While I enjoyed Torey Hayden's writing style and gift for character development, I was disturbed somewhat about how she was the hero and everyone else seemed against her to an extent. As someone who adopted three kids with special needs and fosters other kids, I would have been angered if one of my kids were depicted in one of the author's books. Our kids have to work incredibly hard for any small gain, and school is a relatively small part of their days. Our kids struggle with sleeping, eating, dressing and interacting with other people (mine are all behaviorally challenged as well). To give credit to only one person when it is almost always a team of individuals working together to bring out the light in a child is really misleading. ( )

Review: Beautiful Child by Torey Hayden. An emotional but wonderful true story for us all to read.

Torey is a trained specialty teacher who cares and provides many different skills to her beautiful gifted students. This year her class consisted of five all day unstable young children and other children who came off and on throughout the day. All her students are equally cared for but sometimes she has a student that needs more understanding and care then another. Without taking time away from the others she spends a lot of her free time with this one seven year old child named Venus.

The small child never spoke, listened, or even acknowledged the presence of another human being around her. However, if she was outside in the school yard and someone accidentally bumped into her, Venus would release a frightening rage for others to witness. She would display piercing screeches, and ravaging aggressive kicks, bites to who she thinks is going to harm her. For Torey this was a trying, perplexing and ultimately serious case but she struggled and was propelled to find some understanding to this young girl’s life. She knew it would be a strenuous journey and probably terrible revelations to learn about this unmanageable girl. Torey remained committed to helping a hopeless child, and patiently and lovingly leading Venus toward the light of a new day and brightening the days of her other students.

Torey is an extraordinary teacher determined never to abandon a child in need…..
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The true story is about a teacher and her efforts to reach a child. I loved it. ( )

An interesting description of working with children with a wide range of developmental problems. ( )

Intrigerend verhaal van een lerares in het speciaal onderwijs die een klasje met een aantal 'probleemkinderen' heeft waarvan er één; een meisje; niet praat. De lerares komt er gedurende het schooljaar achter wat er mis is met het kind. ( )