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Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key and Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack GantosThis is a big book. It is not for the squeamish. It looks head on at the problem of ADHD and doesn't flinch. The author makes clear that Joey's problems are not limited to neurology but include an unhealthy home life. The adults in the book do not come out looking squeaky clean. Joey has clearly inherited his disorder from his father who in turn inherited the hyper genes of his grandmother. Both of Joey's parents have their own personal problems and, when he is still a toddler, abandon him to be raised by his grandmother. The first book begins with Joey's mother returning home to resume raising her son. The author draws the connection between the mother's nightly cocktail and Joey's ADHD medication. The issue of self-medication and addiction is brought out even more clearly in the second book, when Joey travels to Pittsburgh to spend the summer with his father and grandmother. Joey is already taking medication when the story starts, but they're clearly "dud meds," as Joey says, because he continually finds himself in trouble, and, quite unintentionally, he is becoming a danger to both himself and to others. The first-person narration is almost claustrophobic at times, as the author gives voice to this severely hyperactive child. At first Joey's misadventures verge on the hilarious; increasingly the humor is overwhelmed by the sadness of his plight and the seriousness of his self-destructive behavior. There is a happy ending. Joey does get the help he needs and at the end expresses the wonder and joy of realizing that he is, and always has been, a good kid at heart. Listening Library has both these books on tape read by the author. The author's high-pitched, nasal voice seems appropriate for a kid like Joey. He reads his own words with straight-forward conviction. Highly recommended. |