When I picked up Just Another Kid by Torey L. Hayden (371.94 HAY), the book jacket piqued my interest. Hayden is an elementary teacher who works with special needs children. There is Leslie, an autistic girl who still wears diapers and is known to have many accidents. Geraldine and Shemona (who refuses to talk) are sisters from Ireland and have witnessed the devistating violence there. Dirkie is a boy who has lived most of his life in institutions because his family is so awful. Mariana is eight and wants to have a best friend. Shamie starts school a little later, and he's the cousin of Geraldine and Shemona.
Anyone who has ever worked with special needs children knows that even a small group like this can be a handful. Mariana has trouble keeping her underwear up in class. Dirkie is constantly making suggestive sexual acts to both people and inanimate objects.
Hayden wants to have an aide since she had trouble controlling group and getting away to change Leslie's diapers. Unfortunately, as with other school systems around the U.S., this school system had no money for another person. The unlikeliest person volunteered to help.
Leslie's mother, Ladbrooke, a depressed alcoholic who had verbal matches with Hayden, offered to help. She's the least likely person to do this type of job. She can't even control Leslie, so how was she expected to control the rest of the kids? Ladbrooke is not a people person - she can't carry on a normal conversation; she comes off as cold and arrogant; she doesn't hug people. Hayden has trouble believing that Ladbrooke can have a master's degree since Ladbrooke is so inarticulate. Hayden has her doubts, but in her desperation, she agrees.
This is Hayden's remarkable story for just one school year - which is more than most people would have in a lifetime.
c Waterloo Public Library 2008
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