This review is for the first book in this 2 pack. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, by Jack Gantos, teaches that sometimes when somebody gets too much of something and then too little, he or she can go a little crazy. Joey Pigza was a wired Pennsylvanian kid who always did the wrong thing. His father was wired too, so naturally he was. Every day he got meds, but because he got the cheap medication, only half of them worked. One day, he went on a field trip during school time to a farm, but while all the other kids got to eat shoefly pie, Joey didn’t, so he went crazy. Finally, he caused so much trouble that he had to go to the Special Education Center for six weeks. After those six weeks, he got a patch on his head which wouldn’t increase his medicine, but give him a constant flow of them. He became better and returned to school, and he wasn’t as bad anymore. I recommend this fictional book for boys, grades third to sixth.
Adhd & ADD Experience: 2 Pack: Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key; Joey Pigza Loses Control (Children Series Book Sets : Grade 4 - 7) by Jack Gantos (2000-05-04)
By Jack Gantos
For those growing up with ADHD or ADD...
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 bouncing around a lot - and eventually he bounces himself all the way downown, into the district special-ed program, which could be the end of the line. As Joey knows, if he keeps making bad choices, he could just fall between the cracks for good. But he is determined not to let that happen.
In this antic yet poignant new novel, Jack Gantos has perfect pitch in capturing the humor, the off-the-wall intensity, and the serious challenges that life presents to a kid dealing with hyper-activity and related disorders.
Publisher: Yearling
ISBN-13: 9781484918746
ISBN-10: 1484918746
Binding: Paperback