Ghost Girl: The True Story of a Child in Peril and the Teacher Who Saved Her

WARNING: This is a book about child abuse. Or is it? Could all this come from a child's troubled imagination? This is not a book for young people or for those who are very sensitive. The book is by Torey Hayden, a psychologist, who is a teacher for troubled children.Torey Hayden, being brought up in a tiny town, decided to get a job in a small town school to work with exceptional children. She knows she will miss working at a large clinic, an intellectual challenge, but she needs a break. She applies for the job and is hired.There are four children, Reuben, nine, autistic, Phillip, six, born to a drug addicted mother, Jeremiah, eight, a Sioux Indian, using foul language is not acceptable in a regular classroom. Then Jade Ekdahl, eight, who is mute, hasn't spoken in two years. Her posture, hunched over to practically in half, curled up like a fetus. Torey goes to speak to Jadie's parents. Her mother tells Torey about Jadie's birth trauma. She says that Jadie is shy around strangers but speaks all the time at home. The three girls are never left with sitters, parents are always home.Jadie begins to speak to Torey, only Torey for a time, then to classmates. She tells Torey about things. Jadie knows too much about sex for a child. Torey wonders. Jadie's younger sister tells Torey not to believe anything Jadie says. She has problems due to her birth trauma. But Jadie talks to Torey, but feels noone will believe her.She likes to go into the coat closed, lock the door, be alone with Torey. But how can this child know so much about different kinds of sex. Torey feels she is being sexually abused.She calls in authorities. One lady police officer feels this kid is being abused. This is not all in her mind. Others feel differently. This is a small town. People would know what is going on. Jadie refuses to tell anyone, only Torey. Jadie asks Torey to tell everyone what she told her. Torey tells Jodie she must be the one to speak for herself. She has to be strong for her two younger sisters.Jadie feels she is a ghost, not real. This is a strong, provocative book, but is it true?

After just finishing Ghost Girl..I thought it was spellbinding all the way through...Little Jadie..just crawled inside my heart..and forever will stay..donna from Indiana

great reading would highly recommend. We all get tied up in our own lives and don't think about what goes on behind closed doors.i

What an amazing accomplishment for Torey. Her endless patience and sensitivity resulted in these 3 girls being saved from a continued life of hell. A good lesson in trusting your gut feel and standing up against the flow when it really counts.

Another great book from Torey Hayden! Couldn't put it down but very sad at the same time. Read nearly all her books

the book is in great condition and the price was great also. I would order from here again.

I was fascinated by this book and the account of Torey Hayden about her posting to a school where a girl called Jadie attended. Jadie's mutism and the possible cause is the subject of this incredible book. Non fiction, I was reluctant to read it at first because I usually read only fiction. However, I am so glad that I did.The fortitude which a teacher such as Torey Hayden possesses was amazing and the difficulties of dealing with children - in this case four in one class - with diverse problems is laid out in this engaging book. I say, "engaging" because Hayden's writing brings to life the classroom antics of disturbed children - sometimes I had to laugh at the chaos which ensued - but always there was the dark life of Jadie.As Torey gradually realises what could be at the bottom of this child's psychotic behaviour, she has to bring all the courage she can to approach the authorities. The most insurmountable problem is Jadie's continuing mutism when approached by the social workers and police, and her refusal to back up the information which she has told Torey.A truly amazing book, highly educational, sometimes funny and always problematic, I highly recommend it.

While not purchased from Amazon I have read this book - 16 years ago as a sophmorein high school- and it has stayed with me this whole time. It is thought provoking and heart breaking all at the same time

I'm not the entire way through the book yet, but I find myself getting more and more angry and frustrated. That poor little girl found the courage to tell someone she trusted about the horrors she and her sisters were going through, even though she found it so hard to talk, and although I understand Torey needed more facts, she doubted everything Jadie told her. Her own opinions and reservations meant those girls' suffering was probably prolonged.I find it shocking that two professionals were aware of what Jadie was saying, yet sat around for months on end, partly because they wouldn't accept that such horrific things really do happen! I found it especially worrying that Arkie still tried to say Jadie was making it all up because she was mentally disturbed, even after learning all three girls had been medically examined and even the 15 month old baby showed signs.I feel they could have done more.Shocking and disturbing things DO happen, and it was wrong of them to dub a child a liar.

I read my first Torey Hayden book (Somebdy else's kids) a few weeks ago. I thought I would try it as I have read a lot of Cathy Glass books and this seemed in a similar vein, I enjoyed it and so bought "Ghost Girl". Although the story is heart wrenchingly good the actual writing was very hard to follow as the author seemed to jump ahead quite often or switch to another subject altogether, when all I wanted was to find out what happens next, not wait another chapter!. There was a lot of unnecessary information/mood setting. In conclusion Story good - writing bad! Not sure if I will give this author another chance or not!

Tori Hayden gives an educational insight into children who have extreme special needs. This book is truly brilliant for anyone who works with children.Tori’s in depth understanding, especially of children who are elective mutes, is heart warming and helpful.

This is a very well written and gripping book. I couldn't put it down and read it at every available moment. But a word of warning, it's sometimes a nasty world out there and even in my 53 years on this planet I have just read of things that some may disturbing. I suppose you cannot write of troubled minds without knowing of such things, I'm no lightweight and not easily upset but this storey can't fail but get to you.

Starting this book tonight, good read as all Torey's books are.