Jack Gantos

  • 29

    Catalog books

  • 33

    Works

  • 1980 to 2016

    Strongest span

Who This Author Is

Jack Gantos writes with sharp comic timing and a tender eye for kids who don’t fit neatly into the lines. His stories often orbit restless, big-hearted protagonists who bounce between trouble and insight, capturing classroom chaos, family friction, and the fragile ways humor can steady a day that’s gone sideways.

In What Would Joey Do?, he channels a narrator whose impulsive energy ricochets through school assignments, misunderstandings, and attempts at doing the right thing. Gantos balances slapstick with empathy, letting readers feel the thrum of anxiety and hope as Joey learns—messily, hilariously—how choices shape who you become.

Best Place To Start

Author At A Glance

Best known for: Joey Pigza series • Funny but raw middle-grade voice • Neurodiversity on the page • Chaotic family dynamics • Heart with sharp edges

Genres and themes: Contemporary middle grade • Humor with poignancy • ADHD and impulse control • School and family struggles

Who this author is best for: Great for readers who want fast, funny chapters that still tackle real-life messiness and big feelings.

Start with the Joey Pigza books; What Would Joey Do? works best after the earlier installments.

Top Books To Start With

  1. Jack Adrift: Fourth Grade Without a Clue (The Jack Henry Adventures)

    Farrar Straus & Giroux • 2005 • standard commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 2005 • 208 pages.

  2. Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (Joey Pigza Books)

    Farrar Straus & Giroux • 1998 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1998 • 153 pages.

  3. Jack's Black Book (Jack Henry)

    Farrar Straus & Giroux • 1997 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1997 • 165 pages.

  4. Heads or Tails: Stories from the Sixth Grade (Jack Henry)

    Farrar Straus & Giroux • 1994 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 1994 • 151 pages.

  5. Best in Show for Rotten Ralph

    Farrar Straus & Giroux • 2005 • quick commitment

    UPB note: one of the most common used-copy publishers for this author • year signal: 2005 • 46 pages.

  6. Joey Pigza Loses Control (Summer Reading Edition) (Joey Pigza Books)

    Harpercollins Childrens Books • 2005 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2005 • 208 pages.

  7. What Would Joey do?

    Harpercollins Childrens Books • 2004 • standard commitment

    It helps anchor a specific period of this author’s publishing run instead of blending into the undated shelf clutter.

  8. Jack on the Tracks: Four Seasons of Fifth Grade (Jack Henry)

    Sunburst • 2001 • standard commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2001 • 192 pages.

  9. Heads Or Tails

    Sunburst • 1995 • quick commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 1995 • 160 pages.

  10. Rotten Ralph's Trick or Treat

    Houghton Mifflin • 2004 • quick commitment

    UPB note: year signal: 2004 • 30 pages.

How The Picks Compare

  • Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (Joey Pigza Books) is the easier short commitment, while Jack Adrift: Fourth Grade Without a Clue (The Jack Henry Adventures) asks for more reading time up front.
  • Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (Joey Pigza Books) gives you an earlier look at this author’s shelf, while Jack Adrift: Fourth Grade Without a Clue (The Jack Henry Adventures) leans later in the catalog.

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