What Would Joey Do?
Publisher
HarperColl
Publication Year
2004
ISBN
9780060544034
Pages
240 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
Joey's dad just roared into town on a motorcycle, his mom is chasing her ex-husband away with a broomstick, and his grandma's camped out on the couch behind a plastic shower curtain. What's more, Joey's chihuahua has been dognapped, and his mom insists that he be homeschooled with a mean blind girl and her super-religious mother. Welcome to Joey's world. With his new self-assumed role as "Mr. Helpful," Joey's on a mission to make everything and everyone better. Can Joey accomplish all this or will his wild, wired behavior spin him out of control all over again?
Grade Level
6-8, 9-12
Lexile Measure
860L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; Disability and Health; Family member death; Physical disability; Leaning disability; death of a grandmother; blind; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Main Character
male teenager
Race/Ethnicities
White
Family Formation
mother, father, and grandmother
Awards
Parents' Choice Awards
Society of School Librarians International Book Awards, 2003, Honor Book, Language Arts K-6 Novels
Best Children's Books of the Year, 2003
Booklist Book Review Stars, 2002
Bulletin Blue Ribbons, 2002 Fiction
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2003
Children's Literature Choice List, 2002 Longer Books with More Sophisticated Themes for Middle Readers (Children 8 to 12)
Choices, 2003 Children's Fiction
Kirkus Book Review Stars, 2002
Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to the Eighth Edition, 2003
School Library Journal Best Books, 2002 Grades 4-8
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, 2002
Keywords
parental neglect; motorcycle; homeschool; Christianity; dog; friendship
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Gantos, Jack, "What Would Joey Do?" (2004). Diverse Families. 1603.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1603