Just Another Kid Mass Market Paperback – April 3, 1989

I found "Just Another Kid" absorbing and engaging; that's why I ordered my second copy from Amazon.com. (I got my first copy from a local bookstore.) I love how Torey was willing to help and guide Ladbrooke once Dr. Taylor reached out and requested Ms. Hayden's help. Particularly touching was the teacher's response when her assistant told the story of the brother Bobby's suicide at his apartment. There were a couple things I found disturbing, however. They involve Ms. Hayden's interaction with Shemona. One such scene comes right after Leslie alerts Torey to the sound of a kid crying and the teacher goes to investigate an altercation between eleven-year-old Dirkie and the little girl, Shemona. The teacher admitted right there in her own account that Dirkie started the ruckus by pestering the little girl about her hair. Instead of going after the culprit, however, Ms. Hayden punished Shemona and tried to bully the kid into talking just for the sake of talking. The second scenario involving Shemona and the Hayden woman had to do with an ingrown toenail the child had. When the adult finally got the little kid down to the faculty lounge so that the painful problem could be fixed, she then explained that she would go and get some cream and things to treat it. That part is perfectly okay. The toenail needed to be fixed. What was NOT okay was the woman's response when the little girl queried about possible pain from the actual treatment itself. Torey actually had the nerve to smirk and reply with another question: "It hurts already, doesn't it?" Ordinarily, I would call the teacher very compassionate, and I'm sure she was, but these two scenes are two of the very few instances when she totally blew it. By the way, that's one of the parts of this book that I really like. Torey actually admitted to Ladbrooke that she, Torey Hayden, quite often screwed up things in her classroom. Now, that takes honest humility. Despite the teacher's quirks, I would recommend "Just Another Kid" to any and all readers out there who haven't read it yet.H. Campbell

I read a few books by Torey Hayden YEARS ago and ordered a couple that I had read before and a couple of others I hadn't read. I've since ordered all the rest of the books she's written and have been reading every night. Some parts are funny, others parts are heartbreaking but always hard to put down.

Torey Hayden recounts the true story of her teaching experience and interaction with one parent in particular. I could not put this book down. It is so interesting on so many levels. The friend I recommended it to said the same thing, she couldn't put it down. Hayden has such a respectful and honest way of discussing the children's various challenges. She describes the day to day with such interesting, funny, and compassionate detail. What is fascinating is how she can come up with just the right way to handle a new situation on the fly. Although learning about the kids was engrossing in and of itself, the real story comes from this slowly developed, constantly evolving relationship Hayden finds herself in with a parent of one of the students. Dr. Taylor is one of the most interesting characters about which I've read, which is probably the result of her being a real person and Hayden describing the reality of dealing with all sides, positive and negative, of a woman who has genius intelligence, lacks all social skills, is beautiful, an alcoholic, and at once narcissistic, sweet and vulnerable, as well as willing to change. The stories of the children keep the book moving; you love them, hope for them, are heartbroken for them, frustrated with them.. and all the while desperate to know what move Dr. Taylor is going to make next and how Hayden will handle it all.

I thought I had read all of Today Garden's books but just caught this one and it wasn't a disappointment.The one thing that bothered me was Geraldine. I'm a therapist and knowing what we know now, this child sounds like she had attachment disorder. If she had been able to get one on one therapy and maybe even placed in a secure therapeutic home, her future struggles maybe could have been avoided. Her relationship with Shemona was toxic for both girls, and even Shamie was affected negatively by Geraldine. Generally children with RAD shouldn't be placed with their siblings who have also experienced trauma. It's so sad that Geraldine's future probably would have looked a lot different if she had been diagnosed and treated. We just didn't have the knowledge then that we do now.

As usual, Hayden delivers a soul-searching emotionally touching masterpiece. I disagree with other reviewers in their views that Hayden focuses too much on Ladbrooke. Indeed, I found it to be one of the book's major strengths that not only do we get detailed accounts of the children and who they are but we get the added bonus of Ladbrooke's story, which to me was quite a touching one. I could see a lot of myself in Ladbrooke and I think a lot of people can. The self-hate and the alcohol that she tried to numb it with is a familiar story to many. You find yourself feeling so sorry for her and wanting her to believe that she is just as competent as anybody else, and at the same seeing yourself in there and thinking that maybe it applies to you too. I cheered when she got Shemona to talk - not only did it immensely help her own self-esteem but it obviously helped Shemona more than words could tell. An absolute win-win situation. Torey has had such an incredible impact on people's lives, it is just so amazing to read about her kids and fight along with them as they try to make it in a world where they don't fit in. I highly reccomend this book and anything else by the author. You won't regret it.

Great book

Good story

great book . . . . . . . . . .great author and one of many . . .

Torey is a gifted teacher who creatively works with students to uncover their true personalities which have been hidden by fear, distress, and anxiety. This book is about more than just her students, though, and I recommend the book wholeheartedly. Easily read and totally thought provoking.

I love all of Torey Hayden's books about her students. I lost track of all of her books that I bought, one at a time, when the first editions came out and collected them all over again to reread.