The Lost Children

The Lost Children
Mary MacCracken

First published in 1974 as A Circle of Children this is the first of four books from learning disabilities specialist Mary MacCracken.This is a book about children so emotionally disturbed they cannot fit into society; it is also the story of a woman whose involvement with these children changed the shape of their lives forever.When Mary MacCracken joined a school for emotionally disturbed children as a volunteer, she quickly found herself rocked to the core by the strong, loving people who taught there, the hard-pressed and bewildered parents, and the damaged children. On the outside most of the children looked healthy. But the reality was far sadder. Locked away from love and any human contact, these children struggled with life every day.It soon became evident that Mary MacCracken was a natural, gifted teacher. Using her instincts, observations and common sense, Mary was able to establish a rapport with even the most difficult children. Over time, Mary taught her class to eat and to drink; she decoded their mutterings, and taught them to talk and to read. But most important of all she helped them to take the first steps towards feeling love and trust.There are no miracle-workers in this story, only a remarkable woman who refused to give up. Heartfelt, moving and incredibly inspiring, this is an amazing story about the astonishing human capacity for growth and change, even in those whom society regards as beyond help.

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Contents

Cover (#u993efa4d-eb67-5e3a-8715-e97de2e1a510)

Title Page (#ulink_87bcdcb2-e964-5db1-ac0a-878faafaf865)

Dedication (#ulink_af08fb6c-7213-5add-be89-c25b75a499bb)

Epigraph (#ulink_4551adef-2b7c-5fd1-b312-1a53b5752cdf)

Chapter 1 (#ulink_57a6d546-629c-5034-96ff-9a0899408905)

Chapter 2 (#ulink_7ca1eaba-e213-5bc5-964a-0f6f9bcd9e52)

Chapter 3 (#ulink_056e61e5-5b13-5e01-a410-122e5613469c)

Chapter 4 (#ulink_66dccbff-e27e-5881-9b9c-0086c274c1f2)

Chapter 5 (#ulink_05a1cd82-2099-5a7d-a423-4e49b42ab066)

Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

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)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 24 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 25 (#litres_trial_promo)

Teacher (#litres_trial_promo)

Also by Mary MacCraken (#litres_trial_promo)

Coming soon … (#litres_trial_promo)

Exclusive sample chapter (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Dedication (#u810c750e-ba6b-5fb5-b910-f36c64c0d36d)

For my mother and first teacher:

Florence Ferguson Burnham

Epigraph (#u810c750e-ba6b-5fb5-b910-f36c64c0d36d)

He drew a circle that shut me out –

Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.

But Love and I had the wit to win:

We drew a circle that took him in!

– Edwin Markham

Chapter 1 (#u810c750e-ba6b-5fb5-b910-f36c64c0d36d)

I encountered the school without warning, sandwiching the appointment between one at the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and another at the Cerebral Palsy Clinic, where I had been many times before. It was to be a routine visit; my tennis racket was packed in the back seat of the car in case we finished early enough for a set before our children arrived home from school.