They say I'm wired bad, or wired sad, but there's no doubt about
it--I'm wired.
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 downtown,
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. This title has Common Core connections.
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is a 1998 National Book Award Finalist
for Young People's Literature.