04/23/06 — Your kids are your life.

You spend so many hours taking them from play dates to school events that you almost feel like you live in your vehicle. You’ve stepped on dozens of toys, made hundreds of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and have done thousands of loads of laundry on their behalf.

And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

So you wonder when you read statistics about abused kids: How could anybody do something like that?

Author Kathy Harrison wonders, too. She’s seen more than she cares to remember, but in her new book “One Small Boat,” she recalls a little girl who lost an innocent childhood, but gained a chance at a real family.

Over the years, Kathy Harrison and her husband, Bruce, have been foster parents to hundreds of kids, and in 1996 the Harrisons were named Massachusetts Foster Parents of the Year. Because of their experience, patience and willingness to care for other people’s children, theirs is the phone number that social workers call when a child is in need of shelter for a night or weekend, a month or even years. While Harrison says she remembers all the children that pass through her door and her heart, this book is about one of the ones who touched her the most.

Harrison was told that the little girl was aggressive and possibly mentally challenged, but when 6-year-old Daisy was brought to the Harrison household, it didn’t take long for the Harrisons to fall in love with her.

Daisy fit in well with the family and with the other children and she was a natural peacemaker. Her speech was unintelligible at first, but she learned quickly, showing a sharp mind and a sharper wit. She was a charmer and the Harrisons quickly became very attached to her.

After a few short months and a few fruitless efforts to reconcile Daisy with her mother, the Harrisons began to discuss Daisy’s adoptability. It appeared that the family was going to gain a new member.

And then Daisy’s birth father showed up and the little girl who lost her childhood found a happy ending after all.

Fair warning: If you’re a parent or someone who has a beloved child in your life, it’s going to be hard to pick up “One Small Boat” without wanting to read it straight through to the end.

Author Kathy Harrison obviously loves children and works hard to make frightened little ones feel safe, but I appreciated that she never made herself into a “super foster mom.” Being at the mercy of the system, caring for neglected children and raising a houseful of boisterous kids can understandably be a challenge, but Harrison is confident enough to reveal frustrations, anger and fears. This will endear her to parents everywhere who sometimes feel the same emotions.

“One Small Boat” is not a fun-fun book. It may be hard for some parents to read. One thing is for certain, it’s going to make you hug your kids a little harder tonight.



The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives in West Salem, Wis., with her husband, three dogs and 9,000 books.