I taught an ADHD kid just like Joey a few years back when he was in first grade and it was amazing to see into the mind of this child through the narration in Jack Gantos' novel. I loved how the teachers were really fond of Joey because that is exactly how we felt about the kid I taught. Everyone truly loved him and we just wanted to see him make the best choices for himself so that he could get through the date. We could also see how smart he was and it was amazing to see how differently his brain worked and how into sensory stimuli he was that was also mirrored in this novel.
So to sum up, Joey has ADHD and he's been raised by his Grandmother whose never tried to get him any help. His mother finally returns and together with the school, after some really bad decisions on Joey's part, they try to get Joey better meds and help through a special ed school to make him learn to control his behavior. That is a very quick summary. I liked how this story was told from Joey's perspective and it never talked down to his condition or those around him either. It really showed how bright he was and how he really wanted to try to do the right things but couldn't necessarily do it. It also showed how the adults were well-intentioned but some times you just don't know what to do and what you think is right isn't always right.
I think you'd be able to get kids to read this based on the fact that Joey swallows his own keys and tries to retrieve them and some of his other antics but I do see this much more as a teacher book then one students gravitate towards.
Intended reading level: Grades 5-8 Interest level: Grade 4
Genre: realistic fiction
First in series of four titles.
Comparable titles: Fudge books by Judy Blume, Al Capone Does my Shirts
Book connections: fuzzy bunny slippers, chihuahuas, keys on strings, molasses pie
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