Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (Thorndike Large Print Literacy Bridge Series) - Hardcover

Age: 9-11 years

At school they say I'm wired bad, or wired nad, or wired sad, or wired glad, depending on my mood and what teacher has ended up with me. But there is no doubt about it, I'm wired.

Joey is undoubtedly a handful: his tendency to literally spin down the school halls or bounce around the kitchen can, understandably drive the adults in his life insane. But Joey has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and he really has no control over his actions. He just does whatever pops into his head. And if that includes swallowing a key, then so be it...

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is one of the most unusual and absorbing books any child, or adult, is ever likely to read. Joey's story is at once wildly funny and despairingly sad, but most of all totally convincing. Jack Gantos writes with a dead-pan style that avoids patronising either the readers or Joey himself, and takes us into a world that swings from being breathtakingly wild and exciting to unbelievably confusing.

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is an unforgettable book that everyone should read at least once, and Joey Pigza is an extraordinary boy--not always likeable, but always real--who will undoubtedly stay in the hearts and minds of anyone who gets to know him. --Susan Harrison

"It is a tremendous achievement to incorporate so much understanding and explanation into a cracking good story. I found it a vivid and startling book" (The School Librarian)

"One of the funniest recent publications . . . Written with the energetic, breathless, non-stop gusto of the main character" (Financial Times)

"Its wit, verve and strong story make it a fascinating read" (TES)

"[This] could easily become required reading for anyone who works or lives with children and for any child who enjoys brilliant comic writing tinged with the poignancy of reality" (The Bookseller)

"The reader will quickly be engaged by the gritty honesty of this character who has a great deal of moral courage . . . Joey Pigza stays with you long after the last page has turned" (Carousel)