Petey

"Petey" is divided into two halves.
Part 1 is mostly sad. The story begins in 1922, with Petey's birth. He has extreme cerebral palsy, and is misdiagnosed as an "idiot," incapable of thoughts or emotions. Eventually he is handed over to to an insane asylum to care for him. But Petey's mind is strong and his need for friendship is real and deep. But every time he grows attached to someone, it seems like something takes them away from him. He grows old, with this happening again and again.
In Part 2, it is 1990, and an 8th grade boy stumbles upon Petey, now residing in a nursing home, quite by accident. But Trevor soon becomes Petey's best friend, and interestingly, Petey is Trevor's best friend too. The boy makes more and more time to show more spend with the the elderly, handicapped man who can barely even talk. While Part 1 was mostly sad, Part 2 is mostly sweet and heartwarming. I cried both sad and happy tears reading this one. show less

A beautiful novel filled with tragedy and love (not romantic, mind you) that will always have a place in my heart.

In 1922, a precious baby boy was born. But he was not perfect. His parents reluctantly surrendered him to an insane asylum, where he was diagnosed as an idiot. Petey, (real name Clyde Cothran), was born with Cerebral Palsy. CP, as you know, does not affect the brain. Petey was totally trapped in a body that could not communicate and he was written off as having no brain function at all.
The books spans 70 plus years and perception of handicapped individuals changed greatly over the years.

This is a must read as it will tear at every emotion in your body, yet leave you with a warm feeling for mankind. This is a true story and the book has won many accolades. Ben Mikaelsen is a wonderful writer you don’t want to miss. If you can get this show more in audio format it is even better than reading a hard copy as you hear the voices of the patients.

I read the book about 8 years ago and listened to it this year. show less

I truly hate to read I think that it’s the most boring thing in the world; it makes me sleepy and cranky and however with this book I ended up loving it. The first time I ever read Petey was about two years after one of my middle school teachers had read Petey out loud to the class. To tell the truth I had forgotten about the book till I was shopping in a book store and ran across it. It was then that I picked up the book and started reading it again. As I read on in the book I was reminded of how I felt about the book back in middle school. And just like back then, at the end of the book I cried like a big baby. Petey is one of the few books that I would read again and again. It really is just that great of a book.

Petey is about a boy and his journey through life. From his birth to his death you see inside how he deals with having cerebral palsy. When Petey was born he was diagnosed with being an idiot, but his parents refused to give him up. When he was two years old, Petey was foced to move into an insane asylum because his parents simply couldn't take care of him any more. During his stay Petey learned how to love and communicate with others. Every person who met Petey fell deeply in love with him and Petey fell in love with them. They are the closest to family Petey has ever known, but sadly they left just as quickly as they came. When Petey was an old man he moved into a retirement home and he doesn't have much trust in people any more. show more Until he meets a teenage boy named Trevor. Trevor spends many days with Petey and they developed a very special friendship. Petey is an amazing story about people with disabilities. It shows how strong of people they really are. Its also about trust and friendship. show less

Petey is a touching story about a boy born in 1920 who is misdiagnosed because of his disabilities. He is unable to move most of his body or communicate clearly. As the story unravels, a people come into Petey's life who see him as more than an idiot (his original diagnosis). They help him communicate and form friendships with him. Unfortunately, Petey is institutionalized from the start and his friendships are lost due to a variety of circumstances unrelated to him. Finally, Petey is moved to a nursing home where he meets a new friend who is young and has his own problems. They form a friendship that helps them both!

This is a great tale, but it's slow. I think it is a great book for helping students understand that there is more to show more people with disabilities than their disability. show less

The story of a boy born with cerebral palsy in the 1920s, misdiagnosed as an idiot and sent to spend his life in an insane asylum. As the story follows his life, he has Calvin as a best friend, plus others who care for him. Friends disappear, promises are broken and Petey decides not to love anyone again until he meets Trevor, a teenage boy in the 1990s whom he meets when Trevor stops some boys from teasing him.