Gantos, Jack. “Joey Pigza Loses Control.” New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000.
It is not everyday that you meet a person like Joey. Joey Pigza is a young boy who has an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The story begins with Joey and his mother in a rather bizarre although highly amusing car ride to Joey’s father home. Readers see Joey’s bubbling, enthusiastic personality right away, especially since his meds are slowly wearing off. The majority of the story takes place here in a very small quiet town, unlike the city life that Joey is accustomed to. Although Joey it was determined that medication was needed to help Joey stay focus; after moving to live with his father for the summer Joey is forced to discontinue any use of his medication. Readers see Joey spiral in and out of control as he tries to get to know his father, a recovering alcoholic, who approves only of a quitting “cold turkey” approach. What I find most remarkable about this book is the unique writing style. As this book is narrated from Joey’s perspective, the style of writing changes from completely spontaneous and unstructured when off his meds to more structured, but still typical of a young boy nearing recess when on his medication. Joey is spontaneous, outgoing, and a joy to read about; I will definitely add this book and the other books within this series to my library. I feel that it is important to note that Jack Gantos is a prolific writer who researched this subject immensely and sought out advice from special education teachers, principals, and counselors to enhance the authenticity of his books. Joey Pigza Loses Control is one of many books within the Joey Pigza series, each dealing with a unique aspect of Joey’s life.
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