---
product_id: 7174955
title: "Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key: (National Book Award Finalist)"
price: "7281 som"
currency: KGS
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 11
url: https://www.desertcart.kg/products/7174955-joey-pigza-swallowed-the-key-national-book-award-finalist
store_origin: KG
region: Kyrgyzstan
---

# Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key: (National Book Award Finalist)

**Price:** 7281 som
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key: (National Book Award Finalist)
- **How much does it cost?** 7281 som with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.kg](https://www.desertcart.kg/products/7174955-joey-pigza-swallowed-the-key-national-book-award-finalist)

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## Description

desertcart.com: Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key: (National Book Award Finalist): 9781250061683: Gantos, Jack: Books

Review: A joy to read and a good point to boot - This was a book that touched me in many ways and I am quite happy to have read it. Joey Pigza is an extremely hyperactive 5th Grade boy. As he says to start the book "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. But there is no doubt about it, I'm wired". Through Gantos' deft storytelling, with Joey acting as our narrator, we are quickly taken into Joey's world. Joey's world isn't one that most of us would like to be a part of for very long. Joey has, up until the time we met him, lived in a world punctuated by two things. The fact that he is a wired, or in other words suffering from an extreme case of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and a home life that involves a grandmother taking care of Joey, whose parents are AWOL, who in her own wired way is rather abusive towards Joey. Joey's life changes though with the return of his mother, which causes Joey's grandmother to leave. Joey's mother is a far more together person and is committed to trying to help Joey get better. However, Joey's ADHD causes him to get into ever more destructive situations that culminates in Joey accidentally maiming a girl's nose. With Joey describing the situation, if the reader reads quickly enough, it is quite possible for Joey's ridiculous decisions to make sense. Upon any sort of reflection Joey's decisions look ridiculous, but the fact that Gantos can make the reader understand why Joey acts the way he does is a large part of what makes this an excellent book. After reaching rock bottom Joey is sent to a special school where Joey's desire to not act that way is met with people who can help him get better. And slowly, and not without the occasional set back, Joey with the help of his case worker, "Special Ed", Joey is put on medication that works and he learns to make good decisions. The book ends with one of life's little triumphs as Joey is allowed to leave the Special Education school and return to his normal school. While not everything is OK things are look pretty good for Joey. This sums up the true triumph of Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. The book manages to capture the shades of grey that are almost always missing from children's book. Joey is an astute 5th grader, but he is still a 5th grader and so sometimes there are just things he doesn't understand, unlike other children's books where the children appear to be nothing short of clairvoyant. This is a book that is fun to read while being so much more. I highly recommend this book.
Review: Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key book - This is the best book to read out loud to a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade class. When I read it to my 4th grade class each year, my students who had ADHD told me this book was about them. As for the other students, they loved the book, too. It made them understand how it feels to have ADHD and that Joey Pigza wishes to be able to stay still like his classmates. So many students wanted to borrow this book, that my book eventually fell apart!

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #30,156 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #7 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Disabilities #16 in Teen & Young Adult Parents Fiction #41 in Teen & Young Adult Humorous Fiction |
| Book 1 of 5  | Joey Pigza |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,037) |
| Dimensions  | 5.2 x 0.45 x 7.6 inches |
| Edition  | Reissue |
| Grade level  | Kindergarten and up |
| ISBN-10  | 1250061687 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-1250061683 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 176 pages |
| Publication date  | July 1, 2014 |
| Publisher  | Square Fish |
| Reading age  | 8 - 12 years, from customers |

## Images

![Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key: (National Book Award Finalist) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51+c-MOoosL.jpg)
![Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key: (National Book Award Finalist) - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51lyD4PQcdL.jpg)
![Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key: (National Book Award Finalist) - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/815aX9RmVoL.jpg)
![Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key: (National Book Award Finalist) - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91tGrExem8L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A joy to read and a good point to boot
*by L***G on November 16, 2002*

This was a book that touched me in many ways and I am quite happy to have read it. Joey Pigza is an extremely hyperactive 5th Grade boy. As he says to start the book "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. But there is no doubt about it, I'm wired". Through Gantos' deft storytelling, with Joey acting as our narrator, we are quickly taken into Joey's world. Joey's world isn't one that most of us would like to be a part of for very long. Joey has, up until the time we met him, lived in a world punctuated by two things. The fact that he is a wired, or in other words suffering from an extreme case of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and a home life that involves a grandmother taking care of Joey, whose parents are AWOL, who in her own wired way is rather abusive towards Joey. Joey's life changes though with the return of his mother, which causes Joey's grandmother to leave. Joey's mother is a far more together person and is committed to trying to help Joey get better. However, Joey's ADHD causes him to get into ever more destructive situations that culminates in Joey accidentally maiming a girl's nose. With Joey describing the situation, if the reader reads quickly enough, it is quite possible for Joey's ridiculous decisions to make sense. Upon any sort of reflection Joey's decisions look ridiculous, but the fact that Gantos can make the reader understand why Joey acts the way he does is a large part of what makes this an excellent book. After reaching rock bottom Joey is sent to a special school where Joey's desire to not act that way is met with people who can help him get better. And slowly, and not without the occasional set back, Joey with the help of his case worker, "Special Ed", Joey is put on medication that works and he learns to make good decisions. The book ends with one of life's little triumphs as Joey is allowed to leave the Special Education school and return to his normal school. While not everything is OK things are look pretty good for Joey. This sums up the true triumph of Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. The book manages to capture the shades of grey that are almost always missing from children's book. Joey is an astute 5th grader, but he is still a 5th grader and so sometimes there are just things he doesn't understand, unlike other children's books where the children appear to be nothing short of clairvoyant. This is a book that is fun to read while being so much more. I highly recommend this book.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key book
*by A***Y on June 9, 2024*

This is the best book to read out loud to a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade class. When I read it to my 4th grade class each year, my students who had ADHD told me this book was about them. As for the other students, they loved the book, too. It made them understand how it feels to have ADHD and that Joey Pigza wishes to be able to stay still like his classmates. So many students wanted to borrow this book, that my book eventually fell apart!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Joey pigza swallowed the key
*by B***S on April 2, 2013*

Joey Pigza Swallowed the key This was an interesting book that I feel can benefit many kids and adults. The book is about a little kid named Joey that suffers from ADHD. The book is a narrative of Joeys struggle in school and at home with his "disability". Joey comes from a broken home and has lived with his grandma for the majority of his life. Joeys grandma doesn't treat him anywhere near what he should be treated, growing up Joey has been treated very poorly from evil pranks about his absent mother and father to trying to force Joey into having a "time out" in the refrigerator. Joey is in the fifth or fourth grade and over the years he has been labeled as a "problem child" throughout the school. Its pretty tough for Joey he honestly cant control his body at times and he just ends up finding himself in more and more trouble. Many people don't see ADD or ADHD as a real problem, many believe that it can easily be controlled, but the fact is that it can be a serious problem if not consulted with a doctor. Joey eventually gets better help and given a patch that will help him control himself better.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
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- Loud!

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*Product available on Desertcart Kyrgyzstan*
*Store origin: KG*
*Last updated: 2026-02-28*