Customer Reviews

I Am Not Joey Pigza (Joey Pigza Books)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

Bear in mind that as I write this review the only other Joey Pigza book I've ever read was the first one in the series, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. From this I can determine a couple things. 1. I'm fairly certain that this book stands perfectly well on its own. You may have missed some action in the past, but it doesn't really matter. Gantos is quick to bring you up to speed. 2. Not having seen how well Joey was doing, I don't have the sense of indignation that some people have regarding what he's going through in this book. Gantos did originally intend the Joey Pigza books to total three in number, but Joey kept talking to him. Kept growing and changing in his head. Now people are mad because Gantos listened to that little voice and went where it took him.

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.

Much of this is due to the writing itself. Gantos is king and unquestioned ruler of the one-sentence zinger. "She opened her mouth and a row of hissy little sounds sputtered out as if she were spraying perfume on my words to make them nicer." Or when one man is described as being built, "like a bloated bowling pin covered with see-through hair that stood out the same as on a plastic bottle brush." In terms of the writing, one objection I heard regarding the book was the fact that Joey sometimes talks like someone much older than himself. For example, when his dad is discussing second chances and changing yourself, Joey has the wherewithal to ask, "But what if your second chance ruins my first chance?" This was never something I objected to, though. Some authors take you out of the story when their characters start talking like 50-year-old adults. Others, like Gantos, get away with it by the skin of their teeth. Maybe this is because you can interpret this book as being written in the future by a grown and intelligent Joey. That at least is how I prefer to look at it.

The connections Joey's dad draws between karma and winning the lottery is not all that different from the premise behind, My Name Is Earl. Of course, the difference here is that Joey's dad isn't interested in real karma. Just doing whatever it takes to make it look to the universe like he's making a difference. But even if Joey's dad's a pretty awful fella, he's not the real villain of this piece. Joey's mom has never been perfect, but this story wins her the official Worst Mom of the Year Award. She knows exactly how bad Joey's dad has been, but because he's now rich she's willing to throw aside her doubts and her child's safety so that she can live with the guy again. She's never around when Joey needs her most and about the moment she says, "I could use a drink. When I was pregnant with you a little drink every now and again did me a world of good," you're half a step away from calling Child Protective Services. On the other hand, it's moments like these that drill home just how extraordinary Joey really is. If he became a screaming psychopath you couldn't blame him a bit, but Gantos shows us that in spite of environment a person like Joey can show enough smarts and wherewithal to break free of his surroundings to become a decent human being. Gantos offers hope to the rest of us in the form of Joey.

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 got a problem. His no-good dad, Carter Pigza, is back in town, having won the lottery. He's changed his name, changed his tune, and he's swept Joey's mom Fran, off her feet again. Joey struggles with what he owes his father -- if you've read the the other books in the series, you know how bad Carter can be -- and finally decides to forgive him, an act of grace.

I like it when children's books tackle big issues in an age appropriate way. Kids will cheer for Joey, but they will also learn about forgiveness, starting over, karma, and how sometimes, setting a good example is a way of loving.

I listened to the audio version of this new Joey book because there is just NOTHING BETTER than hearing these stories in Gantos's own voice. When I listened to What Would Joey Do? (Joey Pigza Books), tears poured down my face as I watched Joey care for his grandmother after she died. Gantos's tender and heartfelt reading of that scene still echoes in my heart.

I think the absence of his voice that is the reason I have not been able to get through my audio book of The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs--as anxious as I was to experience this macabre tale of taxidermy. Lisa Datz ably reads the story but I have found myself unable to get very far in it because I just can't take those "Gantos" moments without him. I will probably end up reading it because then I can supply his intonation in my imagination.

To have a new book appear in a series that we thought was at an end, is a treat. In this book Joey's "thought he was gone for good" father, Carter Pigza, has returned to pick up the reins of family-hood again. He has money because he won the lottery so the family is well off for the first time in their lives. Alas, we know these characters and we know they will not be able to handle it. In one of the most howling-ly funny wedding ceremonies ever, his parents remarry and in honor of their renewal as a family, they change their names to become new people. Carter has adopted Heinz ("You know, Heinz, like the catsup.") as a new surname and he wants Joey to change his identity to become Freddy Heinz. Of course being the Pigzas, they are not actually going through the legal system to do this which sets up a whole new set of problems.

Joey's sense of self will not disappear without a fight though and he is buffeted between wanting to please his parents and his desire and need to hold on to his real identity. And Joey needs to hold on to something as his parents become obsessed with their own lives. His mother's new hobby is spending money and his dad spends his days looking for portents and signs to guide him in picking new lottery numbers.

The writing pulls you into side-splitting laughter and then deep emotional empathy for Joey. There are also more of those signature moments that leave the reader shrieking. Joey's idea of recreating a ride over Niagara Falls using a refrigerator box and the porch roof is a scene that will have readers and listeners covering their eyes. His visit to his grandmother's resting place in St. Mary's Cemetery is at once dear and strange. He has collected cigarette butts to sprinkle over her grave because she loved smoking so much and brought along a can of silver spray paint. After his beautification efforts, his moving talk with her sent me in search of tissues.

I have always loved Joey as a character. Despite his ricocheting attention span and crazy impulses, he is always trying. He understands better than his parents that you have to know and like yourself before you can change for the better and you cannot do it for someone else. He is full of love for his mother, his granny and his dogs and he wants to forgive and love his dad.

The Joey Pigza books are classics. Joey is a character for the ages. We cheer for him because he is just a wonderful kid.

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 Books), Joey Pigza Loses Control (Summer Reading Edition) (Joey Pigza Books), and What Would Joey Do? (Joey Pigza Books).

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

I bought this book for my 10 year old daughter. She had read the other titles in this series and could not wait for this one. Joey's tales are a great way for kids to read about some of the modern troubles they have to deal with. I highly recommend Jack Gantos' books for any 4-6th grader.

This book, like its characters, has an identity crisis. It's trying to be a children's book, but I think it's really for grown ups. Mr. Gantos has done a superb job of exposing the workings of the mind of a troubled and confused youngster and the impact of the actions of the sometimes feckless, sometimes neglectful, sometimes abusive adults in his life. This dead-on true-to-life story careens non-stop through the misadventures of this hyperactive kid who gets only bad examples and confusing demands from the people who should be guiding him towards discovery of his best self. As a pediatrician and as a teacher, I have known children like Joey-aka-Freddy, lost in families like this. So I really appreciate how Mr. Gantos has laid bare the real difficulties of special-needs kids who get just what they don't need from their parents. But who is this book for? It is decked out in a cover which bespeaks zany humor and suggests that it is appropriate for ages 10 and up. I don't think so. Child abuse and neglect just aren't funny. Like Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time this story will be of great interest to educators and people preparing for careers in which they will work with troubled children and dysfunctional families. I can envision it being extremely useful in a support group for parents of hyperactive kids or in a parenting class for fathers who want to do better by their kids. But it's not for preteens. Kids who are just beginning to be able to think about thinking need more reality-processing in their literature. Kids who, like Joey, get no good models from adults at home are probably better served by stories that model a constructive inner dialog and appropriately supportive family relationships. This story is a masterpiece, but it's too raw for preteens.

You'll love the antics that Joey and his family get into when his father tries to have another chance in the family!

All children's books are written to adults and to children. I think that Gantos is remarkably talented and that the painful and chaotic events and characters come from deep within his soul. This is the best book about forgiveness I can think of--for any age. While I wanted to strangle his parents, Joey Pigza himself was a kid struggling to make the right decisions in a crazy world. Joey Pigza is my hero, a moral giant in a world of LEGO mini-figs. And there are some breathtakingly funny lines or moments in this book--dry dark humor but just what a lot of smart-ass middle school kids would love.

Have you ever thought what would happen if you were wired to the core? Well, although it may sound like your worst nightmare, but Joey Pigza lives his entire life like that. He doesn't exactly have the best life either. His dad keeps running off and reappearing, claiming that he's "searching for karma, to win the lottery" and changes his name and attitude to "Charles Heinz". His mom is always out shopping for the baby she's expecting, earning money for the family, he's dropped out of school, his grandma recently passed away, and all he has for most of the time is himself, and his dogs. He's all alone in the crazy world.

Something really fascinating about the Joey Pigza series is how well crafted they are. Jack Gantos, the author of the series, is truly a funny author, and he made a fantastic series. If you haven't read the other books yet, then what are you waiting for? It's a fantastic series, and once you get into one book, you can't stop! The books go in order: Joey Pigza Swallowed The Key, Joey Pigza Loses Control, What Would Joey Do?, and of course, I Am Not Joey Pigza.
The books are filled with humor involving Joey's (main character) wired antics, some of which include: jumping out of a top story window with a refrigerator box on his head, shooting everything he sees with his paintball gun (including his own dog's rear end), running around in the highway trying to advertise his family's diner, throwing rocks at a car, trying to act like a boy named Freddy Heinz, getting into paintball wars with his dad, getting into trouble with his mom, messing around with his dogs, going through a "diner dash" trying to serve hungry people, and generally wreaking havoc! But, Joey isn't just a wired freak, he's truly kind and honest, even though he messes up sometimes, a quality that lots of people (including me) have.

The book is very human-like, rather than being some exaggerated superficial book, Mr. Gantos made a book that is true and open, making it a book that almost speaks to you, meaning, with the amount of inferences it has, the amount of characters it has, the human situations it has, it generally has characteristics that make it similar to our own lives, which is something very rare for a book to accomplish. Bottom line? Try it! The best age group is 8-14, but, the books in the Joey Pigza series can work for anyone.

I think this series of books does an emormous injustice - and yet, exellent job - of blurring the lines of conprehension for those who wish to understand the underlying causes of what is currently reffered to as "ADHD".

Joey Pigza does not have "ADHD". Joey Pigza is the product of exteme psychological/emotional and sometimes even physical abuse. What human being, (child or adult), wouldn't develop severe anti-social, anti-establishment and/or anti-authoritarian tendencies in the face of such abnormal and/or abusive constant conditioning?

After I read the first chapter of this book all I kept thinking is: "Joey, call social services on your coo-coo for cocoa puffs grandma. Someone needs to come over and fit her with a white jacket that's nicely tailored with buttons and straps all down the back. Any human being who thinks she is teaching a child a "lesson" from such an abnormally over-the-top drama fest is a dysfunctional sociopath at least... ...and a full blown spychopath at worst"

Maybe if the author actually explored and educated himself on the psychological, behavioral and neurodevelopmental effects of highly dysfunctional/abusive environments he would see the LEAST of this kid's behavioral problems stem from what is currently refered to as "ADHD".

Heck, who in their right mind could pay attention to anything "normal" when subjected to anything but... ...If anything Joey's ability to mentally disengage and revert to inverted mental escapism tactics, (developing maladaptive coping mechinisms) would appear to be the only expected means for a child to cope within such an enviroment.