Shayna's Shadows

By Paul Philip Brown

"Shayna's Shadows" introduces a grade 8 youngster from an ethnic group who arrives at a new school and encounters bullying, prejudice and bigotry, difficulties many young people face today. Shayna overcomes her problems through reliance on her own inner resources, as well as on the help of her friend, Jessica, and a number of significant others in her school, religious and community environments.

Suitable for young adult or adult readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Paul Philip Brown
• Release date: Jan 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9780969887027

Paul Philip Brown

Paul Brown has been teaching in Toronto, Canada, for over 35 years, with 21 of those years spent at the junior high school level. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, he attended what was then called the Toronto Hebrew Day School, a private Jewish elementary school providing both regular school subjects, as well as an in-depth exposure to Jewish Bible, history, culture, prayer and Hebrew language. After graduating from North Toronto Collegiate, Brown attended the University of Toronto, enrolling in the General Arts program with a major in psychology. His first degree was followed by a Master of Education Degree at OISE with a concentration in Guidance and Counselling. Brown's in-depth experience with young people aged three to twenty runs the gamut from camp counsellor to bus driver, from private tutor to guidance counsellor. In 1989 he was granted a paid sabbatical by the then North York Board of Education. His area of study included an analysis of the Ulpan system of combining concentrated second language instruction with cultural integration of immigrants in a multi-cultural setting -- in Israel. Having spent most of his adult life working with junior high and high school students, Brown wanted to create a vehicle for addressing some of the most challenging issues young people constantly face—bullying, bigotry, racism and anti-Semitism. The compelling novel Shayna's Shadows is the thought-provoking result. The father of six, Brown lives in Toronto.

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What others have to say about Shayna’s Shadows

Brown has written a fine book called Shayna’s Shadows about bullying, and how one school tried to do something about it. While the book sounds serious, you will find a lot to enjoy in it, especially seeing Shayna change from a scared, insecure and easily intimidated girl to a determined person, with the courage to face her tormenters.

~ Leila Speisman, Canadian Jewish News

Many issues that students face are touched upon in this book. Brown has observed, firsthand, what students undergo at the junior high and high school levels. This book can be a very important learning tool in dealing with anti-Semitism.

~ Rosalie Kurtz, Jewish Tribune

Brown, himself a teacher in the public school system for 30 years, wrote the book as an educational tool to help teach teenagers about the implications of what many consider harmless fun. Shayna's Shadows teaches that fun is not harmless when it is at the expense of others.

~ Aliza Libman, Afterword

Of Special Interest for Parents, Teachers and Youth Group Leaders

A good introduction to racism for any middle school class. Events in the novel triggered great discussions.

~ Joanne Laing, Middle School Classroom Teacher, Toronto District School Board

A great novel study book.

Very good for teaching us that prejudice is a bad thing, and what the consequences are.

A good example of how far bullies can go, and how much pain one victim of bigotry can feel.

~ Pierre Laporte Middle School Student Comments, Toronto District School Board

Shayna’s Shadows

Paul Philip Brown

Published by Educan Publishing at Smashwords

Copyright © 2012 by Paul Philip Brown

Cover art by Batya Brown

Cover design by Eli Brown

This book is available in print at

www.educanpublishing.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter 1

She fought to stop the tears as she waited to be called in to Mr. Epstein’s office. The gum in her mouth was already tasteless, and she would normally have spit it out long ago, but the chewing kept her mind and mouth busy.

She shivered. Shayna shook it off and tried not to think about why she was here, and what was probably about to happen in that office. Her parents were already in there with Mr. Epstein. He was probably telling them all sorts of lies about her.

How she never did her homework. Not true! Once in a while, perhaps, but not ever was a lie.

How she was always forgetting to bring her books or pen or math set or reading book with her to class. Not true! Yes, it happened once in a while, but always was a lie.

How she failed almost every single test in all her non-religious subjects since the beginning of September. All right. So this particular fact was true. But it wasn’t her fault, that’s for sure. How did they expect her to do all that work at the same time as her Hebrew subjects?

Shayna could just bet he wasn’t saying a word about how well she was doing in her typing. How she’d gotten a score of 43 words per minute on her last speed test. Or the 77 per cent mark on the business letter assignment. Old Epstein would just tell his side of the story, knowing him, thought Shayna.

Sticking two fingers in her mouth, she pulled out one end of the wad of bubble gum as far as it would go, then stuffed it back in, quickly glancing at the boy sitting opposite her to see if he’d noticed. Some people, like her mother, thought this gummy habit she had was disgusting, but Shayna thought it was great. The stringy texture was neat, and it was almost like starting a brand new piece. Shayna pulled her brown, almost shoulder-length hair over her face for privacy.

Mr. Epstein’s face appeared at the door of his office. Please come in now, Shayna.

Shayna plodded into Mr. Epstein’s office. Her parents were seated in front of a desk that was covered with file folders. She wondered which one was hers, and what it said about her. Shayna especially wondered about the comments made by her grade four teacher. After all, it was his fault that she was in this mess now. He should be the one sitting here, not her.

Mr. Epstein cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "Shayna, I’m sure you know why you’re here, so let’s get right down to business. Your parents and I have just been discussing your progress so far this year. You do realize how poorly you’ve been doing in your studies this past month. Last June, when your parents and I discussed the problem, we agreed to give you until the end of September as a trial, and if things didn’t improve by then, we said we’d have to withdraw you from some of your religious subjects and arrange for tutoring to help you catch up.

This was the second year that Mr. Epstein had been her counselor at the Louis B. Solomon Education Centre, a Jewish parochial school in which about half of each day was spent studying the Hebrew language, the Bible, Jewish history and Jewish traditions.

The other half of the day the non-religious subjects were taught—English, mathematics, science, history, French, physical education, typing, art and family studies. To do well in the non-religious subjects at Solomon was to do well in only half the work. The days were long -- 8:30 to 5:30 -- with lots of homework, projects and tests.

Mr. Epstein continued. I’m afraid that it no longer makes sense for you to continue with our full double program of both Hebrew and non-religious subjects when you are experiencing such difficulties. Shayna, your parents and I feel that you should make the change as of Monday.

Tears welled up in Shayna’s eyes, sliding down her cheeks. I’m just not good enough, thought Shayna. What everyone else can do, I can’t. Even when I try my hardest, I’m not good enough.

Mrs. Rosen could never stand the sight of her daughter crying. Immediately her right hand flew up to her cheek in dismay. I will not have my daughter singled out as different, she blurted. Separating her from her friends for half a day every day would be very damaging to Shayna’s self-esteem.

Shayna’s father asked, Mr. Epstein, my wife is obviously uncomfortable with this plan. Are there any other options you can suggest?

Mr. Epstein cleared his throat again, pushed his glasses back up his nose, and considered.

"Perhaps we could arrange for Shayna to be placed in a remedial reading program at our local junior high, Pierre Elliott Trudeau. That would give her a fresh start in a new school, and reduce her workload too.

What do you think, Simi? Mr. Rosen asked his wife. Mrs. Rosen nodded, her own eyes welling.

Funny how they were deciding her life, thought Shayna, without even asking her how she felt about it.

Shayna, personally I’d prefer to see you staying on here, but I’m sure you will do well at Trudeau, perhaps even well enough so that you’ll be able to return here for grade nine, but in the meantime, grade eight at Trudeau is your parents’ choice.

If anybody ever wanted to know whether Shayna Rosen was upset, all they had to do was look at her forehead, which immediately glistened with sweat at the slightest sign of nervousness, then her underarms, which would stain her top. It was always obvious, and now Shayna felt the telltale sweat starting to form in both places.

Mr. Epstein turned toward her parents. Of course, it will be difficult for Shayna at first, new teachers to get used to, new friends to be made, but after a very short adjustment period, she’ll be just fine. And the fact that she’ll only have the General Studies subjects to deal with will make a great deal of difference. The work load will be greatly reduced from what it is here, and she will be getting the extra reading help she needs.

Mr. Epstein turned to face Shayna. Do you have any questions, Shayna?

The only question in Shayna’s mind was whether or not she could make it out the door without crying.

No, she barely whispered.

Chapter 2

Shayna wasn’t going to let anyone see her crying again, not after the past three years of it, ever since grade four when her school problems had begun with Mr. Coulter. How she did not want to start thinking about all that now!

Shayna fought to control herself, but when she and her parents reached the car, a feeling of complete misery took hold. She sobbed quietly, the tears dripping from her eyes like water droplets falling from a melting icicle.

Mrs. Rosen sat in the back with Shayna, trying to comfort her.

Shayna, dear, you heard what Mr. Epstein said. It really is the best thing for you right now. Maybe you’ll be able to go back to Solomon next year if you do well at Trudeau.

Shayna was sitting quite rigidly, as if her body had turned to stone, with only her eyes and ears functioning. She stared straight ahead through the windshield, wanting intensely for her mother’s words to soothe, but her mother’s voice, sharp and shrill, only served to reveal her own nervousness.

Shayna took a Kleenex from her pocket and blew loudly into it. In rubbing her nose, her finger brushed against a small bump. It must be a pimple, she thought. Her first pimple. Yuckk! The shock of the discovery distracted her, and she ran her fingers back and forth over it. Mom, is this a pimple? she asked, pointing to her nose.

It does look like the start of one, her mother soothed, but don’t worry about it, Shayna. We’ll stop off on the way home and get you something to put on it. Sam, let’s run into the drug store at the corner.

Okay, Simi.

Mrs. Rosen’s voice had relaxed. Shayna knew that her mother was very glad that she had gotten over her upset so quickly. She hated having to deal with it.

As they drove up to the house, Shayna saw her neighbour, Gilbert Garrett, cutting the grass in his front garden.

Mom, can I go talk to Gilbert for a few minutes? He goes to Trudeau, and I’ve got a million questions to ask him.

Sure, dear. I’ll call you in when supper’s ready.

Shayna got out of the car and walked toward him. The hesitant way she moved suggested a person afraid she was about to step into a patch of quicksand. Shayna remembered her grade five teacher, Mr. Barber, once telling the class about how a person’s movements and habits had something to do with what they were thinking or feeling. She wasn’t sure how that was supposed to work, but she sensed that her walk lacked confidence.

As Shayna approached him, Gilbert smiled amiably and cut the power on the mower. Want to clean up some grass, Shayna? Here, have a rake. He bent over to grab the rake he’d left lying at the edge of the lawn. Shoving it into Shayna’s hand, he said, How did you know I needed help?

Actually, Gilbert, I wanted to ask you something, if you don’t mind. Shayna could hear the hesitation in her voice. It’s about Pierre Elliott Trudeau Junior High. You’re still there, aren’t you?

Where else did you think I was gonna be? Gilbert started muttering under his breath as he pulled the rake from Shayna’s hand and began cleaning up. "I’m glad it’s fall already. I’ll tell ya, I’ve had it up to