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Joey Pigza Swallowed The Key (Joey Pigza #1)
by
Jack Gantos
Joey is a good kid, maybe even a great kid, but his teachers never know what he's going to do next. He sharpens his finger in the pencil-sharpener and swallows his house key. He can't sit still for more than a minute - Joey is buzzing!
Told from Joey's own unique viewpoint by acclaimed American author Jack Gantos, this is an exceptionally funny and touching story about a bo...more
Told from Joey's own unique viewpoint by acclaimed American author Jack Gantos, this is an exceptionally funny and touching story about a bo...more
Paperback
Published
September 1st 2000
by Yearling
(first published 1998)
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This is what I was thinking as I read: I've read a lot of good (and not so good) books about kids with autism and asperger's. This is the only one I've read about ADHD, which is more common. And yet, the thing is, it's the only one necessary. Gantos masterfully makes the reader feel just as 'wired' as Joey, and just as frustrated.
He's such a lovable and smart and loving kid, and everyone is really trying to do right by him. Even his grandma in her own messed up way did love him and get him this...more
He's such a lovable and smart and loving kid, and everyone is really trying to do right by him. Even his grandma in her own messed up way did love him and get him this...more
So we’ve got a book here about a child desperately struggling with ADHD.
He knows that he’s a good kid, darn it, but he can’t control himself or his home life.
His dad is out of the picture.
His alcoholic mother abandoned him, and then reappeared years later and exhaustedly attempted to turn their lives around.
While she was gone, though, he was abused by his presumably-dementia-suffering grandmother.
He was bullied by neighborhood children who would tie him up like a dog.
He’s on a mad concoction of...more
He knows that he’s a good kid, darn it, but he can’t control himself or his home life.
His dad is out of the picture.
His alcoholic mother abandoned him, and then reappeared years later and exhaustedly attempted to turn their lives around.
While she was gone, though, he was abused by his presumably-dementia-suffering grandmother.
He was bullied by neighborhood children who would tie him up like a dog.
He’s on a mad concoction of...more
3 likes · like · see review
Feb 23, 2009
Rian
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
other-diverse-perspectives
Summary: Joey Pigza feels wired, and it makes it hard for him to succeed in school. When Joey has one accident too many, he has to work with his teachers, his mom, and himself to learn to make better decisions.
Response: I loved this book. I could not believe how much Jack Gantos put me inside Joey's head - his emotions, his intentions, and his energy level. I felt as exhausted and wired reading each sentence as Joey seemed to feel by telling it. I knew from the beginning that Joey had a big, kin...more
Response: I loved this book. I could not believe how much Jack Gantos put me inside Joey's head - his emotions, his intentions, and his energy level. I felt as exhausted and wired reading each sentence as Joey seemed to feel by telling it. I knew from the beginning that Joey had a big, kin...more
6 likes · like · see review
This is a book I read called Joey Pigza Swallowed A Key. I would recommend this book to a kid in nine years of life, if they can handle a little cursing, because personally I did not like it. I did not like this book because I like suspense, and you could always predict what would happen.
Though I did not like it, I still had a favorite part. One time in the book he sharpened his finger in the pencil sharpener. He make crazy decisions sometimes. One time he cut off the tip of a girl's nose. He...more
Though I did not like it, I still had a favorite part. One time in the book he sharpened his finger in the pencil sharpener. He make crazy decisions sometimes. One time he cut off the tip of a girl's nose. He...more
Dec 02, 2007
Jorie Turner
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Teachers and grades 5-7
Shelves:
realistic-fiction,
chapter
Summary: Joey Pigza is a student with ADHD, and as hard as he tries he cannot control his actions. He is a sweet child who wants just to please the adults around him. However, both his parents left when he was very young and he has been left in the care of Gandmother who could care less about his well-being. When he mother comes back for him Joey has extremely mixed feelings, finally loving her as if she had never been gone. Joey cannot control himself in a regular classrooom and is sent to spen...more
Joey Pigza swallowed the key
By: Jack Gantos.
This book was about a young boy named Joey and he has trouble paying attentition in school and needs help because, his parents ran way when he was very young. I would say that this book would have a disability factor in it because; Joey is learning how to do things right so he doesn’t get in trouble any more or else he will get kicked out of school for good. I would say my cousin is most like Joey because; he has A.D.H.D. Joey and Buddy have alot in...more
Joey Pigza is a student with ADHD, and as hard as he tries he cannot control his actions. He is a child who wants just to please the adults around him. However, both his parents left when he was very young and he has been left in the care of Gandmother who could care less about his well-being. When he mother comes back for him Joey has extremely mixed feelings, finally loving her as if she had never been gone. Joey cannot control himself in a regular classrooom and is sent to spend time in a Spe...more
I really enjoyed the book Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. It is about a young boy who suffers from a behavioral disorder. His behavior is causing stress in his class, with his family and most importantly within himself. It is told from the point of view of the main character, Joey. Because of this point of view we have an insight on how he sees the issue.
I believe not only young readers should read this book but adults as well, especially teachers. It proves that we should invest time into studen...more
I believe not only young readers should read this book but adults as well, especially teachers. It proves that we should invest time into studen...more
I don't think this book has fairly depicted the trials and tribulations of a student like Joey. It feeds to so many misconceptions that, I think should be debunked. First, is the idea of using special ed classes as punishment for not behaving. In the story, if Joey didn't behave, he will be sent to the spec ed class. I don't think that is fair to students who are in these classes. They are not weird and different as depicted in this book. Second, why do we always justify these misbehaviour to ab...more
Plot: Joey Pigza is a boy who has ADHD. He pulls out his hair, he spins through the hallways at school, and snatches flies out of the air. His home life exacerbates his condition. His father, who is an alcoholic, left when he was in kindergarten and his mother followed right after him. Joey's grandmother steps in to raise him but, due to her own psychological problems, ends up emotionally abusing him.
When we meet Joey, his mother has returned to raise him, but his behavior continues to deteriora...more
When we meet Joey, his mother has returned to raise him, but his behavior continues to deteriora...more
This is narration done right. This is the second book I am reviewing with the thought of a younger audience in mind. My previous experience was trying (that is putting it nicely). This experience was much different. For one the first person narration held true to the voice of the character being presented (Joey). You could really feel his lack of attention in the words, a great touch. There were some bigger words thrown in here and there but they felt right in the places they were put. Good work...more
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is one of the most heartbreakingly humorous stories I've ever read. Joey has ADHD and can't control his actions most of the time and it doesn't help that he had been left with his mentally abusive grandmother while his mother was off drinking. Joey's mom finally sobers up enough (although doesn't stop drinking completely) to come back for Joey and care for him.
At school, Joey is disruptive, disobedient, fidgety, and all over the spectrum of highs and lows. Joey is n...more
At school, Joey is disruptive, disobedient, fidgety, and all over the spectrum of highs and lows. Joey is n...more
Jul 20, 2012
Chris Murray
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
boy-book,
realistic-fiction
Joey Pigza is a hyperactive kid. He can’t sit still or hold on to a thought for very long before spiraling out of control. He’s on meds, but they only seem to work sometimes, and when they wear off – watch out!! He’s a good kid with a good heart, but he needs some help. After swallowing his house key in school, jumping off a barn roof on a field trip, and accidentally cutting off a piece of a girl’s nose in school, Joey gets sent in for a tune up at a special needs school. There he is tested and...more
My daughter brought this book home from school today as all of the students in her group are reading it as part of their middle school transition program.
After reading the blurb on the back cover, I had some concerns so I read the rest of the book and I am appalled. The book is filled with negative stereotypes about the disabled and so many examples of bad teaching that I cannot believe this is being used in a school environment.
The main character is a little boy with ADHD and possible fetal alc...more
After reading the blurb on the back cover, I had some concerns so I read the rest of the book and I am appalled. The book is filled with negative stereotypes about the disabled and so many examples of bad teaching that I cannot believe this is being used in a school environment.
The main character is a little boy with ADHD and possible fetal alc...more
What an incredible book this is! Joey Pigza is a child with ADHD whose life is gradually spiralling out of control.
For a children’s book this tackles some serious issues brilliantly. Joey is dealing with not only his ADHD but the way others react to it. His peers make fun, adults shout at him and his Grandma even abused him. You can feel the hurt within the text as Joey is put with children with severe disabilities.
Despite the subject matter it’s quite light-hearted and funny. The things that...more
For a children’s book this tackles some serious issues brilliantly. Joey is dealing with not only his ADHD but the way others react to it. His peers make fun, adults shout at him and his Grandma even abused him. You can feel the hurt within the text as Joey is put with children with severe disabilities.
Despite the subject matter it’s quite light-hearted and funny. The things that...more
This book is about a boy who cannot control himself in many ways. He does several things that get him into trouble at home and at school. After doing things such as cutting a girls nose with scissors and sharpening his finger like a pencil he gets placed in a special education center downtown. This is where he finally gains control over himself with teaching and better medical treatment.
This is a great book told through the eyes of joey and explains his story very well. The characters resemble...more
This is a great book told through the eyes of joey and explains his story very well. The characters resemble...more
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is about a very energetic boy who just cannot seem to sit still. He is always getting himself into trouble and drives his teacher crazy. He takes medicine but when it is not working he can’t help but to be all over the place and does not follow the rules. Throughout the story the reader sees different perspectives of Joey and people in his life describe the way they see him.
The story was very well written. The plot was easy to follow and even though it showed many d...more
The story was very well written. The plot was easy to follow and even though it showed many d...more
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos was a good and enjoyable book to read. This book is about a boy named Joey who has some tough times when it comes to certain things and paying attention. This book shows the perspective of different people in Joey’s life and what they think of him.
I think this story is very well written. The setting of this book is very clear and easy to follow, along with the plot. I think the characterization of this book has a lot of insight on a learner with ADHD....more
I think this story is very well written. The setting of this book is very clear and easy to follow, along with the plot. I think the characterization of this book has a lot of insight on a learner with ADHD....more
Have you ever lost your train of.. Oh boy look at that dog! That is dog is so cu...Man, my foot itches. This book is about a boy, Joey, who goes through his life with some tough struggles. The most important struggle being his problems paying attention. There are some people who think he is just a trouble maker, but when he ends up swallowing his house key, and cutting off the tip of a classmates nose, those people decide that he may need a little more help than just discipline.
This story is ve...more
This story is ve...more
Joey Pigza isn't all bad, he's just a little too wired. After several incidents at school lead him to being threatened with a special education school, is it possible that he can learn to calm down without leaving? After cutting a girl's nose off, Joey is sent to a special education school and given different medications until, finally, he calms down and is able to settle himself enough to go back to his old school.
This book expands awareness by letting readers into the mind of a student with AD...more
This book expands awareness by letting readers into the mind of a student with AD...more
this book is about a kid named joey he has ADHD and his mom driks. JOEY swallowed a key for morey too.
I liked the book I raed with a class.
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is the first in a series by Jack Gantos, telling the story of Joey Pigza a boy with ADHD who was initially raised by his grandmother (who also appears to have ADHD) until his mother returns and Joey begins to get the help he needs. With ADHD getting a lot of attention around the time this book was written in 1998, I think it's a very timely tale told from the perspective of Joey, giving us an insider's look at what ADHD feels like. Joey is ultimately a good kid at he...more
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Joey is a very likable but frustrating young man who reminds me of many of of my students! He has trouble with his impulsive behavior and has somewhat challenging home life so he's constantly getting in trouble at school. His mom just came back from being gone for a while and he doesn't seem to have anyone who models good behavior and making good choices. His teachers are patient but things reach a boiling point and he has to attend a special ed ce...more
Jan 09, 2011
sarah gilbert
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
oregon-battle-of-the-books
I believe that families with children suffering from behavioral disorders all face many of the same problems, and the fact that none of my children are ADHD-diagnosed did not interfere with my deep sense of connection with Joey and his mother (though, having read this, I wonder about my five-year-old for whom Asperger's is currently the leading guess amongst me and his teachers). In many ways, she and I suffer from the same devastating problem, of walking into a public school building and instan...more
Teton County Library Call No: J GANTOS
Kurt's Rating: 4 Stars
Joey Pigza lived with his Grandmother since his Father ran off and his Mother followed. His Grandmother was a lot like him: she had lots of energy and had trouble focusing. This made for a rather strange household and one that was rather messy. Then his Mother returned, bringing a level of stability, though Grandma and Joey still tended to bounce around the place. Joey has trouble at school, especially in the afternoons. He takes a medi...more
Kurt's Rating: 4 Stars
Joey Pigza lived with his Grandmother since his Father ran off and his Mother followed. His Grandmother was a lot like him: she had lots of energy and had trouble focusing. This made for a rather strange household and one that was rather messy. Then his Mother returned, bringing a level of stability, though Grandma and Joey still tended to bounce around the place. Joey has trouble at school, especially in the afternoons. He takes a medi...more
Joey tries to be good, but he just can't sit still. His adventures and misadventures include trying to sharpen his nail to a point, causing mischief at an Amish farm on a field trip, and swallowing his key. But when he accidentally rams into another girl while holding a pair of sharp scissors, he has to go to a Special Ed. school and figure out his medication and his behavior.
"No, I'm not like Kerwin. I can have good days. Entire days when I wake up and I'm calm inside like water when it's not...more
"No, I'm not like Kerwin. I can have good days. Entire days when I wake up and I'm calm inside like water when it's not...more
I love this book so much and found it so moving and perfect that I typed out an entire page and posted it on my blog. AND NOW I WILL COPY AND PASTE IT HERE, TOO!
“I can have good days. Entire days when I wake up and I’m calm inside like water when it’s no boiling, and I just plant my feet on the floor like every kid in America and do a sleepy walk down to the bathroom and take a nice hot shower and wash my hair and dry off and get dressed and eat breakfast and all the while thinking about what I’...more
“I can have good days. Entire days when I wake up and I’m calm inside like water when it’s no boiling, and I just plant my feet on the floor like every kid in America and do a sleepy walk down to the bathroom and take a nice hot shower and wash my hair and dry off and get dressed and eat breakfast and all the while thinking about what I’...more
This novel was a surprisingly serious and heart-wrenching story about a boy (4th or 5th grade) with ADHD whose life is totally out of control. Joey Pigza's dad ran off when he was just a kindergartener and his mom followed. Left to be raised by a well-intentioned but emotionally abusive grandmother, who shares symptoms of ADHD, Joey is made to feel responsible for his mom's abandonment and his bad behavior. Hopefully waiting at the front window for his mom, day after day, his grandmother would t...more
2 likes · like · see review
A volunteer in my room is reading this book aloud to my students and it is absolutely amazing how much they are connecting to the main character, Joey. I have a little boy who has ADHD and he kept shouting out "I feel like that, too!" I think this is a great book to read children to teach them about real-life problems and help them to learn tolerance for one another!
REVIEW BELOW:
Joey Pigza has problems. Big problems. He was emotionally abused by his grandmother. He has never met his dad. He can...more
REVIEW BELOW:
Joey Pigza has problems. Big problems. He was emotionally abused by his grandmother. He has never met his dad. He can...more
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Jack Gantos is an American author of children's books renowned for his portrayal of fictional Joey Pigza, a boy with ADHD. Gantos has won a number of awards, including the Newbery Honor, the Printz Honor, and the Sibert Honor from the American Library Association, and he has been a finalist for the National Book Award. His newest book, The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs (2006), deals with twins, euge...more
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“It wasn't that I hated being asked a bunch of questions. I had nothing against questions. I just didn't like listening to them, because some questions take forever to make sense. Sometimes waiting for a question to finish is like watching someone draw an elephant starting with the tail first. As soon as you see the tail your mind wanders all over the place and you think of a million other animals that also have tails until you don't care about the elephant because it's only one thing when you've been thinking about a million others.”
—
3 people liked it
“For one second I thought I saw it and I reached down and snatched up a little flesh-colored round thing, but ti was just a used round Band-Aid. My mother slapped it out o fmy hand and that was the first moment I realized she was mad at me too. And suddenly it was as if my heart was as uncontrollable as my legs. All this time I thought she was on my side, because I wa son her side. But maybe she had given up on me too. So I didn't say anything more because I was scared she was going to be against me like everyone else.”
—
2 people liked it
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Jan 18, 2013 08:01am