Rating: 
Summary: A teacher's love for a troubled child
Review: Somebody Else's Kids is a wonderful book. Torey Hayden brings about a wondeful comparison throught her story. How a dedicated teacher can fall into the cracks of a challenging class. Hayden expresses her love and passion for her students and demonstrates to the reader that nothing is more exciting than learning and finding out one special thing about each of "HER" students. Hayden also allows the reader to see how much her students mean to her and that there isn't anything else out there to replace any of them. Torey works hard to prove to the world her that her kids are no different than the rest (though they are). Her passion runs through her and shines out to her class of what some may say, slow learner or challenging kids. Torey took each kid, individually, and allowed each time to express to her, their way of learning. That they weren't stupid, just different. I really enjoyed this book, and I believe it to be helpful for anyone who may be wanting to go into the field of Special Education. I hope everyone enjoyed as much as I did.
Rating: 
Summary: Unforgettable
Review: Somebody Else's Kids was the first book I read of Torey Hayden's. Since then, I have read her statement that this is the one book of hers that she cannot bear to reread as it was penned quickly and she doesn't like the writing.
Maybe it was this perceived lack of "attention" to the writing dynamics that makes this book a little different than her others, and to me, a little more memorable.
When looking into Ms. Hayden's works, the one most often cited is One Child. I have read this, as well as others such as The Tiger's Child and Ghost Girl, but Somebody Else's Kids just has a different feel to me - less forced, less heroic, just her work with very different children put together in the same classroom. The cases she refers to in this book are also quite different from the others she writes about (ie. elective mutism, autism), this time dealing with pre-teen pregnancy and illiteracy brought on by brain damage.
It's a refreshing change from her other works and just as powerful, in its own way, as her other novels. I have enjoyed everything Ms. Hayden has written, but this one just stands out to me as an understated account. A worthwhile read.
Rating: 
Summary: BOTH SIDES NOW
Review: This book explores the flexibility and individuality in teaching. Different approaches to teaching mainstream as well as students with special academic needs are examined. One teacher, identified as "Edna Thorsen" is recognized as having a long established career in conventional teaching methods, but little if any experience with special academic needs. As alarming as her treatment of and response to a 7-year-old pupil identified as "Lori" was, it points up to how "Edna" was also a victim of a system. This shows how both sides, teacher and pupil were challenged by an established system. I loved it when Torey Hayden made it plain that sacrificing people (in this case pupils) in order to maintain a system is wrong. The author is a person of incredible courage and it is to the credit of the school administrators to acknowledge the work she did with her four resource room students. One theme that is recurrent in this book is the need to adapt to the needs of each child. Since only a fraction of one side of the story has been presented, it is only fair to realize that most of what took place is not information that will be made available to readers. This is to protect the privacy of the real people who have consented to have their stories shared. Since this class came together in or about the 1970s, it is only fair and reasonable to recognize that the people involved were using the tools and resources they had available to them at the time. It is impossible to apply current knowledge to a bygone era. Without knowing any of the people personally, it seems cruel and unfair to pronounce harsh judgment against anyone who did not have the professional background necessary to help students with special academic needs. It seems just as cruel and unfair to put ANY child up on a pedastal. Vilifying Edna and glorifying Lori is tiresome and counterproductive. The only real villian here is the lack of information. Lori and Edna are only people who were coping with some overwhelming issues from the telling. This book is not an allegory about good and evil and Lori and Edna are not representatives of either concept. The other children who make up the resource room with Lori are Claudia, who is 12 and pregnant; Tomaso, an 11-year-old boy whose early life was a litany of domestic violence, abandonment and the traumatic murder of a parent and Boo, a 5-year-old boy whose behavior is described as autistic. What makes this book so effective are the accounts of how the children interacted with one another and drew stength from one another. I like the way they worked together as a group. God bless Torey Hayden and the four pupils she had that year. This book is a good eye opener in fairness and forgiveness.
Rating:
Summary: Hayden does it again!
Review: This book is yet another outstanding account of Ms. Hayden's work with children. The children assigned to her resource room featured in this book are a 12-year-old girl who is pregnant; an 11-year-old boy who witnessed the murder of his father; a 7-year-old girl whose father battered her during her infancy causing severe brain damage and a 5-year-old boy whose behavior is described as autistic. In the interest of fairness, there is really no way for readers to "know" or declare how "pretty" any of the pupils are; this is not the place to proclaim "favorite pupils." Responding to the individual gifts each pupil had to offer is the underlying theme of this book. "Somebody Else's Kids" chronicles the lives of real people that most readers don't even know. In the interest of fairness, without personally knowing the teacher assigned to Lori, the 7-year-old, it is very easy to make a strong case against her based on her response to this child's academic needs. Early in the book, Lori's teacher, identified as "Edna Thorsen," is described as being an excellent teacher with a long standing in conventional teaching methods. Although her treatment and response to Lori is indeed shocking, again, in the interest of fairness, it is simply the way the events are portrayed in this book. This is not to overlook her long established career. Tomaso, the boy who witnessed his father's death and Lori form a strong bond in that class that is indeed heartwarming. They appear to be mutually good influences and accounts of the progress they make are truly inspiring. Claudia, the 12-year-old girl and Boo, the youngest child make incredible strides as well. Indeed this group is proof positive of human resilience and the sterling examples of kindness that were extended to them. Their story is one about fairness.
Rating:
Summary: IN THE INTEREST OF FAIRNESS
Review: This book is yet another outstanding account of Ms. Hayden's work with children. The children assigned to her resource room featured in this book are a 12-year-old girl who is pregnant; an 11-year-old boy who witnessed the murder of his father; a 7-year-old girl whose father battered her during her infancy causing severe brain damage and a 5-year-old boy whose behavior is described as autistic. In the interest of fairness, there is really no way for readers to "know" or declare how "pretty" any of the pupils are; this is not the place to proclaim "favorite pupils." Responding to the individual gifts each pupil had to offer is the underlying theme of this book. "Somebody Else's Kids" chronicles the lives of real people that most readers don't even know. In the interest of fairness, without personally knowing the teacher assigned to Lori, the 7-year-old, it is very easy to make a strong case against her based on her response to this child's academic needs. Early in the book, Lori's teacher, identified as "Edna Thorsen," is described as being an excellent teacher with a long standing in conventional teaching methods. Although her treatment and response to Lori is indeed shocking, again, in the interest of fairness, it is simply the way the events are portrayed in this book. This is not to overlook her long established career. Tomaso, the boy who witnessed his father's death and Lori form a strong bond in that class that is indeed heartwarming. They appear to be mutually good influences and accounts of the progress they make are truly inspiring. Claudia, the 12-year-old girl and Boo, the youngest child make incredible strides as well. Indeed this group is proof positive of human resilience and the sterling examples of kindness that were extended to them. Their story is one about fairness.
Rating:
Summary: A book for the heart
Review: This book touched me and i can not wait to read more of Torey Haden's books. She takes four kids who no one else seems willing to deal with and she loves them. It does not bother her that one cant read and another can not talk. She loves the kids for who they are. School systems need more teachers like Torey Haden who are willing to teach students more than simply what is found in the curriculm. The book is definately a worthwhile read.
Rating:
Summary: the book that made me read
Review: This book was given to me many years ago and I loved it. I was never the type of person to sit and read a book all the way to the end, but this one I could not put down. When I was 8 I volunteered at a home for mentally challanged people and the greatest pay was the smiles and the look of determination on these kids faces. I can fully comprehend Torey's strength and determination never to give up on these children.All children are Gods gift and this book fully pushes that point. I thank Torey on behalf of anyone who teaches or has had the opportunity to work with mentally challanged children...you have given us all strength to never give up.
Rating: 
Summary: Ridiculous Tale of a Teacher with a God Complex
Review: This book was one of the worst abominations that I have ever read. I was astounded to see the way that the author, Torey Hayden, was playing God with the children who were unfortunate enough to have landed in her class. One child, Boo, in the class is autistic and another is a pregnant, so what does Torey Messiah Hayden do? She convinces the twelve-year-old that, if she keeps her baby, since she's "not ready" for parenthood in the Almighty Torey's self-proclaimed esteemed opinion, the baby will "end up autistic" like Boo! I have never read anything so wrong or so insidiously evil. The best thing about Ms. Hayden's career with children is the fact that she has been retired from the classroom for quite some time. Skip this one, folks - buying this book isn't worth it, and who wants to contribute to Ms. Hayden's self-delusions by putting this pathetically misguided woman on the bestseller list? If Hayden belongs anywhere, it's in a treatment program more intensive than any the children in her class ever needed. How does some of this bilge get past the publishers in the first place?
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: This book was really good. I love Torey Hayden's books. They are SO bittersweet.
Rating:
Summary: I really learn a lot from Torey's books!
Review: This is already the third of Torey's book that i have read. Like most of her other books, this book is really very enlightening. The relationship and interaction between her and her kids are really very heartwarming. Torey is the kind of 'gifted' teacher who really knows how to deal with disturbed kids. The reading of her books always make me wanna be a teacher in special education too and i am going to do that in the future. This I promise because these kids need us!
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