This book is about a kid named Joey. Everyone knew something was wrong with him, and everyone let him know. When Joey is on his meds, no one knows he has a disability. Joey has a lot of test trying to find out what meds would be the best fit for him. I think this book would be great for 4-5th graders. It can help show the kids what ADHD and allow kids to relate or understand their classmates.

Joey is told by everyone in school and at home that something is wrong with him, that he is wired wrong. But when he is on his meds everyone thinks he is perfectly fine. In this book we see Joey go through the process of getting diagnosed and new medicine given to him so he can sit still and pay attention in class without putting himself or others at risk. I would use this book in a 4th or 5th grade classroom, and maybe in middle school. The book is very interesting with a sense of humor in it and can be helpful to understand more of how someone with ADHD operates and also just to shed life on different life experiences.

I'm just started listening to the audiobook (narrated by Gantos himself) with my almost-eight-year-old. She's finding it a little too scary because Joey is constantly hurting himself. I've read this book a few times (in 2006 and again in 2014) and always thought it was primarily funny (hilarious even), but seeing it through my daughter's eyes, I understand how it can be very intense for a young person.

I also just read the most-liked review of this book on goodreads. It's by an adult who gave it one star and said she found it disgusting. This seems to be because this book includes a sadly realistic portrayal of how a public school student with a disability from a low-income family was treated in 1998. It was too shocking and sad for her.

So both of these reactions (my child's and this adult goodreads reviewer's) are surprising to me. Maybe I went into this book with a bias because I know Jack Gantos as a funny author and speaker. Also a lot of 90s children's literature featured exaggerated reality (like [b:Maniac Magee|139463|Maniac Magee|Jerry Spinelli|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395884800l/139463._SX50_.jpg|3264295] and [b:Frindle|439173|Frindle|Andrew Clements|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1344395824l/439173._SX50_.jpg|1993854]). So I think I was reacting to this book like someone who grew up in the 80s and 90s.

Anyway, if I keep listening to this book with my kid I'm going to have to do a lot of explaining about Special Education and ADHD and how writers of fiction create heightened worlds for comedic and dramatic effect. I'm already used to this because she loves Beverly Cleary's books and those have a ton of historical/unbelievable things she needs context to understand. I actually don't think of this as a negative, but kind of the whole point of reading. Last year we read [b:Front Desk|36127488|Front Desk (Front Desk, #1)|Kelly Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507986199l/36127488._SX50_.jpg|51903030] which also had upsetting parts and it sparked some really great conversations about racism, economics, and unfair policing. ( )

Joey Pigza, shows Joey journey of being diagnosed with ADHD. Reading this in a classroom can help shows what some friends might be going through.

This book is for intermediate to middle grade students. This book illustrates the struggle of main character Joey as he comes to terms with his disability (ADHD) and how to navigate it in his life at school and at home. This book is a great independent read for older students that brings a struggle that many kids share to light. This book could also be used for an "inclusive novel" book for a unit of that kind.