Name: ______
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key
Answer the questions thoughtfully.
Chapter 1
What's Joey Pigza's personality like? I think his teacher is REALLY patient with him.
Chapter 2
What calms Joey down?
What calms you down?
Describe Joey's family...Grandma,Mom, Dad. What are their character traits?
Where do you think Grandma went and why did she go?
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 and why? (Please don't write "down the sewer.")
Do you think he’ll ever meet his father? Why or why not?
Chapter 4
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?
When do you think he'll give back the bunny slippers.
Chapters 1-4 Answer when you are done with chapters 1-4
What does Joey do once he’s sent out into the hall by Mrs. Maxy?
Why do you think this chapter is called “Off The Wall”?
What does the nurse say about Joey’s pills not working all the time?
What metaphor does Joey use to describe his family tree?
Do you think Joey wants to be good but he can’t? Explain
Chapter 5
I really like the nurse because she's always so calm and kind of funny. What do you think?
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?
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
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?
Chapters 5-8 Answer when you are done with 5-8
Why does Mrs. Howard give a carrot to Joey instead of a cupcake?
What does Mrs. Jarzab do about the scissors incident?
Why is it difficult for Joey to answer “why” questions?
What do you think “cream of the crop” means?
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 howthis 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?
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?
Chapters 9-12 Answer when you are done with 9-12
What does Joey’s mom say she will buy him if he does well in Special Ed?
Why hadn’t Joey’s mom returned to him sooner?
Why does Joey want a puppy so badly?
Why does Joey walk to Maria’s house?
What do you think it means to “look at the big picture”?
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?"
Chapters 13-15
Why does Joey want to look through the telescope on the Sky Deck?
What does the hospital nurse say the most important thing is for Joey to do while she is taking a picture of his brain?
Why does Joey want to see Mrs. Jarzab on his first day back at regular school?
What does Joey do in the hospital gift shop?
What chance does Joey’s mom not want to take regarding Joey’s dad?
Final questions
1. Does Joey’s story change your attitude about someone you know with ADHD? Why or why not?
2. Do you know anyone who acts like Joey or do you ever feel like Joey? What is it like being around them? What does it feel like?
3. How do the teachers at school try to help Joey?
4. Is there something "wrong" with Joey? What is it?
5. Is Joey a "bad" kid? What would make people say that about him? What would you say to convince them otherwise?
6. How are Grandma and Joey alike?
7. Joey often gets in trouble at school, but in what ways does he help out?
8. Special guest Mrs. Cole comes to Joey's school to speak to the talented and gifted students about the phrase "character counts." What does that mean? How does it apply to Joey?
9. Who does Joey have to confide in?
10. How do you think Joey feels about his mom returning?
11. Why might Joey's Grandma have tricked him about his mom calling on the phone and walking by the house? (pg. 124)
12. How is Joey able to manage his problem?
13. Do you have hope for Joey at the end?
14. Consider Joey’s family situation. What might have happened to Joey if he had continued to live with his grandmother?
15. Joey’s mother admits that she used to have a drinking problem but says that she cleaned herself up so she could take care of her son. Do you think she handles things well with Joey? What things does Joey’s mother do that you think really help him?
16. How does the way this book is written help you understand what Joey is going through? Why would it have been different if the book had been written in the third person?
17. Think about the different people in Joey’s life: Joey, his mother, his grandmother, Mrs. Maxy, and Mr. Ed. How does each person deal with Joey’s condition, and how do their actions affect Joey’s behavior? How do their actions affect the outcome of the story?
18. Joey knows better than to swallow the key, but he does it anyway. Why? How does he feel about it?
19. When Joey is sent to the special education center, neither he nor his mother nor his teachers consider it a punishment. Why not?
20. Discuss various ways in which the special education center is good for Joey.
21. What happens when Joey tries to go apologize to Maria? Discuss the viewpoints of both Maria’s father and of Joey. Do you think Maria’s father handles the situation well? What about Joey?
22. What do you think about the ending of the book?
1
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key