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In the tradition of David Pelzer's A Child Called 'It' comes the unsettling story of a mute, almost catatonic seven–year–old and the special education teacher who tries to save her from the silence and abuse of her world.
Hayden has chronicled experiences from her long career as a special education teacher in several books, including One Child and The Tiger's Child. Successes in this difficult and often frustrating field can be few and hard won, a fact which Hayden deftly illustrates while simultaneously offering hope and joy in small victories. This time she brings to life the story of a scruffy seven–year–old, Venus, who is so unresponsive that Hayden searches for signs of deafness, brain damage or mental retardation. The author is relentless in her attempt to diagnose the cause of Venus's 'almost catatonic' state, which is punctuated by occasional violent outbursts. In this first–person narrative, Hayden also shares her own thoughts, worries and reflections on the strained relationship with a mismatched classroom aide, creating a rich tapestry of the dynamics of a group of special needs youngsters and the adults who try to help them.
2004-10-30
2004-07-13I would love to know what ever happened to young Venus Fox and Wanda (her biological mother whom she thought of as her sister).
Torey Hayden is a great writer and captures the events perfectly.
I highly recommend this book along with the others from Torey.
moving chronicle 2004-05-16
Not as powerful as the books starring "Sheila" ("One Child, "Tiger's Child") this one nevertheless is remarkable. It is atypical among the books that claim to chronicle the triumph of the human spirit, for the changes the teacher protagonist makes in the main student's life are small, and not as easily labeled miraclulous. In some ways, it lacks the satisfying conclusion of "One's Child." Venus, like many of the teacher's students is electively mute. The teacher's work with her is impeded by Venus' family's poverty, and lack of administrative support. Her attempts to find out even basic facts about Venus' background are hindered at every turn.
Yet, she does find ways to connect with the child, although one of the most powerful tools comes under fire for being politically incorrect. This book shows how even small steps of progress can be exciting.
I admire the writer's refusal to sugarcoat herself and her relationships with her students, the administration, and her classroom aide. Nothing is given an undeserving glossy finish here. And I suggest that the "coldness" some reviewers mention may be due to Venus, not her teacher, as she is much less verbal and emotionally expressive than say, Sheila of "One Child."
It drags 
2004-04-29
Ms. Hayden writes about things that really happened, so she doesn't have the luxury of rearranging events to provide happy endings. However, she is in full control of the rate of development. "One Child" was a page-turner, but the books that followed have become more and more ponderous. Enamored of her own thoughts, Hayden gushes verbiage like a broken water main in sharing them with readers. The result is that as the end of the book approaches, it's depressing how little story has emerged from how much rumination. Most of her books have had this problem to varying degrees, from minimal to moderate, but "Beautiful Child" is choked by it.
Another Awe Inspiring Book by Torey Hayden 
2004-02-05
Torey Hayden, with her miracle touch has once again threw out teaching to the "status quo" and worked her magic on this blessed child. I love Hayden's novels and this one was just as wonderful as all the rest. Anyone in the special education or child psychology field must read these books!
WOW, Funny, Touching, Interesting for Teachers 2008-02-12
This is about a special ed class and how the teacher struggled throughout the year and turned it around. Some was so funny I laughed out loud and other parts were very sad.
Venus was the most challenging of all the children because she had very serious abuse in the home and was mostly unresponsive except when attacking other kids when they accidentally bumped her. She finally got the help she needed after the hospital treated her for hypothermia, had to amputate her toes, and found 22 broken bones that had healed or were in various stages of healing.
It also dealt with the struggle Torey had with her aide who was totally on a different page philosophically and really undermined what she was trying to do.
Some of the things teacher did that worked were:
* behavior modification with traffic lights;
* singing between activities or to refocus kids when they started fighting;
* closed eye journey;
* special one-on-one time at recess with Venus--held her on her lap.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in special needs kids or who teaches children.
Karen Arlettaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"
Beautiful Child 2007-06-08
Awsome book. Torey Hayden is a marvelous teacher and writer. I have all her books and have thoroly enjoyed them. The marvelous patience she has with these children and the love she has for them is wonderful.
great book 2007-03-09
This was a great book, very easy read. It will tear at your heart strings.
Looking at others through different eyes 2005-06-13
For those who have already read One Child, it may be more appropriate to rate Beautiful Child as a 4 star book, given that in many ways the two books are very similar. However once again it is a compelling read and very difficult to put down - like One Child, I was through this book in a couple of days. And again, this is the story of the development of a class of children with major behavioural difficulties over a period of one school year (4 boys and 1 girl, with others joining part-time) and the story is particularly focused on one of those children (a 7 year old girl named Venus). Because Venus herself hadn't committed any "crimes", I didn't take as strong a message as I took from One Child, which really brought it home to me that those we call the worst sinners are generally more sinned against than sinners. However the same lessons regarding the unfairness of the hands dealt to so many people, how extremely lucky most of us are without in any way deserving or earning it, and how we should think twice before jumping to conclusions about some of our least "attractive" fellow human beings, came through strongly.
Beautiful Child 2005-02-01
Beautiful Child is a true story about Torey Hayden and her experiences with her severely handicapped class of 6 children ranging in age from 6-9. This story deals particularly with her experiences with an elective mute little girl named Venus Fox. Venus never talks, never cries, and never shows any emotion. She however does have dramatic violent outbursts when another student gets too close to her, or touches her either by accident or to provoke her. Venus is deprived of clothes, food, and is being forced to sleep naked in the bath tub in the middle of winter. Her older sister Wanda brings her to school, when she remembers. Eventually Torey starts putting together little pieces of information that both Venus and Wanda begin to share with her. When Venus is admitted to the hospital, it all comes together. This was a good book, but not the best one I have read by Hayden.
