Joey Pigza swallowed the key

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.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 5-8-You will groan and wince, but not want to stop listening to John Gantos' fast-paced narration of Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (FS&G, 1998). Joey Pigza is wired, just like his father and his grandmother. When Joey was in kindergarten, his father left and his mother followed, leaving Joey to live with his abusive grandmother. His mother is back now, and he knows she loves him and wants him to be good. Joey explains in his own voice that his medication does not last through the day, and even though he tries to follow the rules, bad things happen, like swallowing his key, sharpening his finger in a pencil sharpener and running amuck during a class trip to an Amish farm. Gantos' lively and highly emotional voice brings the supporting characters to life by adequately distinguishing them from one another, as Joey describes all of the ups and down of his days at school. Joey is fortunate to have the support of many caring adults in the Lancaster County school system. They understand that he has Attention Deficit Disorder and lead Joey and his mother toward positive solutions to his problems. There is an author's epilogue in which he describes what events led him to write the book. Listeners will empathize with Joey and his trials and tribulations, while rejoicing at his wonderful zest for life.-Jo-Ann Carhart, East Islip Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.