A Song of Healing [Paperback]

Chris Duschik (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 2000

Many in our country are asking questions regarding education. Every thoughtful and mindful parent, teacher, and school district is trying to find answers to complex and difficult questions regarding our children. Caught up in the public school system, Robert is sensitive, artistic, and on the verge of becoming lost in the shuffle. Insightful teachers can make a difference, and the power of a family's love is not to be underestimated: weaving art and emotion with education, A Song of Healing paints a story of hope, for all of us.

Product Details

• Paperback: 189 pages
• Publisher: PublishAmerica (November 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588511022
• ISBN-13: 978-1588511027
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,162,368 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Emulate Mr. Spencer if you work with kids., October 21, 2001

By 

Victoria Tarrani "writer, editor, artist, des... (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Song of Healing (Paperback)

Although I found twelve-year-old Robert's analyses and comprehension to be much older than his years, his insight is highly developed because he is an artistic prodigy. A Song of Healing is an altruistic and hopeful approach to life, and it shows that a family commitment can break the abuse cycles.

Educators can discover many shortcomings in the teaching methods of Robert's teachers and principle, whose actions encourage his classmates to taunt him and drive him even deeper into his own world. They do not know that he is the chief caretaker for his baby sister. His mother has had a breakdown and his father is a typical bully. What is rewarding in this book is that once a family begins to pull together they do overcome the distances that simple survival has created.

During a summer in Flagstaff, Arizona with his grandmother, Robert finally releases all of his anger through his drawings. Then, he begins to see the world with a new perspective. His portfolio grows with his confidence and knowledge of his own self-worth. When summer ends and his family reunites, each has found a lost part of themselves. Everyone except his father, who is as lost as ever. He bashes into the house, breaks things and Robert, and ends up in jail.

The next school year brings Robert to Mr. Spencer. If there were more teachers like this kind man in today's world, we would find that our children are not simply taught the facts, but the joy of love. Accepting others without judgments helps each person accept who they are. This aspect of the book brings hope, and makes it worthwhile to see beyond the rough spots of the first novel from a gifted writer. Four stars.

Victoria Tarrani

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Teach Your Children" of the literary world., April 29, 2002

By 

Michelle Angelini (www.inscriptionsmagazine.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Song of Healing (Paperback)

Childhood should be a time of joy and learning, but all too often it is
a hell in which reality and nightmare become confused in a child's mind.
Robert Dwire's childhood includes an alcoholic mother; an absent,
abusive father and full-time care of his baby sister, Sandy. His
teacher, controlled by a rigid educational system, reviles Robert for
his art. Unbeknownst to Robert, his life will soon change in a series of
miracles that redefine his life and relationship with his family,

himself, and the world around him.

The story opens with Robert being singled out and embarrassed in front
of the rest of his class for his artwork. Until now Robert's artistic
talent has been unappreciated, yet it is his only means of expression
about his life, reflecting mostly anger about the circumstances. Jamie
Dwire, his mother, is a practicing alcoholic, whose husband
unpredictably appears to give her further abuse. She is not strong
enough to stand up to him. When he finishes abusing her, Robert becomes
his next target. His mother makes a decision to enter a rehabilitation
program, so Robert and Sandy spend the summer with their maternal
grandmother, Marcia Dahlen. These two events, pivotal points in his
life, begin a series of wonderful changes in the
family's life.

During the summer, the character of Robert's art changes, reflecting a
greater expressional talent. More positive changes happen in Robert's
life, but not before he gets another taste of brutal realism. His father
makes one final visit, further abusing Jamie and breaking Robert's
shoulder. He starts the new school year in a cast extending straight out
from his shoulder. Mr. Spencer, his new teacher, uses unique teaching
methods, differing from the
standard inflexible curriculum. Kristen, one of his classmates, becomes
an important friend to Robert, as they travel together from adolescent
friendship to a deeper level of feelings, with happy and sad events

occurring along the way.

Robert, used to cruelty from teachers, classmates and others, is leery
of Mr. Spencer at first. Yet Mr. Spencer wins his new class with
exercises designed to assure each student's self-worth. Mr. Spencer's
methods dispel mistrust and create an irrevocable bond the children are
at first reticent to accept. The gentleness the teacher exhibits soon
pulls the students, who are strangers, into a cohesive group of friends.

Chris Duschik takes the subject of childhood and creates a story that
covers a variety of life experiences and blends them with a delicate
balance. The main characters are well developed, creating an affinity
for their problems and personalities. At first, one aspect of the book
bothered me, the simplistic language, until I realized why it was
written that way.

"A Song of Healing" is a book carefully crafted for both adults and
children to learn about each other's needs. In many ways, it's the
"Teach Your Children" of the literary world.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Glimpse into Education as it should be, October 12, 2001

By 

Jennifer Strickland (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Song of Healing (Paperback)

"A Song of Healing" is a must read for anyone having an interest in education. The profound impact teachers have on the lives of their students can never be over analyzed. Through this story Duschik provides an inspiring example of how teachers need to move beyond assumptions and politics and focus their energy on the individual people who pass through their room year after year.

Duschik tells a tale of a boy struggling to find where he belongs in his world and how a teacher can help him discover his unique beauty. The true strength of Duschik's writing is his ability to capture the essence of the teacher, David Spencer, and his ability to meaningfully impact the lives of those he meets. Having known David Spencer for years, as an educator and as a person, I struggle day to day to embrace the true gift of the real David Spencer - the genuine beauty in teaching children rather than teaching curriculum and standards. Duschik's story "A Song of Healing" is an outstanding reminder of what is most important in education - the students.