Nory Ryan's song [Audio Cassette]

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807287288
• ISBN-13: 978-0807287286
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (134 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Jack Gantos has written novels for adults, young adults, and middle grade readers, as well as over twenty books for primary readers, including twelve titles chronicling the misadventures of Rotten Ralph. He lives in Santa Fe, NM.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deals well with the intergenerational issues of AD/HD, January 2, 2001

By 

Carol Watkins "Psychiatrist" (Parkton, Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Joey Pigza Loses Control (Joey Pigza Books) (Hardcover)

Joey Pigza Swallowed a Key, and Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos  Joey Pigza is a kind but impulsive, inattentive boy, living with his divorced mother. In the first book, Joey is diagnosed with AD/HD. The author deals humorously and sympathetically with Joey's impulsivity and how it gets him in trouble in school and at home. Eventually Joey and his mother learn how to compensate through humor, educational strategies and medication.  The second book still retains some of the humor of the first, but deals with more serious issues. Joey's estranged father arranges to have Joey stay with him for the summer. The father clearly has ADHD symptoms similar to those of his son. Further, the father struggles with alcoholism and legal problems. During the summer, he makes Joey stop he medication. In his father Joey sees what he might have become. This second story deals with the very serious issues of custody disputes, parental disagreement about medication, alcoholism and its effect on a child with AD/HD. Some parents might want to read this book with their older elementary school and middle school children to explain some of these complex issues.  Carol E, Watkins, M.D. Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mustread for this age group, September 24, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Joey Pigza Loses Control (Joey Pigza Books) (Hardcover)

The "good meds" that Joey Pigza takes has calmed down the youngster considerably, but he worries when his mom drives to meet his dad for the first time in several years. His mom is even more nervous because she knows that her son's dad Carter is a bigger version of Joey without the medicine. Joey also is worried because he wants his dad to like him so they can be more like a real father and son.

Over the next six weeks, Carter proves to be much more complex than Joey's wife described or the way the lad dreamed his dad would act. Carter's lessons in life reinforce his behavior leading to the tossing of Joey's medicine down the toilet while insisting real men tough out their problems without external aids. Although Joey knows what happens without the "good meds", he decides to "tough" it out even as his own behavior begins to spin out of control.

JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL, the sequel to the great JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWS HIS KEY, is a tremendous dark tale aimed at middle schoolers, but should be prime reading for grown-ups. The story line cleverly plays at two levels. The interesting plot engages young readers as they cheer for Joey to survive to balance his out of control universe. The tale also targets adults to understand that we serve as role models that our children will one day emulate. Readers of all ages who wire into Jack Gantos will know they have read some of the most poignant drama available.

Harriet KlaUSNER

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Love Joey Pigza!, August 19, 2002

By 

Tammy (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joey Pigza Loses Control (Joey Pigza Books) (Paperback)

I love Joey Pigza! Joey is such an erratic, yet heartwarming, character that really has you on his side for the entire book. As Joey says himself, he's always had a certain way about him that gets people on his side. As a teacher of both general education and special education students, I have at least one student with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, just like Joey, every year. Never before have I felt so in touch with those students or empathize with their symptoms than I did while reading about Joey. Joey states plainly that he doesn't have many friends because most of the kids tease him. Joey also talks about his experiences in school and how about half the class wants him to get better and behave, and the other half eggs him on, so that he'll stop the teacher's lesson. This was a revelation for me. I had never made the connection that other students would encourage disruptive behaviors in class for less than pure motives and then turn around and ridicule these behaviors outside of school for being "weird". But it certainly fits the characteristics of the typical social interactions with such students. Joey's mom is such a patient and loving mother who just can't take Joey's antics and trouble that he gets into. Being a single mom, doesn't make matters better and when Joey is going to spend the summer with his loony dad and grandmother, things just get worse. Joey's dad is a HUGE disappointment throughout the book as he is given this momentous "second chance" with the son he left behind to begin a new life. He yells at Joey while he's playing baseball, he drinks in excess, and is very irresponsible with the role of parenting Joey. He cared more about Joey brushing his teeth than other essential needs for his son. Joey wants so desperately to have a father and son relationship with his dad or even just to hold a "back and forth" conversation. His dad fails him in so many ways you want to reach through the pages and shake the grown man silly. Other people in the book accept Joey for who he is, such as his grandmother, even though she has always had a problem with his hyperness. Leezy, his dad's girlfriend also takes a liking to Joey right off the bat. Joey's dog, Pablo, takes some abuse when Joey gets a little too excited or forgetful, but his love for Joey is apparent. In the end, Joey's mom comes to his rescue and Joey is whisked away from his dad. I was regretful that Joey couldn't make a dad want to change his ways and that Joey had to leave with many more failures. I look forward to reading more about Joey and hopefully good things start to happen to a well deserved boy.