Rating: 
Summary: A High Literary Merit Book
Review: Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos Joey Pigza Loses Control is an excellent book for children and adults alike. This book can help anybody learn about how a child is affected with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and how that child lives his life. The book shows Joey when he is on his medication, and when he is off his medication, because his father feels that he does not need the medication. In the story, I love the setting id great, because we are so close to Pittsburg, PA and it is a real place on a map. The children can see where they live in relation to Joey. The characters in the book are great. First, there is Joey, a little boy living with ADHD, and how he copes with the disorder. Then there is Joey's father, as his mother puts it in the book is, '' he can be, you know, wired like you, only he's bigger,' (pg. 8). Joey's grandmother is an old lady that has emphysema, and the way Joey describes her breathing and her scratchy voice is believable for children. Some of the settings in the book are great for children too, because they can relate to Storybook Land Fun Park, because they are familiar with the nursery rhymes, also the baseball fields are great, because most, if not all, children are familiar with baseball fields. These are all things the children can relate to throughout the book.
The figurative language, dialogue, mood and tone, and pacing all make this a book of high literary merit. The figurative language in this book is great, and provides an unmistakable image in the minds of the readers, for example, the passage in the book where Joey's father is comparing himself to Humpty Dumpty, 'I stood up and stared over at old Humpty and I thought, I'm as bad as he is. I'm nothing more than a teary-eyed busted-up egg,' (pg. 26). This all provides an image about how his life was going, but yet he really was not Humpty Dumpty, the children are familiar with this though. The dialogue in the book provides insight into the characters, and the impulsivity of Joey is made apparent when he shoves a peanut up his nose. The mood and tone facilitate suspension of disbelief, and the author provides an example of this when he has Joey's grandma holding the dog at Joey's last baseball game, even though throughout the book she could not stand the dog. The pacing and style of the book was great. The style allowed the readers to read at their own pace, not overwhelming the readers, but toward the end of the book when Joey does not have his medicine, the pacing seems to speed up a little, and that encourages the reader to speed up and continue on reading.
This book would definitely be a great book in the classroom. The primary use of the book would be when the children would be learning about disabilities, this would be great to help the children learn about ADHD. Along with that, the book could be used if a child in the class has ADHD, and the children need to understand what this child is going through. Overall, the book was entertaining and a great selection to read.
Rating:
Summary: Joey Pigza Loses Control
Review: Joey Pigza Loses Control, by Jack Gantos, is a fascinating story about a young boy visiting his father over his summer vacation. Joey suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and lives with his mother. He is sent to stay with his father for six weeks because his mother works all day and cannot keep her eye on this imaginative and fun loving boy. As each character was introduced and developed throughout the story I questioned whether Gantos's writing was based on people in his own experiences because they seemed very realistic. For instance, Joey's father Carter, is a recovering alcoholic who is not only trying to take control back in his life, but is also trying to control Joey's as well. In an effort to help Joey take control of his own life, he gets rid of all Joey's patches, which are used to keep him from becoming wired. In the story, when Carter decides what is best for Joey he says, "You are your own man, in control of your own life-and free as a bird". The dialogue in the story not only keeps the characters realistic but it also provides insight into the characters. In this case, Joey's mom is dropping him off at his dad's and the dialogue held between the two allows the reader to almost feel the tension between herself and Carter but it also shows just how much she cares about Joey. The conversation begins with his mother telling Joey, "Most of all I want to say my real goodbye to you now, because when I see your dad and grandma everything is going to be weird and I might be weird too and I don't want you thinking I'm bailing out on your or something.". These examples are only a few from this well written book.
This book would be enjoyed by a wide range of people of almost all ages. Children as young as the intermediate grade levels and up would most likely find Joey's adventures with his dog Pablo hysterical. This story also could an astounding effect on students dealing with some of the issues in this book such as a broken home, ADHD, alcoholism and even controlling parents. As a teacher I would find this book to be most effective if read to the students chapter by chapter once day or used in a literature circle. The many modern issues confronted in this book is a very good basis for discussion between students, and it also allows them to relate their own experiences to Joey's.
Rating: 
Summary: Joey Pigza at KU
Review: In my opinion this book was well written and entertaining. The characters were unique but easy to relate to. The point of view was creative because the story was told from Joey's perspective. It was interesting because Joey has ADHD and this gave the reader a chance to see, first hand, what ADHD feels like. For example,"The next morning I woke up feeling like half me and half not, like when you mix baking soda and vinegar together and come up with a totally weird thing. Well, that's what I felt like, something not yet named. A fizzy experiment." The major dramatic question in the book finds the reader asking if Joey will conquer is ADHD. The reader also roots for Joey to overcome this obstacle, and truly cares about how he will succeed. The author uses dialogue to provide insight into the characters. A good example of this is when Joey is talking to his father. "Dad can I talk for a while", asked Joey. His father then replys, "Nobody is stopping you, two people can talk at once. It's like watching TV and talking, no big deal." This shows that Joey's father also has ADHD.
I feel that this book would be most enjoyed by adolescent children. Adults would also find this book entertaing and somewhat informative. I would uses this book in my classroom to help someone deal with or inform someone about ADHD. This book would be in a free reading area so that the students could read it without my making them. This could be a very valuable asset in a classroom.
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Summary: Joey Pigza Review
Review: Joey Pigza Loses Control, by Jack Gantos, is a wonderfully written book. The characters and the setting are very realistic. Joey Pigza is a young boy who has Attention Deficit Disorder and comes from a broken home. The vocabulary is very precise and the dialogue gives a lot of insight into the characters. For example, when Joey is talking to his mother he says "Then, why are you sending me to Dad if you don't think he's any good?" This gives you insight into the father and the mother. You find out that she does not like the father and it makes you start to wonder what might be wrong with him. The story makes you want to keep reading because you care about the outcome and forget it isn't real. It is as if you are right there with Joey as he goes with his father and you can't wait to see if he will be alright with the man that he hasn't seen in years.
I think that children who come from single parent homes, whose parents are divorced, or children with ADD would like this book. They could relate to what Joey was going through or learn something from his character. It may even allow a child to feel that they aren't the only person going through something though like that. This book could be used in a classroom as part of a text set on the author or as a literature integration in a Social Studies lesson on family and culture. It could help students understand the different dynamics of family life. Also, it could just be read for fun during SSR time in a classroom.
Rating:
Summary: I lost control when I read this book too!!
Review: This was an unbelievable book about a boy named Joey Pigza,who is suffering from ADHD. Joey is going for a six-week visit with his dad and he wants to show his dad that he is not as wired as he was as a kid. Joey's mom states, "Figure out what you want from this guy before you get there. Give it some thought because he can be, you know, wired like you , only he's bigger." Joey quickly learns that his dad is not a very easy person to get along with. As Joey goes off his patches, the story jumps around right with him. Joey's dad states, "Normal kids don't need medicine evry day." Even though I was suprised that Joey's dad made hime go off the patches, I would expect something like that from Carter. The characters in this book are very true to life characters. Reading this book really makes you connect with the Joey and his relationship with his dad, Carter. I couldn't put the book down, I was so interested in finding out if Joey was going to go back home with his mom or stay with his dad.
I really enjoyed this book and I would use this book in my classroom to discuss ADHD and alternative families. I feel that this book is geared towards more of an intermediate level and I hope everyone enjoys this book as much as I did.
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Summary: On-Line Book Review
Review: Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos is a great book for children and adults to read. This is a story about a boy who takes medication, because he has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Joey's parents are divorced and for the summer he wants to visit his dad and get to know him, but his mom isn't crazy about this idea but eventually gives in and allows him. The characters and setting in this story are very unique and believable. Many kids who read this book can relate to the characters because they as well come from divorced homes and will spend school vacations with the other parent. The setting in the book that is very believable is that Joey's father lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For kids who live in Pa, this seems very real to them that the story takes place so close to home. Joey also has a dog that he is very attached to named Pablo. Joey takes Pablo everywhere he goes and Pablo is his best friend. Children will love to read about Joey's relationship with Pablo because they themselves are very attached to their pets.
Another literary merit that this book addresses is that the plot has subtle major dramatic questions and that the reader cares about the outcome. While reading the story you're always wondering how Joey's dad will turn out. If he'll clean himself up quit drinking and smoking and try to be a father to him. Also while you're wondering about that, you can't help but thinking about what is going to happen to Joey after he stops taking his medication. The reason that Joey stops taking his medicine anyway is because his dad doesn't think that it is a good idea for him. "I've been thinking about these patches. I bet if you didn't wear them you'd never know the difference" (92).
This book also has an interesting point of view. The story is told by Joey, who is an ADHD child. Joey goes into a great description of what it is like being "wired and wound up" as he calls it "I didn't have time for anything that lasted longer than the snap of my fingers. But after I got my good meds, I started to settle down"(9-10). For children who also have ADHD they will enjoy reading about someone else's perspective and what they go through. Even for those people who don't have this deficit, reading this book helps them understand more about what goes on in these kid's minds.
The dialogue in this story provides insight into the characters in many ways. One example of this is when Joey is left home alone and finds ways to entertain himself. Joey decides to spin around in circles and make himself dizzy and when he finally stops he throws rocks at pictures of animals he made. Well one day Joey decides to try this with darts, except instead of hitting a picture, he accidentally hits Pablo's ear and stabs him with the dart! This takes place in the beginning of the story and as soon as you read this, you have an idea of what kind of a character Joey will be like. He is a creative, rambunctious, and spontaneous child.
The pacing and style of this book were very appropriate for the content. The book flowed nicely between all of the topics and the book was somewhat of an easy read. The reason the book was an easy read was because it was hard to put it down. You just want to continue reading so you can find out what zany thing Joey will do next.
This book would appeal to many different kinds of people. It would appeal to any child, teacher, or adult. There are a variety of topics that the readers can relate to in the story. Joey Pigza is a great book to include in the classroom. There is high literary merit and high literary taste included in this book. Many students would enjoy reading this class and you could incorporate a variety of activities with this book in the classroom. After reading this book you are also left with the impression of how valuable your family is. After spending time with his father, Joey realizes how much he needs and relies on his mom.
Rating:
Summary: Joey Pigza Loses Control
Review: Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos is an excellent book for children and adults to read about a young boy living with attention deficit hyper activity (ADHD) and how the world appears to him once he is off the medication. I love the believable characters and settings through the entire book and other literary merits. The story takes place in Pittsburgh, PA, where Joey is going to meet his father for the first time. Pittsburgh is an actual place so children are able to find on a map where Joey is going. Joey also has a Chihuahua named Pablo who is a very vocal dog. Again this is very believable because Chihuahuas are very yappy. Other believable characters in the book are Joey's dad, who is "just like him but bigger. He had long arms and pointy elbows..." Also, Joey's grandmother, who has emphysema, is also very believable when Joey describes her breathing machine and how she talks in a scratchy voice. Other settings in the book that are believable are Storybook Land Fun Park, with its giant wood cutouts of fairy tale characters and the baseball fields, where every child can relate.
What else set this book apart was the figurative language it used. On page 33 Joey states how is dad was right and that "he did not turn into a busted old humpty". This is figurative because there is no way that a grown man could turn into a humpty dumpty. Another example of figurative language is on page 192 where Liza states, "You gotta fight fire with fire". You are not literally fighting with fire but that you have to be just as strong and just as determined as the other guy.
Three other literary merits that I came across that made this book high in literary merit and taste are dialogue provides insight into characters, which can be found on page 56, where Joey shoves a peanut up his nose. This line in the chapter shows you the impulsity of Joey. Mood and tome facilitate suspension of disbelief is another literacy element that made the book so good and an example of that is when grandma is holding Pablo at Joey's last baseball game even though she said that she could not stand that dog through out the book. The last literacy element that helped out the book was the pacing and style being appropriate to content. You could feel yourself reading faster when it came to Joey in the beginning and the end of the book when he was not on his medication.
To whom would this book appeal? Both children and young adults would enjoy reading this book to themselves or out loud with others. It will relate to children on a variety of levels such as ADHD,if the child knows someone or has it themselves, separation of parents because in today's society separation of parents is a common thing now. The book also relates to children if they have ever played baseball or went to a game even if they had ever went to the mall or shopping. The child lastly can relate to the book if they know where Pittsburgh is or have ever been there or live there.
I would use Joey Pigza loses Control in a variety of ways in my classroom. I could use the book during disability awareness month and talk about ADHD. I could also use it when I am teaching about Pittsburgh in social studies or geography. The book can be integrated in other ways such as arts and humanities, and economics. I suggest to anyone to go out and read Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos. You will not regret it.
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Summary: Joey's Big Chance
Review: Joey Pigza Looses Control ,Newbery Honor Award Winner
Author: Jack Gantos.
196 pages
Joey Pigza Looses Control is a book with many lessons and lots of humor. In the story Joey's mom goes to Pittsburg for work and Joey is stuck with his dad and grandma! Dad is an alcoholic and Grandma needs an oxygen tank to breathe since she smokes too much. Joey has ADD which means he can't control himself. Joey has very good arm and pitches on his father's baseball team. My favorite part of story was when Joey said, 'She (his mom) never could do two things at once, which was good, because when it came to hugging me, I wanted her all to myself.' The book shows it is important not to judge people, use your manners, and try to do your best. I would recommend this book to a friend because it has a lot of lessons for kids and it's funny!
Rating:
Summary: Jeoy Pigza Loses Control
Review: This book is about Joey wanting to meet his dad. He thinks that his dad is cool and nice but when he meets him he is nothing like what he thoght he was. Joey has to sleep over for a while. A few days later he calls his mom to pick him up his grandma sees him and ???? I really liked this book because it has action. I would recomened this book to all the readers!!!
Rating:
Summary: Joey Pigza Loses Control
Review: Joey Pigza wants to meet his father his mom lets him go and he takes his dog with him.When he meets he finds out that his father is not the way he thought he was. Later on he goes calls his mom to get him because he wants to go home when he is leaving he sees his gradma come out at first he thought his gradma was telling him to go back but then he saw very carefully and she was saying goodbye.
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