A very readable, poignant recollection by Casey Watson, who writes under a pseudonym and is a specialist foster carer. This is Casey’s 12th book and she takes us back to a time before she was a foster carer, to when she was a behaviour manager for a local school. We hear about the children who come under her care, and one in particular, Leo, whose behaviour causes concern. Casey Watson writes in a chatty light style, even when talking about weighty subjects, and I felt as though I could be listening to a friend. The everyday problems, the incident ‘firefighting’, the heartbreaking stories are all told with compassion, on occasion gentle humour, and with an awful lot of love. ‘Mummy’s Little Soldier’ gives a fascinating insight into a complicated world, and is a thought-provoking read.
Mummy's Little Soldier A Troubled Child. An Absent Mom. A Shocking Secret. Synopsis
Casey's Unit is, as ever, full of troubled, disaffected pupils, and new arrival Leo is something of a conundrum. Thirteen year old Leo isn't a bad lad - in fact, he's generally polite and helpful, but he's in danger of permanent exclusion for repeatedly absconding and unauthorised absences. Despite letters being sent home regularly, his mother never turns up for any appointments, and when the school calls home she always seems to have an excuse. Though Casey has her hands full, she offers to intervene for a while, to try get Leo engaged in learning again and remaining in school. The head's sceptical though and warns her that this is Leo's very last chance. But Casey's determined, because there's something about Leo that makes her want to fight his corner, and get to the bottom of whatever it is that compels this enigmatic boy to keep running away. With Leo so resolutely tight-lipped and secretive, Casey knows that if she's going to keep this child in education, she's going to have to get to the bottom of it herself...
Casey Watson is a specialist foster carer. She has been working in this field for six years after giving up her position as a behaviour manager for a local school. During this time she has welcomed 14 difficult to place children into her home. As a specialist foster carer she works with profoundly damaged children, seeing each child through a specific behavioural modification programme, at the end of which they will hopefully be in the position to be returned either back to their family or into mainstream foster care. Casey combines fostering with writing, usually late at night when the rest of the family is sleeping. During her spare time she is working towards a degree in Psychology and Criminology. Casey is married with two grown-up children and three grandchildren. The name Casey Watson is a pseudonym.
