Customer Reviews

One Child (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

5 star:		(157)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is truly one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. Torey Hayden has truly raised the bar in working with children and has, in pioneer fashion, blazed new trails and set new standards.

Sheila, a 6-year-old girl living in grinding poverty and raised by her single father faced some daunting odds when she entered Torey Hayden's special needs class. Abandoned by her mother, beaten by her father and facing a court ordered sentence to a hospital after a particularly violent episode, Sheila was extremely aggressive and wary. Since she had no bathing facilities in the home she shared with her father, Sheila was often dirty and underfed. It is a true testament to her courage and Torey Hayden's belief and persistence that Sheila began confiding in her within 3 days of her classroom placement. I like the way Torey Hayden started a grooming routine for Sheila, which positively impacted her behavior and interactions with others.

Sheila entered that classroom under very inauspicious conditions. The court ordered that she at least be educated until the state hospital opening was available. In that class, Sheila flourished and even made overtures to her classmates, some of whom functioned well below age level.

Luckily for all, Torey Hayden was able to recind the court order; Sheila stayed in that class for the remainder of the year and made quantum leaps and bounds. During an early testing session it was determined that Sheila had an IQ of 182. This highly gifted little girl was able to express herself eloquently. Quick to assess people and situations, Sheila had developed a survival mode early. In that class she used her natural endowments to her advantage.

The gifts this child had to offer and the gifts she received in that class are a song to the soul. There is a poignancy about her courage. She is, to a large extent, accepting of her life conditions and makes the best with available resources.

This is a book that will evoke just about every possible emotion, from sadness to anger to cheering gladly. The close of the term is indeed bittersweet; the parting of teacher and pupil is very moving indeed. One sees the progress Sheila has made and marvels at what this child unknowingly had to give.

It has been quite some time since I read One Child , yet I can say that among the hundreds of books I have read, that was the most striking among all. Its the type of book that makes you want to become a better person and try in your own way to make a difference in the world, just as Torey did to those children. I know I did! I tip my hat to her, and I am very grateful that there are still people like her here in the world who REALLY love, especially the most unlovable. I have an autistic cousin too that's why I was really able to relate to the story. Now I know why they are called special children, it's not a euphemism people use for abnormal or dumb, they really are SPECIAL in every meaning of the word. I believe everyone should read it, especially on days when they are down, because although this book is a real tear-jerker, it has a lot of fun moments too. Most of all it makes us realize how lucky we are for not having to go through all the hardships these kids went through. In the end, we feel uplifted and very touched, that we forget about griping and self-pitying.

Torey Hayden's book was extremely well written and very emtionial. Torey is an exceptional teacher, as well as a compassionate and patient person. She feels for these children and is willing to stick her own neck out to save them. Her strong desire to help these children, especially Sheila is indeed the making of a true teacher. To see Sheila's behavior change was truly remarkable. How Torey got Sheila to respond to schoolwork and other children was amazing. I enjoyed every moment of this book. It made me cry at times to read how Sheila was treated and it also made me mad for the way she was neglected, abused and rejected. I was so happy when she finally accepted the fact that she would have to move on in life, but still could hold on to the memories that she would always have from Torey's Special Class. This book has made me want to read the sequel, as well as other Torey Hayden books. I would recommend this book to anyone, who has any dealing with children.

This story is about a teacher and one child. It's heartaching and touching from the moment Sheila walks into that classroom. It almost wanted me to become a teacher, because if you could save just one child it would be worth all the troubles you might have. Mrs. Hayden's way of describing the story and girl is very vividly and you can see Shelia standing right there in front of you. I recommend this book for everyone who is a bit interested in children, especially the need to care about kids. The way it makes you feel when Torey reach into Sheila...it gives you a very joyful moment and you wished there were more persons like her and less child abusers. This book gives you all the emotions, anger, despair, hope, love, makes you smile, makes you want to do something. So please read it!

I am 14 and I read this book about a month ago, I really touched me in a way no other book has ever done before! I hardly ever cry but when I read the end of this book I couldn't hold back the tears!!!

I think Torey Hayden is an amazing author and I really want to get the sequal to this book.

Everyone should read this, it will touch even the toughest people. I have always wanted to work with disadvantaged kids and now I do even more!!

Thank you Torey for writting this book.

I have just read Torey Hayden's One Child in one sitting. It is the most moving story I have ever read. Sheila's courage against so much adversity is simply breathtaking. I have to thank Torey for bringing this story to the world. Maybe it will give courage to others in a similar position to Sheila.

I am a first time reader of the author, Torey Hayden. I had never heard of her nor her books until I was reading another book and it mentioned one of her books. As I began looking, I saw the reviews for this book and was intrigued.

The book is an autobiographical account of Torey Hayden's experience with a special education class of eight children that no one else wanted to teach. Then, a six year old girl that had severely burned a three year old child was placed in her class to await a state mental hospital placement.

This book chronicles Ms. Hayden's frustrations and triumphs with her class, in particular this young girl, Shiela. I was impressed with the author's candid explanation of what happened. I did not get the impression that she was trying to show everyone what a good teacher she was.

Rather, she was helping the reader feel the pains of her experience and the struggles she went through in trying to make a difference in the experience of a young child who had already suffered a lifetime of hurt. In the process, she demonstrates the power of perseverance and never giving up on people, even when they may do everything in their power to push others away.

I gained further insight into the power of love and the importance of empathy in considering other's situations. Until we begin to understand what they've been through and see things as they do, we will never unlock the power to love even the most "unloveable" person.

I give this four stars, as it did not reach the level of perfection warranted by a five star rating. The writing, while intriguing, is more frank than truly literary. In addition, there are a number of typos that inhibit reading a bit. I would recommend this book to most everyone who works with children in any way. It will open your eyes more to their experience and the need for patience, empathy, and caring.

Imagine being left abandoned on the side of the highway by your own mother. Well, that was the case with shelia in the book One Child by Torey L. Hayden. I really liked this book and am eager to begin reading the sequel The Tiger's Child. The reason I like this story was Shelia, herself. During Shelia's short life, she already has to deal with many problems that I am not even sure i would survive through. For one, she has to take care of herself for the most part because her father is either too drunk or too high to take care of her. Second, she has to learn how to take control of her own life because she is going around hurting many young children. For example, at the age of six she tied a boy to a tree at a nearby woodlot and burned him. I believe that she has many mental problems to deal with, including being abandoned by her own mother. I can only imagine how terrible I'd feel to know that my mother does not really love me as much as she should. Shelia grew to be a really strong person. She never gave up on learning, even though she may not have seemed eager to learn anything, but she was afraid of losing. On many occasions, she would just rip the paper up if she did not know how to do something. Another situation that Shelia had to go through was trying to show everyone that she was actually a veryt bright student. The book said that if people are below normal IQ they are classified as being mentally slow, but if they are above normal IQ, they are placed usually in a controlled environment. Then, they get bored and therefore are more capable of causing trouble. That was the main case in Shelia's situation. No one ever considered her as being very bright kid because she never talked with any intelligence. She always used the word "be" on many accasions instead of "is" or "was." I believe that a little more schooling would cure this problem that everyone just thought was a dialect. In handling shelia and her problems, the teacher, Torey Hayden, proved to be a very strong person, in my opinion. She worked harder at trying to help Shelia make something of herself and to prove to the world that she was actually a very bright little kid. I am not sure that I would necessarily work as hard as Torey did with her. I would feel like I was getting nowhere with her as a student. Torey had the patience and the heart to keep going, which proved to be a very important matter for her to realize. When Shelia would refuse to do something, Torey would let her be for awhile but then would be eager to reapproach her again. This happened when she would refuse to do any written work. Torey would leave her be until she had time to think about what she was actually doing to herself by not doing the necessary work. This teaacher left an ever-lasting impression on Shelia. She would return to Torey whenever she needed help on anything in life. I would be grateful for a friend or a teacher to keep trying with me when I did not get something, but many people would probably just give up on me. Overall, if anyone is looking for an exciting book to read, One Child is the book to read. Torey Hayden will leave anyone spellbound for the majority of the time. No one will ever believe the outcome of Sehlia. Shelia will give you the strength to keep going when the going gets tough. If she could survive a lifetime of hurt, anyone can deal with everyday stresses because no matter what his or her life will not ever ne as bad as Shelia's life once was.

One Child is a very good book about a girl named Sheila. She was 6 years old and was put in a class for "crazy" kids. Torey was the teacher, and she really helped Sheila become a better person, while their relationship grew.Throughout the book, Sheila goes through many hard situations. She had to deal with her mom gone, her fathers drunk acts, and the way everyone looked at her. By the age of 6, she had been through more things than most people. She was beyond her grade level, though she didnt like to do work at first. Towards the end she learns what it really feels like to have somone truely love her. Her father and Torey both make a big impact in the way Sheila acted and her life was changed forever.

Sheila is a 6 year old girl. Her mom took her brother, Jimmy, and left her on a highway when she was little. She lives with her father in the migrant camp.

I highly recomend reading this book. It is good for all ages, and it's a true story. It made me think more about how some kids are treated. It is a very emotional book, but it's amazing how true it is, and you can almost imagine and see it in your head while your reading.

I would rate this book a 8 out of 10 stars. I only would rate it an 8 because some of the words that Sheila said made it hard to read and understand. I really like this kind of book, that makes you feel bad for the characters. The genre is very emotional and there are many themes. Some themes would be neglect, abandonment, voilence, abuse, intelligence, and fear.

This book is one that will grab your attention and never let go. This book really shows the lives of children and their amazing ability to survive in a cruel and abusive world. Shelia, a troubled, abused, and yet brillant child, is one of the main focuses of the story. Torey Hayden, is the exceptional teacher that is trying desperately to reach her. The story exemplifies Shelia's remarkable transformation and how this change came through the abilities and concerns of one teacher. The idea that this book is a basic story about an abused child and the teacher that saves her is a complete misconception. This book is a song to the soul, and a testament of true human courage, determination, and willingness to care about others. This book also offers a renewed appreciation for those dedicated teachers, such as Torey Hayden, and their concept that when trust exists between teachers and their students, anything is possible. This is a remarkable story that will unfold the changes of an extraordinary child through the eyes of a very special teacher, and it proves that there are not any children that are hopeless or unreachable. This is a compelling story that will make you laugh, cry, and truly beg for more. The only negative aspect about his book is that it is so true. Children all over our world face the same abuses that Shelia did in this story. Although this statement may seem to give off a very negative connotation about the book, the fact that Torey Hayden possessed such determination and devotion, the positive aspect shines through, and we can see that there truly is light at the end of the tunnel.