Module 4 – Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by: Jack Gantos

PLOT:  Joey Pigza is a young boy who is telling the story from his point of view.  He has a condition called Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) although the book never really diagnosis him.  He claims he was wired wrong.  He has uncontrollable outburst of energy and because of this he is constantly getting in trouble.  He sharpened his finger with a pencil sharpener, he swallows his house key, and when he eats sugar he really goes off on the deep end.  The special education department at his school is trying to work with him and his problems but they are not very successful.  Joey really gets in trouble when he accidently cuts off the tip of Maria’s nose in class.  Even though it was a true accident he is sent to a special education school where doctors begin to work with him and try and diagnose and monitor his medicine.  He is also taught that he should not make impulsive decisions and that he needs to think before he reacts.  With the help of his doctor, his counselor and new medication he begins a journey as a new Joey Pigza. After several weeks of treatment he returns back to his regular school and shows the teachers that he can sit still and that he can follow rules. 

Gantos, J. (1998). Joey Pigza swallowed the key. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

IMPRESSION OF THE BOOK:  Oh my gosh this book was funny.  Being a teacher I honestly can say I came across a few Joey Pigzas in my teaching career. How I wish I would have read this book years ago so that I would be able to understand those kiddos.  Joey is truly a great loving child but he just can’t control himself and that is what makes this book so funny.  The author did an amazing job in creating this character and all the deep thoughts this child has.  There were several parts to this book that I just couldn’t stop laughing even though they were really bad situations. I really enjoyed the part where Joey was about to eat “Shoofly Pie” at the Amish town and he falls to his knees to do research about the kinds of shoes the Amish wear.  He honestly thought the pie was made with shoes and flies.  The other part that was right down funny is how he cuts off Maria’s nose but he tries to apologize the next day and he runs into the father.  The reading was so vivid and my imagination just kept going. I really enjoyed this book. 

REVIEWS:  Kirkus Reviews (1998)

If Rotten Ralph were a boy instead of a cat, he might be Joey, the hyperactive hero of Gantos's new book, except that Joey is never bad on purpose. In the first-person narration, it quickly becomes clear that he can't help himself; he's so wound up that he not only practically bounces off walls, he literally swallows his house key (which he wears on a string around his neck and which he pulls back up, complete with souvenirs of the food he just ate). Gantos's straightforward view of what it's like to be Joey is so honest it hurts. Joey has been abandoned by his alcoholic father and, for a time, by his mother (who also drinks); his grandmother, just as hyperactive as he is, abuses Joey while he's in her care. One mishap after another leads Joey first from his regular classroom to special education classes and then to a special education school. With medication, counseling, and positive reinforcement, Joey calms down. Despite a lighthearted title and jacket painting, the story is simultaneously comic and horrific; Gantos takes readers right inside a human whirlwind where the ride is bumpy and often frightening, especially for Joey. But a river of compassion for the characters runs through the pages, not only for Joey but for his overextended mom and his usually patient, always worried (if only for their safety) teachers. Mature readers will find this harsh tale softened by unusual empathy and leavened by genuinely funny events.

Kirkus Review. (1998). [Review of the book Joey Pigza swallowed the key, by Jack Gantos]. Kirkus Reviews Issue. Retrieved July 1, 2013, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jack-gantos/joey-pigza-swallowed-the-key/.

USE IN THE LIBRARY:  This would be a great book to do a book circle for elementary or middle school students. Some of the activities with in the book circle could be discussing the different quotes that stand out, the theme, the characters and the plot.  An extension of this could be making question strips for each student in the book circle and have them pick one and discuss.  Some of the questions could be: Do you know a Joey Pigza? Have you ever felt like a Joey Pigza? Is there something wrong with Joey? How do teachers try to help Joey?  Another extension to this could be discussing actions and consequences. This could help students thing twice before  they react.