"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.
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is a 1998 National Book Award Finalist for Young People\'s Literature..
This title has Common Core connections.
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.
But he is determined not to let that happen.
As Joey knows, if he keeps making bad choices, he could just fall between the cracks for good.
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.
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.
Sometimes Joey makes bad choices. "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
