Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key Name______by Jack Gantos Date______Dear Reader, These are the thoughts and questions that I had as I read Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key. Answer the questions the best you can. You don’t have to answer my wonderings, though. They’re in italics. Have fun reading! Mrs. Preece

Chapter 1 What's Joey Pigza's personality like? I think his teacher is REALLY patient with him.

Chapter 2 After reading this far, I'm not sure I'm going to like this book. I'll keep plugging away at it. It was a National Book Award Finalist so it must be good. What calms Joey down?

What calms you down?

Describe Joey's family...Grandma, Mom, Dad. What are their character traits?

I'm wondering where Grandma went.

Chapter 3 Why didn't Joey understand why his teachers thought he was a "pain in the neck?"

Yikes! What do you think of Joey's mom's medicine?

We found out where Grandma went. Where did she go? (Please don't write "down the sewer.")

I wonder if he'll ever meet his father.

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key 1 Chapter 4 If you've read "The Great Gilly Hopkins," why do you think Joey would find it so interesting that he could actually listen to it?

I gagged a couple of times when I read this chapter. I don't like the way Joey refers to kids with special needs as "crippled" kids. I also don't like how he says it's not polite to stare at them. How should you treat kids with special needs?

So what do you think about Mrs. Howard's treatment of Joey? Will it work?

I wonder when he'll give back the bunny slippers.

Chapter 5 I felt like gagging again. I really like the nurse because she's always so calm and kind of funny. What do you think?

I'm starting to understand Joey a little better now. What do you think? Is he a good kid or a bad kid?

Wow. It was pretty brave of Joey to ask his mom if she drank while she was pregnant with him. What was her reaction?

Do you think Joey's mom is ultimately responsible for his being "wired?"

I like how Joey uses a lot of similes to describe things. At the end of chapter 5, what is the simile he uses to describe his behavior?

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key 2 Chapter 6 Wow. Joey really messes up big time. Do you think Mrs. Maxy was right not to give him the pie and the pumpkin carving knife? I know she was trying to avoid a disaster, but it sort of backfired.

Chapter 7 I'm starting to like Joey and this book much better now that I'm getting to know him better. Scary. Joey messes up even BIGGER than big time. Predict what will happen to him now. What rule did he break?

Chapter 8 What is Joey's consequence for messing up in chapter 7?

Chapter 9 How would your parents react if Joey came to your house to apologize?

Chapter 10 Do you think it's okay to have a totally different school for kids with special needs? Give reasons to back up your answer.

Chapter 11 I laughed more in this chapter. I think Joey is really trying to get better. Name 2 things he has done or is trying to do to get better.

Do you think his mom is trying too? Give evidence from the book to back up your answer.

I'm wondering how this author, Jack Gantos, knows so much about what it's like to be a kid with ADHD. Does he have it? Does he have kids with it? Was he a teacher?

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key 3 Chapter 12 Kind of a sad chapter. We get to know what happened to Joey when he was with his grandma. Of all the things Joey's grandma made him do, what do you think was the meanest?

Chapter 13 Uh oh. Joey really wants to see his dad. What do you think he's going to do?

Chapter 14 If you're wondering...the Samson that Joey refers to when he's standing at the elevator with his arms spread wide is a biblical figure who had great strength. This was a really sweet chapter. Who is Pablo and how is he like Joey?

Chapter 15 At the beginning of chapter 15 Joey says, "I didn't make my own bed, but it's mine anyway..." He's referring to the saying, "You've made your bed, now sleep in it." It means that you got yourself into this situation, now you have to live with it. What does Joey mean by, "I didn't make my own bed?"

Okay. The last chapter brought tears to my eyes. I'm not sure how Jack Gantos did it, but I had a hard time concentrating while I was reading this book. Did you notice that too? I think it was because Joey kept thinking about other things while I was trying to figure out what was going on. It kind of helped me get "inside" his head and have empathy for him. Jack Gantos wrote three other books about Joey Pigza. If you like this one, you should check them out. Rate this book on a scale from 1 to 10. Would you recommend it to a friend?

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