Customer Reviews

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (Joey Pigza Books)

5 star:		(108)
4 star:		(90)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

As an elementary school librarian, who was diagnosed as an adult with ADHD, and who lives in a household with other ADHD people, I highly recommend this book!

"Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key," is a fast-paced novel written at about the 5th grade level. Since we acquired two copies in our library about a month ago, it has been constantly checked out! I've had a student and his mom come into the library specifically to thank me for bringing this book to their attention and for discussing it with the his sixth grade class.

If you want to crawl into the mind and body of a youngster with attention problems, spend some time with "Joey Pigza." What this kid does with his body, I've done in my mind my entire life, and I'm thankful to a number of medical professionals for helping me discover that I really was "wired" differently. (The book that really got me to seek help was "Driven to Distraction," by Edward M. Hallowell, which I also highly recommend.)

The reviewer who attributes Joey's problems to his physical environment, overstates the situation. Yes, diet, chemicals and emotional problems can contribute to attention problems, but as a person who has eaten healthy foods for many years, and who has very few chemicals in the home, I can attest that ADD/ADHD people are usually born this way. I found relief through meds. Last year, I secretly took myself off the meds, and people around me noticed the difference within weeks. So, now I know it really does make a difference.

Some people are misdiagnosed or over-medicated, which is why it's important to see a doctor who knows this disorder inside and out, like Joey finally did at the end of the book. This book should be read by any students, teachers or parents who either have attention problems, or who know someone who does. It would make an excellent read-aloud and discussion starter in an upper elementary classroom.

Joey Pigza is not your average kid. He is a very annoying kid because he always challenges his teacher, Mrs. Maxy by doing really bad things. He also comes up with some very weird theories about himself being like the Tasmanian Devil. Joey Pigza can't stand still. He can't pay attention, he can't follow the rules, and he can't help it- especially when his meds aren't working. Joey's had problems ever since he was born, problems just like his Dad and Grandpa have. And whether he's wreaking havoc on a class trip or swallowing his house key, Joey's problems are getting worse. In fact, his behavior is so bad his teachers are threatening to send him to the special-ed center downtown. To find out if they do or do not send him there, you have to read this fantastic book. Joey knows he's a really good kid but no matter how hard he tries to do the right thing something always seems to go wrong. Will he ever get anything right?

Nominations & Awards: Finalist, 1998 National Book Award for Children's Literature Notable Children's Books of 1999 (ALA) Notable 1999 Children's Trade Book in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)

As a new elementary teacher, I stumbled on this book because of its interesting title. I couldn't put it down because it drew me in instantly. I felt sorry for Joey, but I was amazed how different his experience appeared from his point of view than what I might see as a teacher. A must read for teachers, parents, and children!

As a teacher and the mother of a son with ADHD I was immediately drawn to this book. Yes, there are difficult passages that make us want to look away from the character, but the character, like a real-life ADHD child cannot step away. My son is now 20 years old and had a horrible time making friends in school, for many of the same reasons as Joey. He attests to the authenticity of feelings and the impulsiveness of actions that send Joey "pinging off the walls of his life." (Geof's words, not mine) I highly recommend this book for anyone who has ever come in contact with an ADHD child and wants to understand a little more about the illness.

I have never before such an honest and believeable description of a child with ADD. This book is almost painful to read, but I couldn't put it down, and I still think about it, months later. For anyone who knows somebody with ADD, this book opens up a whole new world of understanding. The best book, for children or adults, that I have read all year.

This story tells about the trials and tribulations of a boy named Joey Pigza from his perspective. Soon after starting the book one is aware that Joey suffers for ADHD (an extreme case). He also comes from a difficult family situation. Life is a series of ups and downs for Joey.

Although many of the situations that Joey finds himself in are humorous, one can't help but feel sadness and compassion for him. He tries so hard to fit in and follow the rules, but he always ends up getting into trouble. He tends to blame his "dud meds" when he loses control. After a series of incidents, including swallowing his house key and accidentally cutting the nose of a fellow classmate with scissors. Joey is transferred to a Special School. Fortunately, he meets a teacher who is able to help him. He is returned to his regular school and the book ends on a hopeful note that Joey will be ok.

As a former Special Ed. Teacher, I have met many Joeys in different forms. This book makes one more understanding of what a child with ADHD may be going through. It is both informative and thought provoking! Joey Pigza Swallows the Key and the one that follows, Joey Pigza Loses Control, have both won many honors and awards. I would highly recommended both books for children 10 and up!

This novel takes the reader inside the head of a hyperactive boy, whose hyperactivity is as much or more proplelled by his running away from early abandonment as it is by his biochemistry. Though authors often try to take us inside the mind of a person very different from ourselves, success at the level of JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY is extremely rare. In this novel the energy of the prose conveys both the protagonist's activity and his thought processes, as he runs away from unbearable moments in his past with both comic and tragic consequences. The sources of Joey's problems are deftly sketched in a way that deepens the story immensely without forcing young readers to dwell on the moments of horror in Joey's past. A masterful work that will foster empathy in young readers and help them to understand how somebody who, like Joey, is a problem--can also be most loveable and in the deepest ways, very like themselves.

This book is an excellent choice for anyone with ADHD children. Your child can really relate to Joey. My son is 8 and we read it together. You follow Joey through all of his "mishaps" throughout the book until finally at the end he realizes why he needs his "meds". He gets his whole life in order once his medicine is at the right level. I'm not too sure about his Mom however! She is not the greatest role model but she tries to do the best for him. This book helped my ADHD child see himself through someone else's eyes.

I think this is a much needed resource for parents and teachers who deal with ADD and ADHD children. This book allows us a view from the child's perspective. I have read many books on the topic from the perspective of how to teach the ADHD child, but this is the first one I have read that describes so vividly how these children think and feel.

As a 5th grade teacher I have had ADHD students in my class and I have read up on ADHD. This book did more for me to understand these children then any scientific paper because the students that were on Ritalin were enpowered to discuss how they feel. The other students asked a hundred questions and I saw how relaxed my students became with the issue - and it is a growing issue. The book is well written and often hysterical and tear-jerkingly sad. Read it.