Newbery Award/Honor Books

Joey Pigza Loses Control Jack Gantos Newbery Honor Book 2001

Joey Pigza was been raised in a single family home since his father went off and left his mother and him many years before. Joey’s dad had a drinking problem and didn’t want help at the time he left them. His mother is a very supportive and loving person that has always tried to help Joey with his problems. Joey has a Chihuahua mixed dog that is his best friend named Pablo. Joey has been diagnosed with ADHD and is required to wear a patch to help calm him down, without the patch he tends to have no control over his actions.

One summer Joey’s father decides after all these years that he wants to spend the summer with his son and get to know him again. Joey has mixed emotions about going to live with his dad and grandmother for a whole summer. He has a lot of questions for his dad and longs to have conversations with his father. When Joey final gets to spend time with his dad he is unable to speak over three fourths of the time because he never stops talking. Joey’s grandmother is also not the most supportive person in the family. Joey’s dad had supposable stopped drinking until one night he sees him drinking beers to celebrate a win for his little league team that Joey pitches on. Joey’s father also decides his son no longer needs the patch to help him and flushes them all down the toilet and makes Joey promise not to tell his mom because she would not understand why he decided to do that. The story takes an interesting turn after this happens.

Joey Pigza Loses Control reminds me of the battle between knowing what is right and actually following through with the right thing to do in life. Joey knows that he needs the patch and tries to tell his dad but he refused to listen. Finally Joey realizes he can’t lie to his mother anymore and that he needs the patch. So many people in life think they know what is best for others and are not willing to listen to what that person has to say about certain circumstance. Joey knew he need the patch and his dad would not listen to reason, so he takes matter into his own hands.

A Year Down Yonder Richard Deck (Dial) Newbery Award Winner 2001

The book details the life of Mary Alice and how the Great Depression affected her family. She lived in Chicago with her mother, father, and older brother, until the Great Depression occurs and she is sent to live with her grandmother on the family farm. Mary Alice does not look forward to living with her grandmother, who is known around town as being trigger happy and not the most rational person to deal with in certain situations.

Mary Alice has numerous adventures with her grandmother and grows to appreciate the ways that at first where strange to her. She experiences noises from the attic above her bedroom and wonders what it could be until one day she finds out what had been sleeping above her all those nights. Mary Alice and her grandmother go out and pick pecans, pumpkins, and catch foxes under the cover of the night so that nobody knows what they are doing. She also finds the love of her life through all her adventures and mishaps.

I enjoyed reading this book. The book makes me think of my life growing up in the country and experiences that I have had. The author did a wonderful job with details and describing how difficult life was during and after the great depression.

Image of Newbery Medal was copied from images on www.yahoo.com on October 13, 2007.