What Would Joey Do? (Joey Pigza)

Description

Sequel to Joey Pigza Loses Control, a Newbery Honor Book

Are they flirting or fighting? This is Joey Pigza s question when the fireworks suddenly start to explode between his long-separated mom and dad, whom he s never really had a chance to see together. The more out of control his parents get, the less in control Joey feels and the more he wants to help make things better. But Joey s ailing tell-it-like-it-is grandmother wants her grandson to see it like it is with his unpredictable parents. Knowing that she is fading fast, she needs Joey to hurry up and show that he can break the Pigza family mold by making a friend in the outside world. The only potential candidate, however, is Olivia Lapp -- Joey s blind homeschooling partner, who brags that she is "blind as a brat" and acts meaner to Joey the more desperate he gets for her friendship -- even if Joey senses there s more to her than meets the eye.

In this dazzling episode, Jack Gantos s acclaimed hyperactive hero discovers that settling down isn t good for anything if he can t find a way to stop the people he cares about from winding him up all over again.

What Would Joey Do? is a 2003 Bank Street - Best Children s Book of the Year.

Modern literature s unlikely hero Joey Pigza is back in Jack Gantos s grand finale to the award-winning trilogy that began with Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key and the Newbery Honor book Joey Pigza Loses Control. Joey, the sweetest, funniest kid on meds you ll ever meet, has enough trouble trying to keep his "active" self together. How can he win in his new, self-assumed role as "Mr. Helpful" when his divorced parents are out of control, his Grandma is surly and morbid, and Olivia, the mean blind girl he s forced to homeschool with, calls him a "hyper retard"? Even Olivia s religious mother can t save him with her "What would Jesus do?" refrain. As his world of flawed adults spins around him in carnivalesque chaos, Joey has to decide on a daily basis what he, Joey, should do. At least he has Pablo, his loyal Chihuahua mutt, his lucky charm. Or at least he does until his maniacal father (complete with restraining order) kidnaps the dog to lure Joey out of the house.

Joey is a wonderful character, and his first-person narrative is both hilarious and heartbreaking. Sadly, it is his dying grandmother who knows him best: "You know, Joey, if you didn t wear those med patches, you d just be thinking about yourself, and you wouldn t care about making everyone happy. Your problem is that you got better, and the rest of the world didn t." While it is more rewarding to have read the previous Joey books before this one, it is not mandatory. Still, all three Joey books are memorable, honest, fresh, exciting, truly eye-opening, and should not be missed by child or adult. (Ages 10 and older) --Karin Snelson