Torey Hayden was working with emotionally disturbed and intellectually challenged American children when she encountered Sheila.

The six-year-old had been kicked out of a moving car by her mother who left her on the roadside and never returned. She was living in a slum with her alcoholic father and found herself in Hayden's class awaiting her fate after setting a young boy on fire.

Once read, Hayden's extraordinary story One Child and its follow-up Tiger's Child are hard to forget. It's even harder to accept that these are works of non-fiction.

The brutal reality of Sheila's upbringing, her startlingly high IQ, her desperation to be "normal" are shocking and moving and sad beyond words.

Hayden forms a wonderful relationship with the little girl, helping her to come to terms with overwhelming feelings of abandonment. Just when things are looking brighter for Sheila, she is raped by an uncle. Hayden is there to help her pick up the pieces. Crucially, she is also there to fight to keep the youngster out of state hospital.

One Child ends with a poignant poem that Sheila writes for Hayden who has to move onto another job in another state.

Tiger's Child catches up with Sheila when she is in her teens. Hayden's attempts to rekindle their relationship after finally tracking her down following a difficult search do not go well.

Sheila has blocked out much of her early life, including the happy months she spent with the author. But it is revealed that she is fostering deep hatred and anger towards Hayden for leaving her. In Sheila's eyes she tossed her aside, just like her mother did all those years ago.

The books, for me at least, are almost faultless. They are perfectly paced and flow well. The themes found within them are likely to interest foster parents and adopters.

Hayden's ability to bring out the best in children and her selflessness can only be admired. Interestingly, One Child did not start out as a book. Hayden wrote it as a personal story to record for herself her time with Sheila. It was only after the story was completed that she considered publishing it. I, for one, am grateful she did.

Published by HarperCollins Publishers RRP £5.99 each

Reviewed by Julie Bayley, mother-of-two and project manager of the BAFTA-winning educational website www.headlinehistory.co.uk

Click to buy: One Child

Click to buy: The Tiger's Child: The Story of a Gifted, Troubled Child and the Teacher Who Refused to Give Up on Her