Finally, a beginning . . . The time had finally come. The time I had been waiting for through all these long months that I knew sooner or later had to occur. Now it was here. She had surprised me so much by actually crying that for a moment I did nothing but look at her. Then I gathered her into my arms, hugging her tightly. She clutched onto my shirt so that I could feel the dull pain of her fingers digging into my skin. She cried and cried and cried. I held her and rocked the chair back and on its rear legs, feeling my arms and chest get damp from the tears and her hot breath and the smallness of the room.
From Torey Hayden, the number one Sunday Times bestselling author of One Child comes Lost Girl, a poignant and deeply moving account of a lost little girl and an extraordinary educational psychologist's courage and determination. Jessie is nine years old and looks like the perfect little girl, with red hair, green eyes and a beguiling smile. She even has a talent for drawing gorgeous and intricate pictures. But Jessie also knows how to get her own way and will lie, scream, shout and hurt to get just exactly what she wants. Her parents say they can't take her back, and her social workers struggle to deal with her destructive behaviour and wild mood swings. After her chaotic passage through numerous foster placements, Jessie has finally received a diagnosis of an attachment disorder. Attachment disorders arise when children are deprived of the all-important close bonds with trustworthy adults that allow them to develop emotionally and thrive. Finally educational psychologist Torey Hayden is called in to help. Torey agrees to weekly meetings with Jessie to try and uncover why she is acting out. Torey's gentle care and attention reveal shocking truths behind Jessie's lies. Can Torey and the other social workers help to provide the consistent loving care that has so far been missing in Jessie's life, or will she push them away too?
'Somebody Else's Kids' tells the stories of four diverse 'problem children' under the care of special education teacher Torey Hayden. It also tells of how that teacher showed them love and understanding that helped them bond with each other.
Features a narrative of an extraordinary teacher's determination. This work is an illustration of nurturing concern, not only for a few emotionally-disturbed children, but for one woman facing a personal battle.
This is a poignant account of a teacher's extraordinary efforts to break through a young student's self-imposed silence. Originally published: New York: William Morrow, 2002.
Written by the author of the bestsellers One Child and Ghost Girl, this work is a memoir of three people's - two children trapped in a prison of silence and a woman suffering in the twilight of her years - victimisation and abuse, and their heartbreaking but ultimately successful steps to recovery.
The narrative centers on a six-year-old girl whose journey captivates countless hearts, highlighting the profound impact of resilience and hope. It showcases the unwavering dedication of a teacher determined to support her, illustrating themes of courage, compassion, and the transformative power of education. This true story emphasizes the bond between student and mentor, making it a poignant exploration of perseverance in the face of adversity.
His name was Kevin but his keepers called him Zoo Boy. He didn't talk. He hid under tables and surrounded himself with a cage of chairs. He hadn't been out of the building in the four years since he'd come in. He was afraid of water and wouldn't take a shower. He was afraid to be naked, to change his clothes. He was nearly 16. Desperate to see change in the boy, the staff of Kevin's adolescent treatment center hired Hayden. As Hayden read to him and encouraged him to read, crawling down into his cage of chairs with him, Kevin talked. Then he started to draw and paint and showed himself to have a quick wit and a rolling, seething, murderous hatred for his stepfather.
Jadie never spoke, never laughed, never cried. She spent every waking hour locked in her own private world of shadows. But nothing in Torey Hayden's experience had prepared her for the nightmare Jadie revealed to her when finally persuaded to break her self-imposed silence.
