The Very Worst Thing

by Torey Hayden Narrated by Andy Paris

Overview

Number one on David's list of The Very Worst Things is NOTHING. To him, it means not belonging anywhere. It means not owning a single toy. Living in foster homes for the last six years, David now has trouble making friends and keeping up in school. More than anything in the world, he just wants something to call his own. He thinks he's found that something when he hatches an owl named King Arthur with the help of his "girl genius" friend, Mab. But when it looks like King Arthur must be set free, David learns a powerful lesson. The real "good stuff " in life isn't something he can own. Like the friends in The Very Worst Thing, Torey Hayden once hatched and raised a short-eared owl. This is her first novel for young readers, though she has also written best-selling adult books. An educational psychologist and special education teacher, Torey Hayden lives on a farm in Wales with her family.

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-Two outsiders warily become friends and join forces to hatch and raise an owl in this problem novel. David, 11, has been shuttled between foster homes for years. Now he has been placed with a woman who has the patience to deal with his stuttering and dyspraxia, and he begins to make great strides thanks to her understanding; his new friend, Mab; and King Arthur the owl. It is David's insecurity and need for closeness that doom the animal, but the friendship itself survives. David and Mab are successfully developed characters, but the secondary characters are not as well delineated. The hatching and development of the owl keep the story moving and help to compensate for some of the plot details that seem tacked on. David's story is adequately told, and the author wisely leaves some of his problems unresolved. This book may find an audience where outsider tales are in demand.-Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Twelve-year-old David, passed among foster homes for as long as he can remember, has never had anything or anyone of his own except his sister, who is now in juvenile hall. Once again, he’s the new kid and the butt of every joke because of his stutter and being held back a year. After destroying an owl’s nest in a fit of anger, he takes the remaining egg and decides to hatch it. He befriends Mab, a "genius girl," who is two years younger than the rest of their class. The owl-raising goes well until King Arthur begins to wither in captivity, and David learns that the very worst thing is losing something you love. This is just the type of fiction one would expect from Hayden, usually a nonfiction scribe. David’s a believable child with many obstacles to mount; Mab, however, often displays too much understanding of human relationships, and the descriptive language reads awkwardly in places. Despite these flaws, this is a well-wrought problem novel for the younger set. (Fiction. 9-13)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170473298
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	01/08/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	510,821
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

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