I found this book on a friend's grandmother's bookshelf at their holiday house and got very excited, since I have read most of Hayden's books and had been searching for this one. It deals with the emotional problems of a six-year old girl,Sheila, who ends up in a special needs classroom after much abuse and behavioural problems that nobody else could handle. Torey Hayden, the teacher, manages to get through to this disturbed child in the most amazing manner, addressing the high intellectual capabilities as well as the background and context of the child. There is a sequal to this book, called 'Tiger's Child' which is an account of the Hayden's reunion with Sheila as a teenager. They are both well worth reading.