"Hilarious, harrowing, and ultimately heartening."
School Library Journal-
Bibliographic Data: Gantos, Jack 2000 Joey Pigza Loses Control. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0374399891
Plot Summary: Joey Pigza has finally gotten his severe ADHD under control with through the utilization of medication patches. Things are going well until his dad comes into the picture, throws out his medication because “winners don’t medicate”, and ultimately everything falls apart for Joey all over again. Luckily he realizes how fortunate he is to have some stability from his mom, as she interferes and Joey can stop feeling “wired”.
Critical Analysis:
This novel is relatable in so many ways, which is not surprising as it is penned by Jack Gantos. Joey has ADHD so bad that he cannot quiet his head for a moment. He can only keep one friend, his Chihuahua Pablo. He makes rash, stupid, and irresponsible decisions, but finds himself helpless against this behavior. He is finally paired with medicated patches that help curb his out of control/wired feelings, and finds some relief.
He gets the opportunity to visit his father who has been mostly absent from his life, and stays with him through the summer. It is during this stay he is met with the most challenges. His father disposes of his medications and Joey immediately looses himself to the “wired” feeling again. His dad relies on/puts pressure on him to win the big championship baseball game, which Joey so wants to do to impress him, but which overwhelms him. It is during this stay that he also realizes how much he is like his father, who is a severe alcoholic. His grandmother, rendered basically helpless from years of smoking cannot help. Luckily, his mother intervenes and saves Joey and his precious pup. It is through this act that Joey sees how lucky he is to have her, and that it was never his job to make his relationship with his father work.
This story is good for any teen patrons dealing with overbearing/pushy parents, surrounded by substance abuse, dealing with ADHD/ADD or any of the other attention disorders, and is a good example for young patrons to learn that just because someone is older than you/a parent, they do not always know what is right.
Review:
Booklist- “[…]Gantos has given Joey a remarkably vivid personality, and, blending irrepressible humor with a powerful depiction of a child's longing for normalcy, he has written a dead-on portrayal of a young person assessing the often self-serving behavior of the adults who control his life. Few children these days don't know someone wrestling with ADHD; meeting up with Joey is a fine way to gain insight into the problems "hyper" children face. But the story is more than message. Ganto's skillful pacing, sly humor, and in-depth characterization make it a truly memorable read.”
Connections:
This is a great book to pair with journaling/prompts. You could ask the kids to name a few times they, like Joey, 1) felt pressured to perform 2) felt they let their parents down 3)felt they were out of control 4)were lonely 5) felt really lucky to have someone’s help 6) how hard it is to stick to a daily routine like taking medication, but how important it is.
Awards:
Newbery Honor Book
ALA Notable Book
Publishers Weekly Best Book
School Library Journal Best Book
NY Times Book Review Notable Book
Booklist Editors' Choice
Horn Book Fanfare Book
Plot Summary: Joey Pigza has finally gotten his severe ADHD under control with through the utilization of medication patches. Things are going well until his dad comes into the picture, throws out his medication because “winners don’t medicate”, and ultimately everything falls apart for Joey all over again. Luckily he realizes how fortunate he is to have some stability from his mom, as she interferes and Joey can stop feeling “wired”.
Critical Analysis:
This novel is relatable in so many ways, which is not surprising as it is penned by Jack Gantos. Joey has ADHD so bad that he cannot quiet his head for a moment. He can only keep one friend, his Chihuahua Pablo. He makes rash, stupid, and irresponsible decisions, but finds himself helpless against this behavior. He is finally paired with medicated patches that help curb his out of control/wired feelings, and finds some relief.
He gets the opportunity to visit his father who has been mostly absent from his life, and stays with him through the summer. It is during this stay he is met with the most challenges. His father disposes of his medications and Joey immediately looses himself to the “wired” feeling again. His dad relies on/puts pressure on him to win the big championship baseball game, which Joey so wants to do to impress him, but which overwhelms him. It is during this stay that he also realizes how much he is like his father, who is a severe alcoholic. His grandmother, rendered basically helpless from years of smoking cannot help. Luckily, his mother intervenes and saves Joey and his precious pup. It is through this act that Joey sees how lucky he is to have her, and that it was never his job to make his relationship with his father work.
This story is good for any teen patrons dealing with overbearing/pushy parents, surrounded by substance abuse, dealing with ADHD/ADD or any of the other attention disorders, and is a good example for young patrons to learn that just because someone is older than you/a parent, they do not always know what is right.
Review:
Booklist- “[…]Gantos has given Joey a remarkably vivid personality, and, blending irrepressible humor with a powerful depiction of a child's longing for normalcy, he has written a dead-on portrayal of a young person assessing the often self-serving behavior of the adults who control his life. Few children these days don't know someone wrestling with ADHD; meeting up with Joey is a fine way to gain insight into the problems "hyper" children face. But the story is more than message. Ganto's skillful pacing, sly humor, and in-depth characterization make it a truly memorable read.”
Connections:
This is a great book to pair with journaling/prompts. You could ask the kids to name a few times they, like Joey, 1) felt pressured to perform 2) felt they let their parents down 3)felt they were out of control 4)were lonely 5) felt really lucky to have someone’s help 6) how hard it is to stick to a daily routine like taking medication, but how important it is.
Awards:
Newbery Honor Book
ALA Notable Book
Publishers Weekly Best Book
School Library Journal Best Book
NY Times Book Review Notable Book
Booklist Editors' Choice
Horn Book Fanfare Book