City Kid

City Kid
Mary MacCracken

From the author of international bestsellers A Circle of Children and Lovey comes an inspiring true story of a gifted teacher’s determination to understand the ‘rotten’ city kid everyone has given up on.Sitting quiet and withdrawn at a battered school desk, Luke had the looks of a shy angel – and a past that special needs teacher Mary MacCracken could barely believe.Already Luke had been picked up 24 times by the police. He’d set over a dozen major fires, and had a staggering record of thefts. No adult could reach him, no teacher could control him, and no policeman could cow him. All this – and Luke was only seven and a half years old.Trying to help Luke was Mary MacCracken’s job – and a seemingly impossible challenge. This is the remarkable story of how the impossible came true.

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Copyright (#u042f5711-346d-5f23-a1b5-d9f6af79f374)

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 of individuals, places or institutions are fictitious.

HarperElement

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and HarperElement are trademarks of

HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

First published in Great Britain by Little, Brown & Company, Inc, 1981

This updated edition published by HarperElement 2014

Copyright © 1981, 2014 by Mary Burnham MacCraken 2014

Mary MacCracken asserts the moral right to

be identified as the author of this work

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2014

Cover photograph © Diane Kerpan/Arcangel Images (posed by model)

Mary MacCracken asserts the moral right to

be identified as the author of this work

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Source ISBN: 9780007555161

Ebook Edition © August 2014 ISBN: 9780007555178

Version 2014-07-22

Dedication (#u042f5711-346d-5f23-a1b5-d9f6af79f374)

For Cal:

who believed in me

Contents

Cover (#u839e5972-b0e2-5021-8ce5-4f4b73ba9324)

Title Page (#u55f41833-710e-5ca3-87c1-2323b89516fa)

Copyright (#ulink_c6cfb8d0-b202-59b2-a8e8-4019af138adc)

Dedication (#ulink_e9c79917-42a9-5063-b098-dc913152d04d)

The Fire Within (#ulink_6cbfad5f-6b70-5482-afc1-6441ff82c369)

Chapter 1 (#ulink_9c9debf8-0921-54e5-b017-6d6ae064d10d)

Chapter 2 (#ulink_21d476ec-0c26-5ed8-ac25-cb5eff82a255)

Chapter 3 (#ulink_6254c37e-c750-5951-b29f-b579654124d3)

Chapter 4 (#ulink_693b94bf-605b-5a8e-b83a-bc65b3439c02)

Chapter 5 (#ulink_5d6149f9-3ac0-5352-80d6-cac99e31e5f3)

Chapter 6 (#ulink_5a410699-981c-5f61-9d29-46f36ccc916f)

Chapter 7 (#ulink_c92660c0-6a6b-5ba7-8e03-d76e7e482cdc)

Chapter 8 (#ulink_713dde36-f590-51cc-993d-6ce232ee3d69)

Chapter 9 (#ulink_70210b6a-b44a-5b7b-9e83-d5e5b51407fd)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)