Beautiful Child

Beautiful Child

From the bestselling author of One Child comes this amazing, true story of a mute and withdrawn seven—year—old girl and the special education teacher determined never to abandon a child in need. Seven-year-old Venus Fox never spoke, never listened, never even acknowledged the presence of another human being in the room with her. Yet an accidental playground “bump” would release a rage frightening to behold. The school year that followed would be one of the most trying, perplexing, and ultimately rewarding of Torey Hayden’s career, as she struggled to reach a silent child in obvious pain. It would be a strenuous journey beset by seemingly insurmountable obstacles and darkened by truly terrible revelations—yet encouraged by sometimes small, sometimes dazzling breakthroughs—as a dedicated teacher remained committed to helping a “hopeless” girl, and patiently and lovingly leading her toward the light of a new day. Adult/High School-A crisply analytical depiction of one year in a special education classroom. Hayden's approach is straightforward and heartwarmingly compassionate not only in its portrayal of the relationships she developed with her students, but also in its appraisal of a philosophical conflict with her teacher's aide and the effect this had on the functioning of the students. The challenge of creating a highly structured, safe, yet sensitive and supportive environment for five children between the ages of six and nine, all with multiple emotional and developmental handicaps, is a study in creativity, perseverance, and keen observation. The author vividly describes her early struggles to inspire bonding among her charges and incremental progress in leading them toward norms of social behavior. The book ultimately focuses on Venus, age seven, whose impoverished and abusive home life frames the backdrop upon which her steps toward trust are poignantly rendered. Twins Shane and Zane, affected by fetal alcohol syndrome; Jesse, afflicted with Tourette's syndrome; and brash and aggressive Billy certainly present a full spectrum of challenges, but it is with Venus that the teacher's most indomitable problem-solving skills are engaged. Insightful and eminently readable, this book will be of particular value to students with a career interest in special education, social services, or counseling. Lynn Nutwell, Fairfax City Regional Library, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. Special education teacher Hayden is known for her powerful stories of children suffering from various forms of child abuse and trauma. Beautiful Child is another such story. As she did in her previous best sellers (Just Another Kid, Ghost Girl, The Tiger's Child), Hayden passionately narrates the story of her work with a special-needs child, Venus an unresponsive, almost catatonic seven-year-old girl. (Hayden also introduces us to the other children in her classroom primarily to Billy, Jesse, and twins Shane and Zane.) Called "beautiful child" by Wanda, the "sister" who brings her to school, Venus is far from beautiful: her appearance is unkempt, and she morphs from a brick wall into a banshee when her space is invaded. Hayden thoughtfully describes her struggles to form this particular class into a cohesive group and the many techniques used to coerce even the smallest response from Venus. Slowly, the class bonds, and even more slowly comes progress with Venus. This inspiring true story is recommended for most special-education as well as psychology collections. Terry Christner, Hutchinson P.L., KS Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. Our encounters with young children are often, if not always, constructed around the idea of encouraging them to talk, to tell us their needs, and to express their feelings and ideas. As we know from psychologists, the development of communication skills (and social connections) comes through trying out language and making connections between words and world. But a child with selective mutism--Venus, the seven-year-old center of Beautiful Child, Hayden's first-person classroom account--is one who does not speak to anyone, keeping silent in all situations. Hayden has written extensively on the topic of special needs and education; this is her eighth book. It is written from a teacher's perspective and paced through a school year. While the narrative regularly returns to Venus, Hayden also tells her story in the context of a tiny special-needs class, and it is vivid telling for any readers who have not lately been to school. The book ultimately shows this kind of teaching to be the tireless embrace of the vulnerable by the devoted. David Carr Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved “The world needs more like Torey Hayden.” - Boston Globe “Hayden is a fine storyteller.” - Washington Post “A rich tapestry of a group of special needs youngsters and the adults who try to help them.” - Publishers Weekly “Moving...As lively and as surprising as the kid