This book is about a boy named Joey. Joey's father has now re-entered his life. His father has allegedly changed his outlook on life along with his first and last name. He believes that Joey and his mother should also. Joey undergoes many changes in life. They are all happening so fast. He now has a new name, a new family business, and a "new" father. Read this book to find out how Joey copes the drama. ( )

Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

In I AM NOT JOEY PIGZA, author Jack Gantos has reunited the family for more fantastic Pigza adventures.

In case you haven't met Joey and his family, they suffer from the affliction commonly known as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). He suffers from it, his father has it, and his grandmother had it, too. The beginning of this new book shows Joey and his mother are adjusting to life after the death of Grandma Pigza. They are doing pretty well. Joey is handling the pressures of school, and mom is working at a local nail salon. The two family Chihuahuas are as crazy as ever.

Soon Fran Pigza announces to Joey that she has been secretly seeing his dad, Carter Pigza, for several months. His dad has recently had a lucky lottery win and "found" his new, true self - Mr. Charles Heinz. He wants to reconnect with the family and even has new identities for them. Fran is to be Maria Heinz, and Joey will be the new Freddy Heinz.

Along with what Joey calls the rewedding of his parents, there is a fair amount of cash flowing. Before he knows it, Joey and his parents and the two dogs are moving. They are the proud owners of a roadside diner. The plan is to open the diner, keep playing the lottery, and win big so they can have the life his father says Charles Heinz and family deserves.

Even with a new name, the Pigza "luck" and craziness take control. First there's a free Thanksgiving meal at the diner for everyone who needs it, then there's a wild Christmas with ATV's and paintball guns which leads to the new plan - building a Paintball Gun Shooting Gallery. All these plans are accompanied by furious spending sprees, preparations for a new baby, and dodging the school authorities who think Joey should be attending class.

Middle grade readers who know Joey will be happy to see his return. For new readers, be sure to check out the previous titles in the series, which includes JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY, JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL, and WHAT WOULD JOEY DO? ( )

I've read all but one of the four Joey Pigza book and must say I found this one to be the most disturbing. In this volume, Carter Pigza comes back, but now he's Charles Heinz, and manages to get himself back into Joey and his mother's lives (now Freddie and Maria Heinz). Charles has won the lottery, and has great plans to change everything, by forgetting the past and moving into a new future. He moves everyone to a diner where he plans to get rich, but when that doesn't work out, he works on Karma and various schemes to win the lottery again. Will all this work out, or is it just another train wreck coming down the tracks?

A few scenes really upset me in the book. The fact that "Maria" and "Charles" insisted that "Freddie" (aka Joey) get rid of everything related to his past, including all of his clothes, toys, and even make him move to a new home. Another was the fact that Maria went to enroll Freddie in a new school, but decided not to when she thought his old troubled self would come out in a new place. Charles and Maria said they'd home school Joey, but basically left him to his own devices, expecting him to help out in their new diner, or with other plans that Charles dreams up. I was disappointed in Maria/Fran -- she had always been a pretty smart and capable person, not perfect, but a good mom, and she seems to completely neglect her son in this book. I'm glad it ended the way it did without vindicating their new lifestyle. The story explores the themes of forgiveness and self-awareness. ( )

This emotionally enthralled storyline will set the audience of readers into a frenzy of strong opinions. Jack Gantos has done it again-his characters seem like their real!