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Joey Pigza #4
I Am Not Joey Pigza
I'm a brand-new man with a brand-new plan."
Joey Pigza is knocked for a loop when his good-for-nothing dad shows up on his doorstep as a recycled person. After a lucky lotto win, Carter Pigza truly believes he's somebody else. He's even renamed himself Charles Heinz-and he insists that Joey and his mother join his happy Heinz family plan.
"My head felt like it was full of bees, and they were busy in ways that were bad for me."
Joey has little choice but to embrace a head-spinning series of changes, which include having to leave school to help out at the beat-up roadside diner his dad has purchased. But Joey is afraid that in going with the flow he will go over the falls and end up in a place far away from who he really is.
In this seriously comic new novel, Jack Gantos pushes his acclaimed hero into entirely new territory, where he wrestles with issues of identity and forgiveness, and teaches himself how to triple-flip a turkey burger while shouting out his new favorite phrase . . .
"Do you want fries with that?
Joey Pigza is knocked for a loop when his good-for-nothing dad shows up on his doorstep as a recycled person. After a lucky lotto win, Carter Pigza truly believes he's somebody else. He's even renamed himself Charles Heinz-and he insists that Joey and his mother join his happy Heinz family plan.
"My head felt like it was full of bees, and they were busy in ways that were bad for me."
Joey has little choice but to embrace a head-spinning series of changes, which include having to leave school to help out at the beat-up roadside diner his dad has purchased. But Joey is afraid that in going with the flow he will go over the falls and end up in a place far away from who he really is.
In this seriously comic new novel, Jack Gantos pushes his acclaimed hero into entirely new territory, where he wrestles with issues of identity and forgiveness, and teaches himself how to triple-flip a turkey burger while shouting out his new favorite phrase . . .
"Do you want fries with that?
4 pages, Audio CD
First published July 24, 2007
56 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Jack Gantos
81 books547 followersJack Gantos is an American author of children's books renowned for his portrayal of fictional Joey Pigza, a boy with ADHD, and many other well known characters such as Rotten Ralph, Jack Henry, Jack Gantos (memoirs) and others. Gantos has won a number of awards, including the Newbery, the Newbery Honor, the Scott O'Dell Award, the Printz Honor, and the Sibert Honor from the American Library Association, and he has been a finalist for the National Book Award.
Gantos was born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania to son of construction superintendent John Gantos and banker Elizabeth (Weaver) Gantos. The seeds for Jack Gantos' writing career were planted in sixth grade, when he read his sister's diary and decided he could write better than she could. Born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and raised in Barbados and South Florida, Mr. Gantos began collecting anecdotes in grade school and later gathered them into stories.
After his senior year in high school (where he lived in a welfare motel) he moved to a Caribbean island (St Croix) and began to train as a builder. He soon realized that construction was not his forté and started saving for college. While in St. Croix he met a drug smuggler and was offered a chance to make 10 000 dollars by sailing to New York with 2,000 pounds of hash. With an English eccentric captain on board they set off to the big city. Once there they hung out at the Chelsea hotel and Gantos carried on dreaming about college. Then, in Jacks own words, "The **** hit the fan" and the F.B.I. burst in on him. He managed to escape and hid out in the very same welfare motel he was living during high school. However, he saw sense and turned himself in. He was sentenced to six years in prison, which he describes in his novel -HOLE IN MY LIFE-. However, after a year and a half in prison he applied to college, was accepted. He was released from prison, entered college, and soon began his writing career.
He received his BFA and his MA both from Emerson College. While in college, Jack began working on picture books with an illustrator friend. In 1976, they published their first book, Rotten Ralph. Mr. Gantos continued writing children's books and began teaching courses in children's book writing. He developed the master's degree program in children's book writing at Emerson College in Boston. In 1995 he resigned his tenured position in order to further his writing career (which turned out to be a great decision).
He married art dealer Anne A. Lower on November 11, 1989. The couple has one child, Mabel, and they live in Boston, Massachusetts.
www.jackgantos.com
Gantos was born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania to son of construction superintendent John Gantos and banker Elizabeth (Weaver) Gantos. The seeds for Jack Gantos' writing career were planted in sixth grade, when he read his sister's diary and decided he could write better than she could. Born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and raised in Barbados and South Florida, Mr. Gantos began collecting anecdotes in grade school and later gathered them into stories.
After his senior year in high school (where he lived in a welfare motel) he moved to a Caribbean island (St Croix) and began to train as a builder. He soon realized that construction was not his forté and started saving for college. While in St. Croix he met a drug smuggler and was offered a chance to make 10 000 dollars by sailing to New York with 2,000 pounds of hash. With an English eccentric captain on board they set off to the big city. Once there they hung out at the Chelsea hotel and Gantos carried on dreaming about college. Then, in Jacks own words, "The **** hit the fan" and the F.B.I. burst in on him. He managed to escape and hid out in the very same welfare motel he was living during high school. However, he saw sense and turned himself in. He was sentenced to six years in prison, which he describes in his novel -HOLE IN MY LIFE-. However, after a year and a half in prison he applied to college, was accepted. He was released from prison, entered college, and soon began his writing career.
He received his BFA and his MA both from Emerson College. While in college, Jack began working on picture books with an illustrator friend. In 1976, they published their first book, Rotten Ralph. Mr. Gantos continued writing children's books and began teaching courses in children's book writing. He developed the master's degree program in children's book writing at Emerson College in Boston. In 1995 he resigned his tenured position in order to further his writing career (which turned out to be a great decision).
He married art dealer Anne A. Lower on November 11, 1989. The couple has one child, Mabel, and they live in Boston, Massachusetts.
www.jackgantos.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
October 8, 2007
A good author has the ability to piss off their fans. Pissing off fans is a delicate art, though. On the one hand, if you can emotionally engage your readers to the point where they are so invested in your characters that they consider them to be real people then you know you're a pretty darn good writer. On the other hand, you always run the risk of losing those same fans if they feel you're being needlessly cruel to the fictional people they've grown to know and love. "I Am Not Joey Pigza" walks this tightrope and I've heard strong opinions about it from all quarters. Some people are furious with what Gantos has done to Joey in this book. Other people just see it as a continuation of the stories they've already grown to know and love. To my own mind, this is one of those books where kids will read the story on one level and adults on another. William Faulkner once said of writing to, "Kill your darlings". Well nobody dies in this book, but Gantos definitely puts his hero, and his readers' emotions through the wringer. The result is probably one of the smartest little ole books about the nature of forgiveness I've read in a very long time.
Joey's been doing pretty well for a while now. He's taking his meds for his ADD regularly. His mom has been happy and he likes his newest teacher at school. Heck, things would be perfect if it weren't for his no good father Carter Pigza. One day Carter arrives at Joey's front door with some crazy news. He's won the lottery, has changed his name to Carter Heinz, and now he wants Joey and his mom to join him in his newest moneymaking scheme. Suddenly the boy is ripped out of his happy existence into "Carter's" nutty world. Joey is renamed Freddy Heinz and all the progress he's made is put to the test. At the heart of this story, however, is Carter's search for Joey's forgiveness and Joey's struggle to figure out what it means to forgive someone who is truly repentant and, at the same time, truly dangerous to be around.
Adults read this book and what they see is a kid suffering abuse. A child yanked out of the educational system just when he was doing well. Who comes this close to spending his days getting hit by a paint gun for money. But because we're reading all this through the filter of Joey's mind, a lot of this stuff sounds great to your average kid. Who wouldn't want to get to stay home from school making crazy concoctions in the kitchen? The reason that this book doesn't read like a long lengthy tract of negligence is because Joey's voice is so doggone upbeat. He has a vague sense that things aren't going well, but like the kids who will be reading this book he's clearer on the specifics than the overall picture. If you want a children's book that mires itself in depression, there are plenty out there to chose from. How much harder and rarer it is to find the same thing done with a cheery spring in its step.
I think the important thing about this book is that it makes it clear that forgiveness is different from stupidity. You can forgive someone and remember what they put you through. Forgiveness is not the same as memory loss. Casting aside preconceptions garnered in the past books and the fact that an adult will read this book on a different level than a child, this is undoubtedly one of the strongest titles of the year. "I Am Not Joey Pigza" may have been a gamble, but I'm certainly going to hope that it's one that pays off in the end.
Joey's been doing pretty well for a while now. He's taking his meds for his ADD regularly. His mom has been happy and he likes his newest teacher at school. Heck, things would be perfect if it weren't for his no good father Carter Pigza. One day Carter arrives at Joey's front door with some crazy news. He's won the lottery, has changed his name to Carter Heinz, and now he wants Joey and his mom to join him in his newest moneymaking scheme. Suddenly the boy is ripped out of his happy existence into "Carter's" nutty world. Joey is renamed Freddy Heinz and all the progress he's made is put to the test. At the heart of this story, however, is Carter's search for Joey's forgiveness and Joey's struggle to figure out what it means to forgive someone who is truly repentant and, at the same time, truly dangerous to be around.
Adults read this book and what they see is a kid suffering abuse. A child yanked out of the educational system just when he was doing well. Who comes this close to spending his days getting hit by a paint gun for money. But because we're reading all this through the filter of Joey's mind, a lot of this stuff sounds great to your average kid. Who wouldn't want to get to stay home from school making crazy concoctions in the kitchen? The reason that this book doesn't read like a long lengthy tract of negligence is because Joey's voice is so doggone upbeat. He has a vague sense that things aren't going well, but like the kids who will be reading this book he's clearer on the specifics than the overall picture. If you want a children's book that mires itself in depression, there are plenty out there to chose from. How much harder and rarer it is to find the same thing done with a cheery spring in its step.
I think the important thing about this book is that it makes it clear that forgiveness is different from stupidity. You can forgive someone and remember what they put you through. Forgiveness is not the same as memory loss. Casting aside preconceptions garnered in the past books and the fact that an adult will read this book on a different level than a child, this is undoubtedly one of the strongest titles of the year. "I Am Not Joey Pigza" may have been a gamble, but I'm certainly going to hope that it's one that pays off in the end.
October 8, 2010
Joey's life is changing more than he ever thought possible. His dad is suddenly back, when it used to just be Joey and Mom. Dad just won the lottery and now Joey, Mom, and the dogs are moving, leaving his familiar school, starting a new business, Mom being pregnant with a little brother, and--here's the kicker--changing their names in an effort to become "better people." Joey struggles to forgive his father for all of his past actions (excessive drinking, leaving, abuse) as the family learns to be the Heinz family, no longer the Pigza family. The Joey character is a lovable, but scrambled, kid. The story is told from his perspective and gives some great insight into the thought processes of someone with ADD.
Favorite quote from the book, "When you forgive someone it does make you stronger. It makes your heart bigger than your hate." (p. 211)
Favorite quote from the book, "When you forgive someone it does make you stronger. It makes your heart bigger than your hate." (p. 211)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2016
Wow. Talk about disfunctional families. I got so angry reading this book! I wish I hadn't bothered with it. Joey's dad shows up again swearing he is a new man, and even after the outrageous fiasco of the last book, Joey's mom takes him back, and they just know that they will all live 'hapilly ever after' because Joey's dad won the lottery, and is now a whole new person. He even changes his name, and demands that they others do too. Joey's mom is all for it, but Joey really struggles with it. He knows who he is, and has just now become happy and comfortable in his own skin, and now they are taking that away from him. He isn't sure if he can forgive his dad for all the awful things he has done to him and his mom, but his mom DEMANDS that he get over himself and just do it. Joey's dad buys a diner and moves them out to it, making it so that Joey has to go to a new school, even though he finally fits in at the school, and the teachers and administration have finally learned how best to work with him. Then, when they try to enroll him in school, they run into a few tiny glitches, and rather than explain that he is Joey Pigza, now going by Freddie Heinz, they make Joey/Freddie sound crazy and just decide that he doesn't really need to go to school at all, and that it will just be better for him to hang out and help around the house and the diner that never actually gets started because Joey's dad doesn't want to have to deal with any kind of work.
I could go on and on and on about the horribly awful things that these 'parents' force on their poor son. Just as in the last book, I do really like Joey's character. He just tries so hard to understand his world, and fit in, and be good. He is a genuinely good kid who wants to do right by people and by himself. He's a great character, it's his parents that I can't stand. They are so focused on themselves that they forget being a parent means you are no longer allowed to put yourself first. Your children's well-being always comes before your own. Ugh. They make me so mad!!
I could go on and on and on about the horribly awful things that these 'parents' force on their poor son. Just as in the last book, I do really like Joey's character. He just tries so hard to understand his world, and fit in, and be good. He is a genuinely good kid who wants to do right by people and by himself. He's a great character, it's his parents that I can't stand. They are so focused on themselves that they forget being a parent means you are no longer allowed to put yourself first. Your children's well-being always comes before your own. Ugh. They make me so mad!!
December 28, 2017
I didn't like this one. My son found it at his school library and thought it was OK. But talk about your dysfunctional people. In fairness, I haven't read the earlier books, but I would like to think the mom would not fall so easily for the dad's reckless "shenanigans." Most of the whole story made me uncomfortable. Lots of check-ins with my kid about what is happening here!
November 4, 2019
"Do you think it is just too easy to be something you are not?" I asked, thinking of Dad.
"Easy in the beginning," she said. "But after a while even the made-up self starts to gather baggage, and before you know it you might just as well have stayed your old self."
—I Am Not Joey Pigza, P. 215
Reading the Joey Pigza books can be hard. The writing is very distinctive and the stories deeply involving, and that's part why it can be hard to read them; because we can see the train wreck coming from miles away, and there's never a whole lot that Joey can do to stop it. He tries his best to keep his head straight and not walk into the traps that line his path, but it's as if his ADD doesn't allow him to step out of the way. He has a nearly irresistible compulsion to walk into every trap he encounters, and experience the pain that comes from it.
Aside from all of his inner difficulties, though, Joey's parents set him up for failure so often. In I Am Not Joey Pigza it is really Joey's mother Fran who makes the fatal mistake. Joey's father, Carter, has proven time and time again in the past that he is unreliable, and that it is downright unsafe to have him acting in a full-time role as a parent to Joey, but Fran can't stop from loving him, and she can't seem to draw the line on how many fresh chances to allow her wayward husband. When Carter arrives in town with a self-proclaimed new identity and claims to have changed his life permanently, Fran is unwilling to do the right thing (difficult as it would have been) and decide that giving Carter another chance is simply too irresponsible when she has Joey's welfare to consider. Carter is dangerous to Joey, and to risk her son's mental and physical safety to attempt another reconciliation with her husband just isn't fair.
Once again, Joey is caught up through no fault of his own in the whirlwind love/hate romance of his parents, and now his entire life has to change. The family is moving into a little roadside diner where Carter's plans for establishing himself seem to be reasonable until his mind (which always was a lot like Joey's) skips ahead to the next idea (read as: scheme), then the next and then the next, every new option fading in quality of design until the whole new invented structure of their lives starts to show signs of crumbling, and so does Joey's fragile mental state.
It's not easy to watch Joey's future repeatedly being put into jeopardy because of his parents' problems, but somehow Joey manages to adjust to his new life, learning about himself and the nature of genuine forgiveness and the extent of what it means to be a family, even as chaos basically reigns around him. Joey may have disadvantages that do not affect most of us, but he never for one minute sees himself as doomed to failure, and the good that is in him continues to fight to win out even while all around him is turning bad.
What can a person do when the ones in his or her inside world are not ideal? Joey's life shows that it is possible to survive even among questionable (at best) influences, that even if one's life crashes big time and seems to be an irretrievable mess, it's still very possible to stand up and start over again, to collect the people around oneself who were willing to stay through the bad times and begin again to fashion a new life. It might never be easy, but we always have the option of learning from the trouble spots in our past and doing better the next time, even if the one's closest around us will never learn.
By the end, I Am Not Joey Pigza comes out to be a perceptive and telling novel, even as it veers all over the place in many unexpected ways to arrive at that point. I had no idea how it was going to turn out until the last several pages, where I think Jack Gantos draws the public story of Joey Pigza to the right kind of a close; that is, if this is its close. As Joey Pigza himself says on the book's final page, "I'll be back."
"Easy in the beginning," she said. "But after a while even the made-up self starts to gather baggage, and before you know it you might just as well have stayed your old self."
—I Am Not Joey Pigza, P. 215
Reading the Joey Pigza books can be hard. The writing is very distinctive and the stories deeply involving, and that's part why it can be hard to read them; because we can see the train wreck coming from miles away, and there's never a whole lot that Joey can do to stop it. He tries his best to keep his head straight and not walk into the traps that line his path, but it's as if his ADD doesn't allow him to step out of the way. He has a nearly irresistible compulsion to walk into every trap he encounters, and experience the pain that comes from it.
Aside from all of his inner difficulties, though, Joey's parents set him up for failure so often. In I Am Not Joey Pigza it is really Joey's mother Fran who makes the fatal mistake. Joey's father, Carter, has proven time and time again in the past that he is unreliable, and that it is downright unsafe to have him acting in a full-time role as a parent to Joey, but Fran can't stop from loving him, and she can't seem to draw the line on how many fresh chances to allow her wayward husband. When Carter arrives in town with a self-proclaimed new identity and claims to have changed his life permanently, Fran is unwilling to do the right thing (difficult as it would have been) and decide that giving Carter another chance is simply too irresponsible when she has Joey's welfare to consider. Carter is dangerous to Joey, and to risk her son's mental and physical safety to attempt another reconciliation with her husband just isn't fair.
Once again, Joey is caught up through no fault of his own in the whirlwind love/hate romance of his parents, and now his entire life has to change. The family is moving into a little roadside diner where Carter's plans for establishing himself seem to be reasonable until his mind (which always was a lot like Joey's) skips ahead to the next idea (read as: scheme), then the next and then the next, every new option fading in quality of design until the whole new invented structure of their lives starts to show signs of crumbling, and so does Joey's fragile mental state.
It's not easy to watch Joey's future repeatedly being put into jeopardy because of his parents' problems, but somehow Joey manages to adjust to his new life, learning about himself and the nature of genuine forgiveness and the extent of what it means to be a family, even as chaos basically reigns around him. Joey may have disadvantages that do not affect most of us, but he never for one minute sees himself as doomed to failure, and the good that is in him continues to fight to win out even while all around him is turning bad.
What can a person do when the ones in his or her inside world are not ideal? Joey's life shows that it is possible to survive even among questionable (at best) influences, that even if one's life crashes big time and seems to be an irretrievable mess, it's still very possible to stand up and start over again, to collect the people around oneself who were willing to stay through the bad times and begin again to fashion a new life. It might never be easy, but we always have the option of learning from the trouble spots in our past and doing better the next time, even if the one's closest around us will never learn.
By the end, I Am Not Joey Pigza comes out to be a perceptive and telling novel, even as it veers all over the place in many unexpected ways to arrive at that point. I had no idea how it was going to turn out until the last several pages, where I think Jack Gantos draws the public story of Joey Pigza to the right kind of a close; that is, if this is its close. As Joey Pigza himself says on the book's final page, "I'll be back."
January 28, 2010
Meh, I didn't care for this. Possibly it was because I didn't really have a context for it (it was my first, possibly last, Joey Pigza book). But, generally, I think I was just pretty disturbed by the overall storyline. Sure, maybe a kid would think it's funny or amusing but, as an adult, I thought this was a story about a sad, neglected (possibly abused?) kid with crazy parents who really should not have been parents. The whole concept can be summarized as follows:
-Joey is a happy kid
-Joey's absentee father shows up and asks everyone to call him by a new, made up name
-Joey learns that his divorced parents are dating again
-his parents remarry
-Joey and his parents all start living under the pseudonym "Heinz" (like the ketchup) and Joey becomes "Freddy Heinz"
-Joey's mom becomes pregnant with baby #2
-Joey's dad is immature
-Joey/Freddy spends the whole day playing paintball with dad
-truant officer comes looking for Joey/Freddy
-Mom has baby
-Dad disappears again
-Joey becomes "Joey" again
-Joey forgives Dad
I appreciate the message about "forgiveness" that this book tries to convey BUT I have major problems with the execution. For one, is it wise to tell kids who have screwed up, irresponsible parents, "Hey, your dad is a quack, a total absentee, and you're supposed to be excited every time he pops into your life!" Nah, not for me. I think it's dangerous and I was annoyed with the ease with which Jack Gantos allowed Joey Pigza to fall under his father's spell. I thought the book sent really mixed messages to kids about what parents should be like and, if I was a parent, I would not want my kid thinking that these parents are normal. Especially the mom. She was an idiot.
I really wanted to like this but I was just generally disappointed. Perhaps I need to start at the beginning but this book has left a bad taste in my mouth so I am not sure I will.
-Joey is a happy kid
-Joey's absentee father shows up and asks everyone to call him by a new, made up name
-Joey learns that his divorced parents are dating again
-his parents remarry
-Joey and his parents all start living under the pseudonym "Heinz" (like the ketchup) and Joey becomes "Freddy Heinz"
-Joey's mom becomes pregnant with baby #2
-Joey's dad is immature
-Joey/Freddy spends the whole day playing paintball with dad
-truant officer comes looking for Joey/Freddy
-Mom has baby
-Dad disappears again
-Joey becomes "Joey" again
-Joey forgives Dad
I appreciate the message about "forgiveness" that this book tries to convey BUT I have major problems with the execution. For one, is it wise to tell kids who have screwed up, irresponsible parents, "Hey, your dad is a quack, a total absentee, and you're supposed to be excited every time he pops into your life!" Nah, not for me. I think it's dangerous and I was annoyed with the ease with which Jack Gantos allowed Joey Pigza to fall under his father's spell. I thought the book sent really mixed messages to kids about what parents should be like and, if I was a parent, I would not want my kid thinking that these parents are normal. Especially the mom. She was an idiot.
I really wanted to like this but I was just generally disappointed. Perhaps I need to start at the beginning but this book has left a bad taste in my mouth so I am not sure I will.
June 12, 2010
I love the other Joey Pigza books so was disappointed to read this one. It felt like the author just used his stock character to make a buck rather than write a new, well thought out, installment in the series. In the past I've never struggled with the suspension of disbelief in this series either but there were definite problems with that in this book. I especially had problems with the unresolved issues at the end of the book of Joey having not attended school the entire year and having been left home alone and found my law enforcement without having any answers as to their intervention. This book is aptly named, it is NOT Joey Pigza.
November 1, 2013
I tried to read this book to my grandchildren. They were not at all interested. When I attempted to read the remainder on my own, I had to agree with them. I was disappointed by the dire circumstances that were presented.
I prefer a book that brings tears of joy and laughter from absorbing the humorous content. There is enough violence and abusive behavior in reality.
I prefer a book that brings tears of joy and laughter from absorbing the humorous content. There is enough violence and abusive behavior in reality.
December 18, 2008
All of the Joey Pigza blew my hair back - I'm rating this one because it's the last one I read. Don't ever tell me that Joey isn't real because I'll be heartbroken.
May 28, 2024
I Am Not Joey Pigza," the fourth book in Jack Gantos's Joey Pigza series, takes readers on an unexpected and wild journey. This novel veers into new territory as Joey's father, Carter Pigza, returns to the scene, having won the lottery. The windfall leads the Pigza family into a series of bizarre and excessive decisions that seem to spiral out of control.
The narrative dives into the chaos that ensues as the family indulges in their newfound wealth. Joey's parents, particularly his father, become increasingly unhinged and irresponsible. Carter changes his name to Charles Heinz and convinces Joey and his mother to adopt new identities as well. The story escalates with a series of outlandish events, including a decision to open a diner, Joey's mother revealing she is pregnant, and the family's reckless spending and behavior.
Despite the absurdity and the seemingly endless string of unbelievable choices, the heart of the story remains centered on Joey. Amidst the turmoil, Joey struggles to find stability and a sense of self. The book explores themes of identity, forgiveness, and the impact of family dynamics on an individual's growth.
Gantos's portrayal of Joey's journey is both touching and endearing. Joey's attempts to reconcile with his father's erratic behavior and his desire to keep his family together highlight his resilience and capacity for forgiveness. The novel underscores that true forgiveness, when given wholeheartedly, can liberate one's soul and foster an environment of love.
I Am Not Joey Pigza is a roller-coaster ride filled with humor, chaos, and emotional depth. Gantos's storytelling captures the essence of a boy trying to navigate the complexities of a dysfunctional family while holding onto his sense of self and hope for a better future. The book offers readers a blend of laughter and poignant moments, making it a compelling addition to the Joey Pigza series.
The narrative dives into the chaos that ensues as the family indulges in their newfound wealth. Joey's parents, particularly his father, become increasingly unhinged and irresponsible. Carter changes his name to Charles Heinz and convinces Joey and his mother to adopt new identities as well. The story escalates with a series of outlandish events, including a decision to open a diner, Joey's mother revealing she is pregnant, and the family's reckless spending and behavior.
Despite the absurdity and the seemingly endless string of unbelievable choices, the heart of the story remains centered on Joey. Amidst the turmoil, Joey struggles to find stability and a sense of self. The book explores themes of identity, forgiveness, and the impact of family dynamics on an individual's growth.
Gantos's portrayal of Joey's journey is both touching and endearing. Joey's attempts to reconcile with his father's erratic behavior and his desire to keep his family together highlight his resilience and capacity for forgiveness. The novel underscores that true forgiveness, when given wholeheartedly, can liberate one's soul and foster an environment of love.
I Am Not Joey Pigza is a roller-coaster ride filled with humor, chaos, and emotional depth. Gantos's storytelling captures the essence of a boy trying to navigate the complexities of a dysfunctional family while holding onto his sense of self and hope for a better future. The book offers readers a blend of laughter and poignant moments, making it a compelling addition to the Joey Pigza series.
April 10, 2022
My daughter and I liked I Am Not Joey Pigza, but this one was our least favorite of the Joey Pigza series. Joey's parents are unbelievably selfish and irresponsible and it was frustrating. Many of the things Joey's father put his family through were just over-the-top crazy. For example, his dad wins the lottery, buys a diner with the lottery money (without informing his wife), makes the whole family change their first and last names even though Joey doesn't want to, makes Joey get rid of his toys and clothes so it won't remind Joey of his old identity, takes Joey out of school and makes him work at the diner, and then to top it all off, his dad gets plastic surgery on his face to complete his own identity change. I feel like Joey's mom is just as guilty for going along with what his dad is doing. There are some real mental health issues going on in this story, and it is a sad but hopeful story at the same time. Like I said, my daughter and I still enjoyed the story and it was not boring by any means, but some parts were just a little too out there.
March 6, 2024
Each book in this series is more heartbreaking than the last. When Joey's mother comes back earlier in the series, I thought that he would finally achieve a stable home life, and he did for a short while. However, both of his parents descended into selfishness and dysfunction, and Joey had to be the more mature of them all. In this book, he is forced to make changes that he doesn't want to make, which is part of childhood I realize, and it wouldn't be so bad if the family got their happily ever after. They did not, and from the summary of the next book, it gets worse. I understand that some feel these books are humorous. Some parts are, and for anyone who enjoys these books, that's wonderful. I began reading them to my son in an attempt to find an ADHD character that he could relate to, but as a mother, these are painful to read. I don't think I will finish the series with him.
February 18, 2017
I really enjoyed this book because of listening to the first book and then applying what I already know about Joey to this book. This book was suspenseful at times and really got me thinking about a few student I may have like Joey. Joey's life seemed to be under control towards the beginning, but then his dad came back into his life. Surprising most! The dad became a whole new person, changing his name and created a whole new outlook on life. Joey then gets bombarded with changing his name also, moving to a new home and taking over a family business. Throughout the book it was very relevant that Joey was nervous about his "new" dad. He did not really know how to take him and was a little leery about the whole name changing and becoming a whole new person like his dad wanted him to.
October 16, 2025
Excellent, but SO MADDENING. Joey deserves all the beautiful gifts of supportive adults who see, appreciate, and help him. Instead, he has Fran and Carter—excuse me, Charles and Maria. This book was painful to read, especially because it resonated so strongly with my experience of working with kids whose adults fail them. The writing and character development are excellent. The humorous action is very much what Joey fans have come to expect. I did not enjoy reading it, because it broke my heart.
November 9, 2017
Joey Pigza is just now getting his education and medication under control after struggling with ADD his whole life. His dad is now coming back into his family asking him and his mom to drop everything and change their names after he won the lottery. Joey is forced to drop out of school and become a diner manager and a paintball target at his dad's schemes for money. All Joey wants is to remain Joey Pigza and go to school.
March 5, 2017
I bet my students would really like this series, but it was kind of clunky and frenetic for me. I also hadn't read any of the previous books, which might have contributed to my lack of investment. I know that Joey is supposed to be a wired kid, so the mood might have been on purpose, but it didn't click for me. There were some very funny and sweet moments, though!
September 17, 2018
Finally a YA novel I can get behind!
I laughed out loud and wanted to hug poor Joey at the same time. The generational dysfunction was skillfully written.
A middle school version of Fredrik Backman's genius. I can't wait to the read the first 3 Joey Pigza books. I know I will be discussing them with my girls when they go into 6th grade.
I laughed out loud and wanted to hug poor Joey at the same time. The generational dysfunction was skillfully written.
A middle school version of Fredrik Backman's genius. I can't wait to the read the first 3 Joey Pigza books. I know I will be discussing them with my girls when they go into 6th grade.
July 13, 2022
Another fun, yet sad, installment of the series. I would probably give it 4-4.5, but rounded up when my daughter gave it 5 stars. This is a highly dysfunctional family, and yet there is so much that is relatable and Joey/Freddy is easy to love and root for. Both parents seemed crazy in this one. We have to see how his story will play out.
October 9, 2023
I love this series! This is the fourth book in this series hysterical series about Joey and his dysfunctional family. Joey’s mom and dad decided to reconcile, which is what most children dream of but not Joey! Joey’s dad thinks of you change a name, you can change your life and history. Life isn’t that simple.
October 15, 2020
My least favorite of the Joey Pigza books. His parents went crazier than ever and then at the end, his mom just "blink" returned back to her "regular" self. I missed Grandma's to tough love advice too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2017
I really enjoyed this book.
February 6, 2018
I don't know if I loved or hated this book! It was so troubling and yet so real. Poor Joey/Freddy.
March 19, 2019
Man, this one was hard to get through. Not in a bad way.
July 25, 2019
Children's. Joey's dad is back -- and he has won the lottery.
Read
July 27, 2021The
x-tbr-owned
April 3, 2023LFL find, need to read at least some of 1-3 first of course.
January 3, 2024
I love reading these aloud with my daughter. The Joey humor will always draw laughs and tears. The storyline this time was a bit thinner, though—less believable.
May 10, 2025
This book just made me sad. Joey's dad spirals back into his life again and turns everything upside down. His dad wanted to change but didn't put in enough effort.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2020
i really liked this book because it was about family and how his parents re-married but then got away again. i also like how they changed, but then became the same person again
November 10, 2012
Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
In I AM NOT JOEY PIGZA, author Jack Gantos has reunited the family for more fantastic Pigza adventures.
In case you haven't met Joey and his family, they suffer from the affliction commonly known as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). He suffers from it, his father has it, and his grandmother had it, too. The beginning of this new book shows Joey and his mother are adjusting to life after the death of Grandma Pigza. They are doing pretty well. Joey is handling the pressures of school, and mom is working at a local nail salon. The two family Chihuahuas are as crazy as ever.
Soon Fran Pigza announces to Joey that she has been secretly seeing his dad, Carter Pigza, for several months. His dad has recently had a lucky lottery win and "found" his new, true self - Mr. Charles Heinz. He wants to reconnect with the family and even has new identities for them. Fran is to be Maria Heinz, and Joey will be the new Freddy Heinz.
Along with what Joey calls the rewedding of his parents, there is a fair amount of cash flowing. Before he knows it, Joey and his parents and the two dogs are moving. They are the proud owners of a roadside diner. The plan is to open the diner, keep playing the lottery, and win big so they can have the life his father says Charles Heinz and family deserves.
Even with a new name, the Pigza "luck" and craziness take control. First there's a free Thanksgiving meal at the diner for everyone who needs it, then there's a wild Christmas with ATV's and paintball guns which leads to the new plan - building a Paintball Gun Shooting Gallery. All these plans are accompanied by furious spending sprees, preparations for a new baby, and dodging the school authorities who think Joey should be attending class.
Middle grade readers who know Joey will be happy to see his return. For new readers, be sure to check out the previous titles in the series, which includes JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY, JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL, and WHAT WOULD JOEY DO?
In I AM NOT JOEY PIGZA, author Jack Gantos has reunited the family for more fantastic Pigza adventures.
In case you haven't met Joey and his family, they suffer from the affliction commonly known as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). He suffers from it, his father has it, and his grandmother had it, too. The beginning of this new book shows Joey and his mother are adjusting to life after the death of Grandma Pigza. They are doing pretty well. Joey is handling the pressures of school, and mom is working at a local nail salon. The two family Chihuahuas are as crazy as ever.
Soon Fran Pigza announces to Joey that she has been secretly seeing his dad, Carter Pigza, for several months. His dad has recently had a lucky lottery win and "found" his new, true self - Mr. Charles Heinz. He wants to reconnect with the family and even has new identities for them. Fran is to be Maria Heinz, and Joey will be the new Freddy Heinz.
Along with what Joey calls the rewedding of his parents, there is a fair amount of cash flowing. Before he knows it, Joey and his parents and the two dogs are moving. They are the proud owners of a roadside diner. The plan is to open the diner, keep playing the lottery, and win big so they can have the life his father says Charles Heinz and family deserves.
Even with a new name, the Pigza "luck" and craziness take control. First there's a free Thanksgiving meal at the diner for everyone who needs it, then there's a wild Christmas with ATV's and paintball guns which leads to the new plan - building a Paintball Gun Shooting Gallery. All these plans are accompanied by furious spending sprees, preparations for a new baby, and dodging the school authorities who think Joey should be attending class.
Middle grade readers who know Joey will be happy to see his return. For new readers, be sure to check out the previous titles in the series, which includes JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY, JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL, and WHAT WOULD JOEY DO?
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