A Safe Place for Joey

A Safe Place for Joey
Mary MacCracken

From bestselling author and teacher Mary Maccracken comes the engaging and inspiring story of five troubled children who she fought to bring back from the brinkJoey is the class clown, but alone proves to be an intensely dark seven-year old who still can’t read.Eric is a kindergartener, left withdrawn and speechless by the horrors he’s witnessed at home.Alice appears the model fifth year child, but secretly scores zero on every maths test.Charlie, an eight-year old, struggles to understand his place in the world, leaving him confused and alone.Ben comes from a comfortable life at home, but has been called stupid so many times he now believes it.These are some of the learning-disabled children who were in deep trouble until Mary MacCracken, an extraordinary therapist and teacher, works her magic with them and transforms their lives. Her heart-warming book is a testament to her talent, compassion and love.

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Endorsements (#u4721b473-8b27-5bd0-8084-6348ff636a93)

“MARY MACCRACKEN IS AS GIFTED A WRITER AS A THERAPIST. THIS IS HER BEST BOOK YET!”

– Josh Greenfield, author of A Child Called Noah

“EACH CHILD PRESENTS A UNIQUE CHALLENGE AND EACH CHAPTER A MOVING EXPERIENCE.”

– Jean Vitalis, Educational Therapist, Board of Trustees, Churchill School

Copyright (#u4721b473-8b27-5bd0-8084-6348ff636a93)

This book recounts the essence of my experience and in that sense is a true story. However, it is not intended as a literal account, and it is not to be taken as a portrayal of any living person. All names (except for my family’s and mine) of individuals, places, and institutions are fictitious.

HarperElement

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published in the United States as Turnabout Children by Signet, 1987

This updated edition published by HarperElement 2015

© Mary MacCracken 1986, 2015

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2015

Cover photograph © Vanessa Munoz/Trevillion Images (posed by model)

Mary MacCracken asserts the moral right to

be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record of this book is

available from the British Library

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

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Source ISBN: 9780007555185

Ebook Edition © FEBRUARY 2015 ISBN: 9780007555192

Version: 2015-01-12

Dedication (#u4721b473-8b27-5bd0-8084-6348ff636a93)

This book is dedicated to my own three children – Susan, Nan, and Steve – and their families, in small return for the joy they’ve given me.

And also to my four stepchildren – Michael, Joan, Karen, and Mark –and their families, who have enriched my life.

Contents

Cover (#ud02ce2d9-57ee-54ba-ab02-3025d224d699)

Title Page (#ulink_0f82a195-4a9a-5ccf-b96e-6ebe2f46ed6b)

Endorsements (#ulink_1a322184-0557-51e4-b0df-58c377449b24)

Copyright (#ulink_868ee805-9a93-5cb2-8399-fc1add658ee4)

Dedication (#ulink_2ddc589b-90d2-55fb-b422-d9af43111b7f)

Acknowledgments (#ulink_09304db7-06b3-5235-b8c7-869c622ed326)

Meeting Myself (#ulink_e5d7d049-99af-5722-bf2d-abca390be558)

Joey (#ulink_14dfc13e-d4cf-55de-aebe-6ce84a930908)

Eric (#ulink_f889ae0c-28ad-5f7d-9103-cbe0e0391a65)

Changes (#litres_trial_promo)

Ben (#litres_trial_promo)

Alice (#litres_trial_promo)

Charlie (#litres_trial_promo)

A Safe Place (#litres_trial_promo)

Appendix (#litres_trial_promo)

Exclusive sample chapter (#litres_trial_promo)