The Very Worst Thing

This is my third year reading The Very Worst Thing by Torey Hayden to my middle school Language Arts class. I am always amazed by the connection my students feel to this book and the enthusiasm they share as they beg me to read "just one more chapter" each day. It is simply a wonderful, yet fairly unknown, read.

This book is about an 11-year-old boy, David, who is "down on his luck" in life and creates lists of the very worst things in his life which include being in foster-care throughout his childhood, stuttering, having learning differences and being retained in the 5th grade (to name a few). However, he stumbles upon a great gift in finding an owl egg on day after school. The Very Worst Thing is a book worth reading to your class, to your kids or on your own.

Torey Hayden is generally a non-fiction writer who has written many books about the students she has interacted with in her career as a teacher of students with special needs over a couple of decades ago. Probably her most well-known book is One Child. You can check out her website by clicking here. However, this book, which touches on many relevant issues- including being a person who is considered gifted and talented- is written from a student's perspective. If you are looking for a new "read aloud" or just something to read quickly over a weekend, I encourage you to be inspired by the magic of this book.

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Note: I tried to link to Torey Hayden's site unsuccessfully. If you are interested in learning more about Torey or this book, please visit:
http://www.torey-hayden.com/index.html