From: Aptimber at aol.com <Aptimber>
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 09:39:55 EST

Hi everyone - Last day of the month, so I'll add my comment. I've just read JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL. I've only read the second book, so I cannot speak to the first one.

I truly enjoyed this book. It wasn't Joey's disability that struck me -- it was his humanness. If anything, Joey's weaknesses served to illuminate Joey's humor, self-awareness, and perceptiveness. That Gantos did this without ever becoming preachy is amazing.

One of the things I loved about Joey was his healthiness in the midst of losing it. For instance, Joey is pitching during a ball game. His father is coaching on the sidelines yelling at him. Joey stops the game -- continually -- to yell his questions at his father. Was he an accident? Why didn't his father visit? He needs to call his Mom NOW. Yes, it's inappropriate to stop a ball game to ask these questions. And there were certainly better times to ask those questions. But Joey is also caught up in his father's game: Pigzas are winners. (Win the ballgame so that we can prove Pigzas are winners.) Men don't need medication. We're the perfect family. So in the context of life, Joey's questions are perfectly appropriate and given the imbalance of power in the relationship of father and son (and that Joey's a kid), I'd say Joey is doing pretty well for himself.

Anyway, I'm glad I met Joey. Thank you Jack Gantos!

Amy Timberlake
Received on Wed 31 Jan 2001 08:39:55 AM CST