Reading Metrics
Description
When Joey Pigza's estranged parents suddenly reappear in his life together, he's caught between their explosive arguments and his own desperate desire to keep the peace. As if that weren't enough, his grandmother is dying, and she needs him to understand the family patterns he's inherited. Joey must figure out how to break free from the chaos that's defined his family while somehow holding everything together.
Quick Summary
Jack Gantos's Joey Pigza is back, and his life feels like a nonstop roller-coaster. When his mom forces him to get home-schooled with a prickly blind girl, Joey has to juggle learning braille, trying not to flip his fuse, and keeping his warring divorced parents from blowing up every time they talk. Meanwhile, his grandmother's emphysema is getting worse, adding a layer of worry that's both scary and tender. The story mixes Joey's signature hyperactivity and slap-stick jokes with moments that hit you right in the gut, so you'll laugh out loud one second and feel a lump in your throat the next. Kids who love fast-paced, funny narratives with a lot of heart think "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" will find Joey's chaotic world irresistible, and parents will appreciate the honest look at family stress and the way Joey learns to slow down and think before he acts. If you're looking for a book that's as quick to read as it is to make you think, this one fits the bill.