Authentic-sounding first-person narration by a hyperactive boy gives readers an inside view of attention-deficit disorders. 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. The book describes the life of a child named Joey Pigza who frequently gets into trouble at school due to his erratic behavior. The Jack Henry middle-grade fiction series was based on Gantos' own adventures as a boy, and the award-winning Joey Pigza books resulted from Gantos' interactions with children with ADHD. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is a children's novel by Jack Gantos, published in 1998.It is the first of a series of books featuring the character Joey Pigza. . He wears patches that help him relax so he can make the right choices for himself and behave calmly. Spell. Please try again later. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. Gantos, J., (1998). The book is about a little kid named Joey that suffers from ADHD. 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. Joey Pigza is so out of control that it’s pretty scary. If Rotten Ralph were a boy instead of a cat, he might be Joey, the hyperactive hero of Gantos's new book, except that Joey is never bad on purpose. Joey pigza swallowed the key. Tucking enough real and metaphorical keys into Joey’s adrenalized narrative to create a motif, Gantos also trots out other significant figures from his protagonist’s past on the way to a fragile, hard-won but nonetheless real reunion. MsRoss26. Gravity. Flashcards. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is a children's novel by Jack Gantos, published in 1998.It is the first of a series of books featuring the character Joey Pigza. Except for the time when the key is not on its string, but he forgets and swallows it anyway. We’re considering expanding this synopsis into a full-length study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why it's important. In this final installment of the series, Joey has to stop school to care full-time for his baby brother when their depressed mother checks herself into the hospital. Parents need to know that Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, by Jack Gantos, is an entertaining, sympathetic, and accurate depiction of a child with ADHD. Terms in this set (21) What point of view is used in Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key? If Rotten Ralph were a boy instead of a cat, he might be Joey, the hyperactive hero of Gantos's new book, except that Joey is never bad on purpose.