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Summary: tear-jerker
Review: This book made me want to cry all the way through. It is a touching story, told in an honest way. My only complaint is that there is a distracting number of typos and incomplete sentences. The content is, however, beautiful.
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Summary: Dedicated
Review: This compelling books shows one teachers dedication to make so much more of a troubled little girl. This little girl was never given a chance and her teacher did. Instead of neglecting this little girl like everyone else the teacher brings out the best in the girl to find out she's a genius and not as destructive as everyone else thinks. This book was a page turner and a hard one to put down.
Rating:
Summary: Touching
Review: One Child is a great story of a neglected little girl placed in the "special" class. She is pretty much lost and out-of-control until one special teacher decides that she will make something out of her. After lots of hard work, they discover that she is actually a genius. One Child will touch your heart and is a must-read.
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Summary: Honoring a Profession
Review: I read this book as a request of a friend of mine. I was not teaching at the time, but was working with troubled children as a social worker. I had been thinking of making a career change to education. After reading this book and all of the rest of Torey's books, I went back to school and got my degree in special education. I have had all of my special ed coworkers read these books and all we can say is that we want more to read from her! I can't say enough about "One Child" or any of her other books. This book is a must read for any educator or anyone who works with children.
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Summary: My favorite book in the entire world
Review: I first read One Child over a decade ago, and have read it dozens of times since, as it is the most beautiful and captivating book I have ever read!
One Child is Torey Hayden's first book, a non-fiction narrative of her experience teaching Sheila, an abused, emotionally disturbed, and highly gifted 6-year-old. Sheila is labeled "unreachable" and is destined for the children's ward of the state mental institution, and is basically just dumped in Torey's classroom temporarily until there is an opening in the institution. Torey, being young (early 20s) and idealistic and stubbornly so, puts her whole heart into building a connection with Sheila, refusing to let Sheila be locked up to rot in some institution. In her relationship with Torey, Sheila experiences love and trust and stability for the first time...The book raises many questions about boundaries, and about what it means to be an effective teacher, since it is precisely Torey's emotional involvement with her student that new teachers are often warned to avoid.
Torey wrote One Child for herself, as if writing in a journal, and it wasn't until after she finished writing it that she realized it was a BOOK! As a result, Torey's writing is incredibly honest and real, and draws you right into the story. I especially love how descriptive Torey's writing is, how vivid her words are. It makes it possible for me to experience the story with all 5 of my senses and then some!
One Child is a book that appeals to such a diversity of people, not just teachers or people interested in children...I don't know a single person who has read One Child without being touched by it; everyone I have given the book to has stayed up late into the night reading it. The book's wide appeal can be explained by the way in which the book is not just about teaching or education, it's ultimately about the experience of being HUMAN. Torey is able to reach Sheila when so many others had failed, and form a strong connection with her, based on love and trust. But Sheila touches and changes Torey just as much as Torey touches and changes her, and it is a beautiful thing. That's what life is all about.
I promise you that despite my review sounding increasingly like a Hallmark card, the book itself is not Hallmark-y! It is a very difficult book to read at times, and parts will enrage you - for instance, having to read about the abuse Sheila endures. But the book will also make you laugh, make you cry tears both happy and sad, and make you think, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!
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Summary: One Child- book review
Review: This is a story about a troubled child named Sheila, who was abandoned on the highway by her mother and is abused by her alcoholic father. Her teacher is Torey Hayden, and she completely changes Sheiela. They become excellent friends and really open up to eachother. Events in the story will make you laugh but also make you cry. I couldn't put this book down, I loved it so much. I wanted to keep on reading to find out what would happen next. If you like the stories about disfunctional families and or people, this is a book for you. You won't be able to put it down.
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Summary: It kept me awake at night, and still haunts me
Review: This has got to be the most haunting book I've ever read. From the moment I picked it up I could think of nothing but the next few minutes I would have to read more. This book really grounded me. Whenever something gets me down, I think of this book and it reminds me how good things in my life have been. I wish everyone could be so lucky. This is a must read for anyone who has a heart. Torey is a wonderful woman, and Sheila is an amazing girl to have survived the torment she lived through. I read reviews before purchasing this book about those who read the book being inspired to work with children, especially those with special needs, and now that I have read it, I agree. I can think of nothing else that I should do with my life than to be able to help children who have nothing realize that there is such a thing as love, and that they can feel it and that others can and will feel it for them. I really can't say enough about this book. I cried often at Sheila's hardships, but also rejoiced when good things came to her. I just ordered the sequel, and can't wait to find out what has become of this remarkable little girl. There should be more people in the world like Torey.
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Summary: I loved the book!
Review: My dad bought this book for me from the flea market. I started reading it right away and it captured me.
This book is a true story about very disturbed and smart 6 year old. Her name's Sheila. Torey Hayden(teacher of emotionally disturbed children) takes Sheila to her class, just for awhile until Sheila gets a place from a mental hospital. Sheila and Torey becomes great friends and their relationship is very unique between a teacher and student. Their ways gets seperated but eventually they meet again. I read both books One Child and Tiger's Child, since I have the copy with both books inside one covers. It's in Finnish, and I would be glad to get a copy of the book in English somewhere! If you get this book in your hands, please read it!
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Summary: One Child
Review: There comes a point in a person's life where they will fight for one child. Well that's if you work in any of the professions that deal with children. There is just one child who will grab you like no other, reach in, take your heart, and never give it back. This was Mrs. Hayden's one child. Or so it feels. At you can tell the little girl thought her teacher hung the moon.To be honest most people wanted the one thing that didn't happen, a fairy tale ending. Of course this is reality not fantasy so I'm glad she wrote the truth. This book really touched me. It touched me so much in fact I spread it around where I worked and watch it worked it's magic on my fellow employees. They really liked it and it's still making it's way around our worrk.
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Summary: An Amazing Story Of Human compasion
Review: I have read this book twice and every time I have been moved immensly by it. The last chapter I have sobbed through everytime i get to it. Its an amazing story and sheila is a perfect refelection of millions of kids today. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love for children, teaching, or just needs to see they don't have it as bad they think. Five stars is not enough for this amazing book.
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