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Summary: Great Book!!
Review: Torey Hayden has done it again. Like her other books, this one tells of the struggle of Emotional Disturbance in children and the teacher who works with them. It has a perfect mix of humor and tragedy; and keeps you glued to the book until the last page. You will laugh one page and cry the next. This book tells of the strength of the human spirit.
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Read
Review: Torey Hayden has done it again. This is one of the best books. When you start reading you better not have anything else to do because you won't be able to put the book down. I really recommend this book to everyone you won't regret reading it.
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Summary: She's done it again
Review: Torey Hayden's books are not simply books any more than Torey Hayden is simply "a teacher." I have learned more from this woman's writing alone than I did in my entire high school career. I've learned about human nature, about idealism and optimism, about passion and children and the genuine power of love (and a hell of a lot of pluck and charisma) that is so often discredited as "luck" or the abilities gleaned from formal training.
Venus didn't speak and was unresponsive to the point that Torey initially thought she was deaf. Her problems proved to be far more debilitating than that, the very least of which being the attitude towards her from the staff at her school. Venus wasn't worth the effort to save. She was too far gone. Too unintelligent. Too stubborn. To bring her back to our world would be an impossibility.
Venus isn't our only child here. As always, Torey puts us right in the middle of the controlled chaos of her classroom. Here we meet Billy, uncontrollable-and with the glimmers of beyond average intelligence; Jesse, a handful and a half afflicted with Tourette's; Shane and Zane, twin boys with borderline IQs as a result of FES; Gwennie, a high-functioning autistic child who could tell you anything about any country in the atlas but unable to have a meaningful conversation; and Alice, a little girl only describable as "quirky" and far behind academically. As with all of Torey's classes, it's impossible for the reader not to fall in love with these kids. Their disabilities no longer seem quite so dismal, and we laugh right along with them. We also meet Julie, an aide with a slightly maddening pacifist attitude. This is the first time we really feel Torey's bristling frustration page after page at a time. For all the patience and connection she has with her kids, this woman may prove an impossibility to work with.
Torey Hayden is incredible. She presents her children as "normal"-or maybe just shows us that "normal" is not applicable to children at all. Each individual has their quirks, their problems, their own personalities. Perhaps it simply takes us a little longer to recognize that in our world. In Torey's, there's no transition. These are her children, frustrating and sometimes ill-behaved like all children, and rather than pitying them, she simply loves them. We need more teachers-more people-like Torey Hayden.
Always my hero, Tor. - amberish-one
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Summary: Poignant account of a teacher's work with troubled children.
Review: Torey Hayden's new book, "Beautiful Child," is a moving account of Ms. Hayden's year teaching a class of children with serious emotional and physical problems. Shane and Zane are six-year-olds with fetal alcohol syndrome. Nine-year-old Billy is hyperactive and aggressive. Eight-year-old Jesse twitches and barks as a result of his Tourette's syndrome. The title refers to seven-year-old Venus Fox, a deeply withdrawn child from a dysfunctional family who is completely unresponsive to external stimuli.Hayden vividly recounts the outrageous and often hilarious events that occur in her classroom in minute detail. We feel her frustration and elation as she describes her efforts to transform an angry and anti-social group of students into a cohesive and functioning class. Hayden is as unembarrassed about discussing her setbacks as she is pleased to discuss her successes. The author's honesty and realism give "Beautiful Child" an extra dimension that touches the heart. The story of Venus Fox reduced me to tears. Hayden's painstaking efforts to bring Venus out of her shell had me cheering for this child who had so many strikes against her. I recommend "Beautiful Child" for all readers who are interested in the art of teaching children with special needs.
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Summary: Another Awe Inspiring Book by Torey Hayden
Review: Torey Hayden, with her miracle touch has once again threw out teaching to the "status quo" and worked her magic on this blessed child. I love Hayden's novels and this one was just as wonderful as all the rest. Anyone in the special education or child psychology field must read these books!
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Summary: AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN
Review: When author Torey Hayden first meets Venus, then 7, the child is perched atop a high wall on the school playground. Venus rarely speaks and goes into attack mode when jostled by other children on the playground. Venus remains a silent observer in the class she shares with 9-year-old Billy, a gifted child with a minor case of dyslexia and a propensity for impulsive behavior; 8-year-old Jesse, a boy who has Tourette's Syndrome; 6-year-old twins Shane and Zane who have the congenital condition of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and part-time resource pupils 8-year-old Gwennie, a bright girl whose behavior and verbalizations are described as autistic and 8-year-old Alice, also given to frequent non sequitors interspersed with very poignant comments. This group finally unites after a series of setbacks. Early in the year, fighting broke out contantly among the boys; Venus, too displayed a fair share of aggression whenever she attacked someone who bumped into her. The tension among the pupils was paralleled in Torey Hayden's differing educational approaches with her aide, Julie. Matters reach a critical head when Venus is placed on homebound instruction for 2 months after she severely injures another child. During her absence, the boys team up by forming the poignantly ironic named group, "the Chipmunks" as a way of helping one another and gaining positive reinforcement. When Venus returns, she literally has to start from scratch. A chance encounter with a 1980s comic figure, She-Ra, sparks her curiosity; from there, Venus and teacher Torey Hayden knock down yet another wall. Venus expresses her wishes for a better life and for power and a "magic sword" like She-Ra has; she begins to inch her way into the group. More walls are knocked down; Julie is transferred to another school and an aide named Rosa takes her place. Rosa and Venus bond instantly; the love between them is truly heartwarming. The boys make remarkable strides as well. In one especially touching exchange, Billy tells Jesse how he has overcome his bigotry towards other races because he personally knows Jesse, who is a member of a different race than Billy. Major issues are explored; each child has good insights and heartwarming observations. During such round table discussions, even more walls come tumbling down. As Venus develops more confidence in herself and relies less on She-Ra and her magic sword, she develops friendships in the class. Alice literally takes Venus under her wing and insists on "being best friends" with her. A good placement in a loving, nuturing home after having endured years of abuse and neglect also accelerates the progress Venus makes. I like the way the book provides updates on the progress of each pupil. I can't recommend this one highly enough.
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Summary: Different from her others
Review: While I read this book straight from beginning to end and thought it excellent, I have to say it doesn't have the same raw emotional power of Hayden's earlier works. She seems to have toned her style down, become a bit more rote. I think this might be partly because the first half of this book is more filler than actual story, a means of getting to the ending, which is the part that is really about Venus, and in my mind, the best part of the book.
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