Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key

Riveting, Absorbing, Funny, Emotional and Lively

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

Published by Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Date

Copyright 1998

National Book Award Finalist

“The most absorbing novel for children I’ve read in a long time.” –Liz Rosenberg (The Boston Sunday Globe)

     Joey is not like all the other students at school, he has trouble paying attention during school and at home. This story shows how Joey struggles day to day and how he needs to learn to control his behavior and energetic mind if he wants to stay at his school.

Description: Realistic Fiction

Suggested Delivery: Small Group Read Aloud

Reading Level: Lexile Framework- 970L, Grade 5

Electronic Resources:

A Teaching Unit

This site provides lessons plans that will help students with their figurative language and irony skills.

A Discussion Guide for Parents and Teachers

This site provides a discussion guide for both parents and teachers that will help them learn about the book and what types of discussions they can have with the children because this book deals with some major issues such as ADHD. I think this site will be very useful to help the students get involved.

Short Answer Test Questions

This link has a variety of short answer test prompts that the students can answer individuality or within a group. This exercise will help the students make connections to the story.

Key Vocabulary: Wading, Obedience, Amish, Jabbed, Embroidered, Stethoscope

Teaching Suggestions:

1. Use this text to teach students more about Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

2. Use this text to give students knowledge of single-parent families.

3. Use this text to help students understand that in their classroom every child is different and that everyone should accept each other for who they are.

Comprehension Strategies:

Pre-reading- Before reading the story have the students read a short summary of the book and then have each student write down three questions they might want answered. This will help those students who might need more background information on ADHD. I think this is a good topic for a book because at some time or another most students will have to deal with special needs children in the classroom.

During Reading- Have each student take a piece of paper and fold it in two. Then have them jot down important quotes on one side and predictions they think might occur for each chapter on the other side. This will help the students stay connected to the text.

Post- Reading- Call on a few students to retell the story. This will help the students monitor how much they remember and how much they pay attention when the story is being read aloud.

Writing Activity- Have each student write in journal or on a piece of paper some details about a character in the story, where the setting takes place, and what the plot of the story is. 


Gantos, Jack. Joey Pigza swallowed the key. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998. Print.