“At school they say I’m wired bad, or wired mad, or wired sad, or wired glad, depending on my mood and what teacher has ended up with me.”

From Jack Gantos’ Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key.

Joey Pigza tries to focus and stay in control, but it’s just so difficult, especially since the medicine he takes doesn’t work like it’s supposed to.  Sometimes to entertain himself, Joey likes to swallow the house key that he keeps on a string around his neck, because the string allows him to pull the key back up and out without any negative consequences.  However, when Joey has to take the key off the string, he forgets and swallows the key before remembering that he doesn’t have the string to get the key out… which kicks off more problems for Joey.  Since Joey can’t keep himself under control, things seem to spiral out of control pretty quickly and lots of accidents seem to happen when he’s around, much to Joey and his grandmother’s dismay.  When Joey accidentally cuts the tip off of a classmate’s nose, he is suspended and sent to a special education school where all his meds are evaluated and readjusted.  While Joey finishes his required time under the care of special education specialists, he feels that there is something wrong with him internally, but with the support his teachers and an adjusted medicine regimen, Joey realizes that he’s not broken and smart enough to get through this.

This fictional look at the realistic struggles of a boy struggling with an attention deficit disorder is informative, funny, and heartbreaking.  Gantos presents a story that highlights the main character’s struggles while also showing how easy it is to lose control of a situation when struggling to concentrate.  Some situations and attitudes presented won’t sit well with some readers, but the negative is used to highlight the problems that the characters face.  Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key will captivate readers as the narrator’s honesty works as the story’s real driving force.