Customer Reviews

The Very Worst Thing

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Hi,

I'm a 6 grader that has some problems with school like David does. My teacher read this book with me and my class. We liked the book because it is one of the only ones that we found that talks about someof the same problems many of us have in school and it helped us when we have to explain it to our other friends who arent in our class and think we are stupid, but we are not. One of the other kids in my class is a foster kid to and he never said much to anyone but he likes the book because he said he knows what david is going through.
I dont usually read much but I might want to read this book again.

As a bookseller, I sort through thousands of books per day, and nothing quite measures up to the work of Torey Hayden. Her latest endeavour into the children's book world is no exception. THE VERY WORST THING is all at once interesting, thrilling, heartwarming, and suspenseful, sure to keep kids thinking long after they put the book down. It is certainly a must-have for any classroom or library, and will make a glowing addition to your personal collection as well!

As a classroom teacher, I am always looking for those books which draw students in, creating a world in which we, as a class, can enter. The Very Worst Thing is one of the best books I have used in my classroom. Torey Hayden confronts issues which our children face but often have difficulty articulating. The Very Worst Thing prompted discussions about bullying, standing up for what you believe, family, foster care, love, friendship, and keeping wild animals in captivity. Each afternoon after I read, my students would beg me to, "read another chapter." My students identified with David and I continue to hear, "remember what David did..." as my students relate their lives to The Very Worst Thing. We invited a wildlife expert to our classroom, and he was impressed with my students' knowledge, which came from their experience with this book. If you are the kind of teacher who enjoys real-life novels which inspire, challenge and open dialogue, you will find a gem in The Very Worst Thing. I did!

David is a 12-year-old boy who years for a place to belong. He and his older sister, Lily, have been in the foster care system for several years and have faced some daunting obstacles. A sleep-wetter until age 7, David faces the additional challenges of academic difficulties and being the easy mark for bullies.

The year David starts school in a new town proves to be a turning point in his life. After years of composing mental lists of what he feels are the worst things in his life including being separated from his sister, Lily, David has some new lists to make. One is a good placement in a loving home with a single woman who plainly loved and wanted David. In time, the two connect and David finds a place he can call home.

On the flip side, David has school issues - he is placed in a lower grade; he is attacked by bullies and his one friend is a girl some four years his junior who has been "skipped" to their grade. Mab, David's newest ally helps him discover his inner strength. When David finds an owl egg, he and Mab raise the owlet together. The pair name the bird "King Arthur" after the legendary king most noted for his valor, wisdom and strength. Indeed, their conversations are "round table discussions" about the issues each are contending with on a routine basis. Mab helps David read her copy of "King Arthur" and it is in this bonding that the two help one another develop their own strengths, and in so doing, they augment the strengths of one another.

Having David living in an unnamed part of the world impressed me as being a good bonding tool so that readers could identify with him and the other characters whereever they, readers were living.

One such strength is whether or not they can return the owl to the wild, where it plainly belongs. Another is standing up for and standing by one another. Still another strength comes from the pair doing what they truly believed in.

An excellent book that will certainly be captivate readers of all ages. This book has been used in classroom discussions and has been described by teachers and pupils alike as an effective teaching tool. Readers of all ages will find reasons to connect with David and Mab. This is a book that is very inclusive and people from all professions can get something from this book.

I have been a long-time fan of Torey Hayden's writing, and I was delighted when I learned that she had written a book for children. At first, I bought a copy and read it myself and then I bought additional copies to give for my nieces (ages 8 and 10) for Christmas. Both girls enjoyed the book and look forward to Torey writing additional "kids books".

I felt great about giving this book to my nieces because I knew that they would enjoy reading about two kids who hatched and raised an owl. I also liked the messages about friendship and problem solving that are very much a part of story.

Like Torey's adult books, I'm sure that this story would appeal to a wide range of children (and to many of the adults who have enjoyed her adult books).

I read this book to 30 third grade students and they enjoyed it very much. They want a copy for our school library and would like to see Torey write a sequel. My students are interested in knowing what happens next to the main characters. They liked this book because it was "funny and exciting". They could relate to the bullying episodes and empathized with the main characters. It was a good read aloud for my eight and nine year old students.

I read this book myself and then read it to a class of 5th graders. I loved it and my students loved it as well! Great story to discuss bullying, friendship and courage.

As a classroom teacher, I am always looking for those books which draw students in, creating a world in which we, as a class, can enter. The Very Worst Thing is one of the best books I have used in my classroom. Torey Hayden confronts issues which our children face but often have difficulty articulating. The Very Worst Thing prompted discussions about bullying, standing up for what you believe, family, foster care, love, friendship, and keeping wild animals in captivity. Each afternoon after I read, my students would beg me to, "read another chapter." My students identified with David and I continue to hear, "remember what David did..." as my students relate their lives to The Very Worst Thing. We invited a wildlife expert to our classroom, and he was impressed with my students' knowledge, which came from their experience with this book. If you are the kind of teacher who enjoys real-life novels which inspire, challenge and open dialogue, you will find a gem in The Very Worst Thing. I did!

THE VERY WOSRT THING is an excellent children's fiction book. I have read Torey Hayden's non-fiction books, which I consider to be exceptional, and did not realize she could write just as well in fiction. This book and its diversity of characters depict how their relationships and interaction with each can strengthen and teach them valuable lessons. My favorite character in this book is Granny. She is David's foster parent and throughout the book she shows David love, patience, wisdom and most of all a since of belonging. My 10 year old son is now reading the book and enjoys it, though he fails to see how David's best friend can be a girl. A couple of years ago he had a baby chick he was trying to raise. Reading about the owl David hatches not only brings back good memories but through the ordeal of the owl my son also can come to terms with what happened and become better prepared for future obstacles.

This book would be very beneficial to teachers and can be used effectively in the class room. The book uses the premise of a child with easily identifiable handicaps to show us a picture of strength and spirit to overcome obstacles. How the relationships we form, or fail to form, can give us strength or bring us down, to build a sense of belonging to our community or be used to isolate us to ourselves or a small clique (as seen in the bullies). I highly recommend this book to be read in the classroom and should Torey succeed in completing a teacher's guide, I feel that it will not take long for this book to become a staple of schools around the world.

I snuggled up to "The Very Worst Thing" during a rainy afternoon and couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I was immediately sucked in to David's world and felt everything he felt. I wanted to fight for him as he fought against the bullies and I wanted to help him find the words to say what he felt to Granny and Mab. The characters were so realistic and believable, right down to the sludgy Mrs. Mellor and nice looking, but not-so-attentive Mrs. Hallowell.

I plan on sharing this book with my high school age special education students this fall. I imagine that some of them will feel an instant connection to David and I know they will enjoy "The Very Worst Thing" as much as I did.