Review of JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY

Gantos, Jack. 1998. JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0-374-33664-4

First in a series of four books, JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY is a telling and, at times, heartbreaking story of a fifth grader’s life with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Gantos thrusts readers into the mind of Joey as he disrupts class, swallows a key, climbs the rafters of a barn, and worse. Adult readers will find themselves asking, “is that really what he’s thinking?” Gantos pushes the realism envelope as many of Joey’s situations teeter on the brink of implausibility. His support system, however, is helpful yet fallible and quite realistic. As Joey makes his way from one mishap to another and lands himself in the “big special-ed center,” the plot is consistently engaging and logical. The writing style creates a sense of non-stop thought and action by streaming together multiple phrases using “and” and “but.” These run on sentences give the reader a sense of what it is like inside a brain with ADHD. The setting is relatively nonspecific. The story takes place in a district with the resources to accommodate children like Joey. Joey’s story would be unlikely—or more tragic—were it to take place in a small school district with fewer resources.

This edgy piece of contemporary realistic fiction is recommended for mature readers grades 5-8 and adults seeking a new perspective on the subject of ADHD.

Review of MOSES SEES A PLAY

Millman, Isaac. 2004. MOSES SEES A PLAY. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-35066-6

PLOT SUMMARY
In MOSES SEES A PLAY, a class at a special elementary school for children who are hearing impaired prepares to see a play. A class of hearing students also joins them for the occasion. The reader follows the children as they make welcome posters for the actors, watch the play, write thank you letters, and begin doing some acting of their own. The focus of this story is the event of seeing a play rather than the students’ abilities.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Deafness, unique among physical impairments, has its own culture. Isaac Millman creates a story which incorporates deaf culture without overemphasizing the disability itself. MOSES SEES A PLAY fosters acceptance and understanding, incorporates interlingualism, and avoids focusing on the disability; thus creating a sensitive yet valuable peek into deaf culture.

Millman fosters acceptance and understanding throughout MOSES SEES A PLAY. When the hearing children come to Moses’ classroom, both the hearing and non-hearing teachers sit in front of the class reflecting equal authority. Moses also meets a new friend who, like him, does not speak English. Manuel is new to his class and only speaks Spanish. Millman’s correlation between the difficulties experienced by second-language learners and hearing impaired children provides a valuable perspective. “Moses knows how lonely it can be when no one understands you.”

The language used in this story is predominantly English. However, American Sign Language (ASL) is interwoven throughout. This use of interlingualism adds to the flavor deaf culture in the story. Millman includes a “How to” section on making the signs to facilitate the reader’s ability to discern the movements. The use of interlingual ASL also adds an interactive component to read-aloud presentations of this book.

Another positive feature in this book is what its focus is not. Deafness is not the primary subject matter. Moses’ and his classmates’ hearing impairment are details of character development. The characters are not seen as pitiable, nonsexual or even disabled. All of the children participate fully in classroom activities: creating posters, enjoying the play, and acting. When the teacher suggests the children put on a play of their own, one little girl signs, “I want to play Cinderella! And I want [Moses] to be the Prince.” This scene could easily happen in any elementary school classroom—as could Moses’ shocked expression!

This story of a typical class successfully incorporates people with differing abilities, all of whom are capable of “participating fully in everyday life” (Vardell, Lecture Notes, 2007). The story is enjoyable and flows nicely up to its ending. However, the literary quality falters when a wordy, technical description of a communication device is tacked onto the story’s ending.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
“Despite the inclusion of a synopsis of the play, there's not much drama in this story. Small panels showing Moses signing certain phrases are incorporated into the illustrations.” (Horn Book, 2004)
“This book not only familiarizes and sensitizes children to the culture of the deaf or hard-of-hearing community, but also tells an appealing story. Millman draws a parallel between the challenges faced by ESL students and those who do not hear and in so doing raises youngsters' general levels of awareness and empathy.” (School Library Journal, 2004)

Reviews obtained from Follett Library Resources and accessed at:
http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID=c211074453f514ff63ced2a0fe154f24

CONNECTIONS
Other “Moses” books by Isaac Millman:
MOSES GOES TO SCHOOL, ISBN 978-0-374-35069-7
MOSES GOES TO A CONCERT, ISBN 978-0-374-35067-1
MOSES GOES TO THE CIRCUS, ISBN 978-0-374-35064-2

Other stories about children who have hearing impairments:
Heelan, J. R. and Nicola Simmonds (Ill.). 2002. Can you hear a rainbow? : the story of a deaf boy named Chris. Atlanta : Peachtree Publishers.
Miller, M. B. & George Ancona. 1991. Handtalk schooL. NY : Four Winds.

Review of BEST BEST COLORS

Hoffman, Eric and Celeste Henriquez (Ill.). 1999. BEST BEST COLORS. St. Paul, MN : Redleaf Press. ISBN 9-7818-8483-469-1

PLOT SUMMARY
Nate struggles to decide which color is his “best, best.” Along the way, he chooses a favorite mamma—first one, then the other, then neither. When he cannot decide who his best friend is, he wonders, “Do I have to pick just one?” Finally, after making a rainbow flag with his mammas, Nate realizes he doesn’t have to choose just one. They can all be his “best, best.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
BEST BEST COLORS is a story which illustrates a typical conundrum for young children: the exclusivity of choosing favorites. As Nate capriciously chooses favorites throughout the story, he is surrounded by a diverse assortment of family and friends. Among the diversities addressed are ethnicity, family structure, and abilities. This diversity is primarily conveyed through the illustrations rather than overtly discussed in the story.

The ethnicities represented in BEST BEST COLORS are African-American, Anglo, Asian-American, and Hispanic. Three of these cultures are represented within the family of the main character, Nate. Nate and Mamma Laura are black, Mamma Jean is Anglo, and Nate’s sister is Asian-American. While none of these ethnicities are discussed in the text, Henriquez uses coloration and facial features to portray non-stereotypical examples of each. Another important facet of this book’s multicultural appeal is the fact that it is bilingual. In fact, the entire series of which it is a part, “Anti-Bias Books for Kids,” has been translated into Spanish.

Hoffman also addresses diversity in family structure. This diversity is alluded to in an unobtrusive manner. Nate refers to his mammas, but not the fact that he has two mammas. Nor is it mentioned that other families might not be the same. The only overt textual reference to gay and lesbian culture is when his mammas are showing Nate a rainbow flag, “Look what we got for the Pride Parade.” Even this reference to gay culture could be overlooked by young readers or older readers who are not well-informed. Another example of diversity in family structure is Nate’s sister, who is most likely adopted. She is seen but not heard. Indeed, the reader is aware of her existence solely because of the illustrations.

Finally, differently-abled diversity is included in BEST BEST COLORS. One of Nate’s friends, Mandy, uses a wheelchair. Again, this representation of a parallel culture is known only because of the illustrations. No mention of her handicap is made in the text. Mandy’s use of a wheelchair is not so much a character development tool, rather it is a detail in the illustrations.

Rather than promote diversity, Eric Hoffman’s primary thrust appears to be helping readers deal with the issue of choosing exclusive favorites. On the other hand, Henriquez’ primary intention is to imbue the story with diversity and multiculturalism. Being part of the “Anti-Bias Books for Kids” series is most likely the rationale behind the plethora of cultures represented in BEST BEST COLORS. However, it is a bit heavy handed. Just as a book about any ethnicity can be overwhelmed by too many cultural references, so too may be a book about diversity and tolerance in general.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
“The engaging story is enhanced by lively full-page illustrations depicting a multicultural cast of interesting characters” (Day, p. 5).
“A ‘Note to Parents, Teachers, and other Caregivers’ at the end of each book suggests follow-up activities and discussion topics. Overall, these purposeful titles meant to encourage readers to think about these issues fall short in the execution of their mission. (Library Journal, 1999)*

*Note: The author of this review, Kristina Aaronson of Bethel Elementary School Library in Vermont, includes examples from three of the four titles in this review of the Anti-Bias Books for Kids series. BEST BEST COLORS is not mentioned.

Day, Frances Ann. 2000. Lesbian and gay voices: An annotated bibliography and guide to literature for children and young adults. Westport, CN : Greenwood Press.

Library Journal review obtained from Amazon.com and accessed at: http://www.amazon.com

CONNECTIONS
Other books in the Anti-Bias Books for Kids series:
PLAY LADY, ISBN 978-1884834615
NO FAIR TO TIGERS, ISBN 978-1884834622
HEROINES AND HEROES, ISBN 978-1884834684

Related website:
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute

http://www.adl.org/bibliography/default.asp