students, teachers or parents who either have attention problems, or who know someone who does. It would make an excellent read-aloud and discussion starter in an upper elementary classroom.

Living the Life of ADHD

As a teacher and the mother of a son with ADHD I was immediately drawn to this book. Yes, there are difficult passages that make us want to look away from the character, but the character, like a real-life ADHD child cannot step away. My son is now 20 years old and had a horrible time making friends in school, for many of the same reasons as Joey. He attests to the authenticity of feelings and the impulsiveness of actions that send Joey "pinging off the walls of his life." (Geof's words, not mine) I highly recommend this book for anyone who has ever come in contact with an ADHD child and wants to understand a little more about the illness.

Eye-opener for adults and children...

As a new elementary teacher, I stumbled on this book because of its interesting title. I couldn't put it down because it drew me in instantly. I felt sorry for Joey, but I was amazed how different his experience appeared from his point of view than what I might see as a teacher. A must read for teachers, parents, and children!

Heartbreaking--a must-read for all ages

I have never before such an honest and believeable description of a child with ADD. This book is almost painful to read, but I couldn't put it down, and I still think about it, months later. For anyone who knows somebody with ADD, this book opens up a whole new world of understanding. The best book, for children or adults, that I have read all year.