Petey
Readers rate it 4.2 (3 on Hardcover)
280 pages · Released 2000 · Hyperion Paperbacks for Children
Content report card
Petey parent’s guide: what’s inside
Language
Sexual content
LGBTQ+ themes
Substance use
What it offers
A note for parents
Petey is a moving story about friendship, dignity, and overcoming prejudice that introduces readers to the realities of disability and institutionalization in historical context. The narrative alternates between Petey's past (1922) and present (1980s), depicting his misdiagnosis and institutional life with sensitivity rather than exploitation. While the book touches on harsh historical realities and loneliness, it ultimately celebrates human connection and the value of every person. This is appropriate for mature middle-grade readers and early teens who can handle emotional depth.
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From the publisher
In 1922 Petey, who has cerebral palsy, is misdiagnosed as an idiot and institutionalized; sixty years later, still in the institution, he befriends a boy and shares with him the joy of life. In 1922 Petey, who has cerebral palsy, is misdiagnosed as an idiot and institutionalized; sixty years later, still in the institution, he befriends a boy and shares with him the joy of life.
Shelved under
- Fiction
- People with disabilities
- Old age
- Cerebral palsy
- Juvenile fiction
- Reading Level-Grade 5
- Reading Level-Grade 4
- Reading Level-Grade 7
- Reading Level-Grade 6
- Reading Level-Grade 8
- Children's fiction
- People with disabilities, fiction
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ISBN 9780786813360 · Hyperion Paperbacks for Children