Just Another Kid [Mass Market Paperback]

Torey Hayden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 3, 1989

Torey Hayden faced six emotionally troubled kids no other teacher could handle-three recent arrivals from battletorn Northern Ireland, badly traumatized by the horrors of war; eleven-year-old Dirkie, who only knew of life inside an institution; excitable Mariana, aggressive and sexually precocious at the age of eight; and seven-year-old Leslie, perhaps the most hopeless of all, unresponsive and unable to speak.

With compassion, rare insight, and masterful storytelling, teacher Torey L. Hayden once again touches our hearts with her account of the miracles that can happen in her class of "special" children.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A talented special education teacher with a gift for writing, Hayden dramatically describes the difficulties and joys of working with a small group of severely emotionally handicapped children. The centerpiece of this tale, though, is Ladbrook Taylor, mother of one of the children. Lad is very beautiful, very wealthy, highly educated, yet emotionally fractured, withdrawn, and alcoholic. She joins Hayden in the classroom as a volunteer aide. This potentially explosive situation gradually leads to a deepening relationship between the two women that ultimately allows Hayden to help Lad. In the process, Lad reveals her startling past, containing buckets of melodrama, easily on par with the juciest TV soaps. Riveting reading. Carol R. Glatt, Northeastern Hospital of Philadelphia
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Just Another Kid is not just another book. This remarkable teacher's memoir reminds us that love takes many forms." -- -- The New York Times

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Avon; ZZZ edition (April 3, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380705648
• ISBN-13: 978-0380705641
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Specific Groups > Special Needs
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Child Psychology > Development
  • #17 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Specific Groups > Women

More About the Author

Torey Hayden is an educational psychologist and special education teacher who, since 1979, has chronicled her struggles in the classroom in a succession of best-selling books. She lives in North Wales with her daughter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sad and Mad, June 28, 2002

By 

Natalie (georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just Another Kid (Mass Market Paperback)

Those are the two words that summed up this book for me. When I was through raeding it all I felt was sad and mad. There was a child in it (not mentioning his or her name) that the whole time I honestly felt needed a good spanking since obviously nothing else was going to work. It made me think back to each child who I wasn't able to help and the horrible things that had later on happened to them.

Whle this book is good I recommend it in doses as it made me way too angry to read in one sitting. Your typical loveable Hayden children are here, but there is a viper among them

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars just another kid, November 8, 2005

By 

E. M. Bristol "bibliophile" (boston, mass) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just Another Kid (Mass Market Paperback)

In this book, Torey Hayden teaches a challenging class for emotionally disturbed children consisting of Shamie, Geraldine and Shemona, three refugees from Northern Ireland, one of whom (Shemona) is an elective mute; Dirkie, who has schizophrenia; Mariana, who is sexually precocious but academically behind; and Leslie, also autistic and unable to communicate. Hayden could badly use an aide, and she accepts Leslie's mother, Ladbrooke, who is a beautiful but aloof women with a history of alcoholism and child abuse. Through their relationship, Ladbrooke comes to trust Hayden and begins to face up to her problems. Through working with the children, Ladbrooke develops considerable self-esteem. All but one of the children improve, as well, and make dramatic gains in academic and social skills. In an epilogue, we learn of updates, the most remarkable perhaps being Ladbrooke's. This is anything but a grim read, however, Hayden seasons her book with a healthy dollop of black humor.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Miracles can happen for the most hopeless lost causes", July 7, 2006

By 

F. Radisky "pacificfaith" (Monterey, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Just Another Kid (Mass Market Paperback)

I am also the mother of a "Special Needs" child; I happened to discover "Twilight Children", Torey Hayden's most recent book by chance in a local bookstore. I was spellbound and couldn't put it down, and when I had read that book, I ordered everything else she ever wrote from Amazon (how's that for a recommendation?). This book, (and I say this without exaggeration) literally made me gasp at some parts and cry at some others. This is a book that I feel would be of value to parents of special needs children, but also to members of Alcoholics Anonymous, or anyone who believes (or wants to believe) that miracles can still happen to the most hopeless of "lost causes".