Members with This Book
Most Helpful Reviews
see all reviews
Liked It2 of 2 members found this review helpful “One Child |
Newest Reviews
see all reviews-
“"One Child" by Torey L. Hayden
Jenny M wrote this review 10 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Publisher:Avon books
Copyright:1980
Story of how a teacher helps a child who is has fallen so far under the scale that no body realizes how incredibly gifted she is till Torey gets her hands on her.
teaches:
some children are born special”“Every teacher should read this nonfiction book. A young girl is sent to Torey Hayden's special class until the appropriate facility can be found to deal with her. She has murdered a 6 year old boy. This book is a tale of hope for a little girl who has been abused by her mother and uncle. Her life changes when she meets Torey Hayden. ”
Mrs. Kiniry wrote this review Thursday, November 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“This is an awesome book about a teacher who works with a six-year old girl who has killed another child. The story is an endearing story of persistence and hope.”
Mrs. Kiniry wrote this review Thursday, November 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“very good,puts the world into prospective, and makes me apperacite life more ”
Rosa (rita) L wrote this review Friday, November 13 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A friend lent me this book to read, and once I started I couldn't put it down. This book makes you think about life and how people can be labeled. This reminds you that children are innocent and need to be handled with care. If you are looking for a filler book, this would be a good one to pass the time.”
Stacy B wrote this review Tuesday, November 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“so sad story”
shoko m wrote this review Friday, October 30 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This was a beautiful story, illustrating the perseverance and courage of young victims of abuse and neglect. It's funny though; after reading it, I conjectured that Sheila rebounding the way she did at age 6 was hard to believe. After undergoing severe abandonment from her mother, ongoing physical and verbal abuse by her father, and right after surviving severe sexual molestation, she accepted the leave-taking of the only person who had ever loved her, her teacher, Torey. She did not take it easily, and she clung to the story of the Little Prince, which helped, but still! I thought that either the story wasn't true or Sheila's acceptance was actually a self-injurious defense mechanism that would later be exposed. Researching the book after I read it, I realized that the book is a true story. In a sequel titled, The Tiger's Child, I learned that Torey again re-entered Sheila's life and continued to support her. Yet the abuse Sheila incurred had been serious and despite her high intelligence, we learn that she struggled greatly after Torey's departure and on into her adolescence.
Dan Miller wrote this review Saturday, September 26 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Reading the reviews on Amazon, I noted that a few blamed Torey for leaving Sheila at the end of the year. They said that it was her fault that Sheila experienced such turbulence later in adolescence. I feel that those reviews may well have been written by people who themselves never completely healed from abandonment and still ache inside. The truth is that Sheila's fear of abandonment was caused by her early childhood trauma of being left on the side of the highway by her mother. It does no good to blame one who loves such a wounded bird, even if it was in the context of a short-term relationship. Because of the nature of Sheila's wound, even if Torey committed to staying with her for life, Sheila would have still continued to struggle with a false sense that she is prone to getting abandoned. Healing from that type of wound requires a long-term process that involves recognizing the deception of the false beliefs and emotions and using truth to fight them.
Though Torey made some mistakes, her time with Sheila was overall positive because, like a flower, her love allowed Sheila's heart to be opened to the possibility that her emotions and false beliefs were wrong. In the last few chapters, it appeared that Sheila was able to understand Torey's departure cognitively, if not emotionally. The only aspects I would have changed about Torey's approach would have been to ensure that Sheila knew well ahead of time that she would be leaving. I would never have let her call me "mother" or "father" because it is not true; children can easily mistake fantasy for reality. Also, from the very beginning, Sheila should have been seeing a child therapist who could keep helping her on a more long-term basis.
What an incredible story, more so because Torey really is the loving teacher she wrote about, and because Sheila is the child whose resilience inspires us all! I ask God to give me the courage to love abused kids unconditionally as Torey did, yet also the wisdom to know when to employ healthy boundaries to keep those children safe.”“Hard to read, because (the first half) reminded me too much of my own dreadful elementary teaching experience. At the same time it was heart warming to read about a brilliant caring teacher, who so significantly influenced the life of a student.
Saritska wrote this review Thursday, September 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
”
“sad story true but had to read it. loved it”
Marissa S wrote this review Friday, September 11 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
