A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive (Paperback)

~ Dave Pelzer (Author) "March 5, 1973, Daly City, California-I'm late..." (more)
Key Phrases: fight for food, While Father Is Away, The Lord's Prayer, The Accident (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

David J. Pelzer's mother, Catherine Roerva, was, he writes in this ghastly, fascinating memoir, a devoted den mother to the Cub Scouts in her care, and somewhat nurturant to her children--but not to David, whom she referred to as "an It." This book is a brief, horrifying account of the bizarre tortures she inflicted on him, told from the point of view of the author as a young boy being starved, stabbed, smashed face-first into mirrors, forced to eat the contents of his sibling's diapers and a spoonful of ammonia, and burned over a gas stove by a maniacal, alcoholic mom. Sometimes she claimed he had violated some rule--no walking on the grass at school!--but mostly it was pure sadism. Inexplicably, his father didn't protect him; only an alert schoolteacher saved David. One wants to learn more about his ordeal and its aftermath, and now he's written a sequel, The Lost Boy, detailing his life in the foster-care system.

Though it's a grim story, A Child Called "It" is very much in the tradition of Chicken Soup for the Couple's Soul and the many books in that upbeat series, whose author Pelzer thanks for helping get his book going. It's all about weathering adversity to find love, and Pelzer is an expert witness.

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up?This autobiographical account charts the abuse of a young boy as his alcoholic mother first isolates him from the rest of the family; then torments him; and finally nearly kills him through starvation, poisoning, and one dramatic stabbing. Pelzer's portrayal of domestic tyranny and eventual escape is unforgettable, but falls short of providing understanding of extreme abuse or how he made his journey from "Victim to Victor." It takes some work to get past the poor writing and the self-aggrandizing back matter, but the book tries fervently to provide a much-needed perspective. One of the greater obstacles to healing for males is admitting that they have been victims, especially if their perpetrator is a woman. This author has overcome that obstacle and succeeded in life by such masculine norms as joining the Air Force and receiving awards for his volunteerism. However, while personal accounts of child maltreatment provide crucial information about the realities of childhood, youngsters need insight and hope in order to digest the raw material of abuse. James Deem's The 3 NBs of Julian Drew (Houghton, 1994) is a well-crafted, fictional work that effectively covers much of the same ground.?Carolyn Polese, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 195 pages
• Publisher: HCI (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558743669
• ISBN-13: 978-1558743663
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,994 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #735 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #1 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Family Relationships > Child Abuse
  #2 in	Books > Parenting & Families > Family Relationships > Dysfunctional Relationships

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

235 of 274 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational story of resilience. A must read!, November 7, 1999

By A Customer

A Child Called "It" is a real life story about a boy who was brutally beaten and starved by his mentally disturbed and alcoholic mother. At first, David Pelzer lived a healthy and normal life with his parents and brothers. His mother, however, unexpectedly transformed into a monster, venting her anger on her helpless child. David was submerged in freezing cold water, forced to eat his own vomit, slept in the basement under the stairs, stabbed, and forced to sit on a burning stove. These are just a few of the torturous games that his mother used to play. She treated him not like her son, but like an "it". David suffered both mental and physical abuse. In order to survive from his mother's sick games, David used willpower. Through all of her torturous games, David's inner strength began to emerge.

This book is a perfect example of how the human spirit can provide strength in the toughest of situations. David's spirit helped him to survive through his mother's emotional and physical abuse. He refused to let his mother win. He had no one to help him so he learned how to fend for himself. His courage and determination saved him from all of the suffering that he endured at such a young age.

David is a living testament of resilience. His faith and personal responsibility helped him transform into an emotionally healthy and competent adult. A large percentage of emotionally and physically abused children become abusive in their adult years. The abusiveness could be a cycle, passed down from generation to generation. Their rage and pain of being abused could be turned on themselves or the ones they love. David, at a young age, showed strong signs of being a planner as well as a problem solver. These character traits, along with caring adults (nurses, teachers, social workers, etc.), help him to become resilient. David's inner strength helped him turn shame into pride and rejection into acceptance. A Child Called "It" sends an inspirational message of resilience and the human spirit. A person has the ability to leave their dark past and look forward to a better tomorrow. If David Pelter could do it than anyone can!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A heartbreaking story of triumph, November 13, 2009

By	Adrianna Dillard - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Child Called It: One Child's Courage to Survive (Paperback)

This is a heartbreaking memoir about a young boy looking for love. His violently abusive mother beats him constantly, with the stench of alcohol in her breath, while his so called "hero" of a dad and four brothers refuse to help. After David runs to school every day, because his mother won't give him a ride. The school nurse examines him one day and notices all of his cuts and bruises. Even though the nurse thinks that his mother is abusive, David, out of fear, will not tell the family's secret. One day, David's mother pulls his arm out of his socket. When she takes David to the hospital, she lies and says he fell out of bed but that she was too late to try to catch him. It seems that the more she hurts David, the better liar she gets. But that's not even the half of it. David's nightmare is the worst case of child abuse I have ever heard of.

Even though the book was sad, it had to be one of the most inspiring memoirs I have ever read. David Pelzer must be the BRAVEST person I will ever hear about! Out of five stars, I would definitely give this book five, even though I want to give it more! I think this book should be for kids 12 + because it is violent and really sad. It could scare little kids and they might not really understand it. For people that are over 12, you will love it! I've only read it once, but I could read it over and over again.

Another memoir of a chaotic childhood that leads to triumph, which I absolutely loved (I bought it after seeing Dave Pelzer's endorsement on the cover) is I Love Yous Are for White People: A Memoir (P.S.)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Like a car crash...horrible, but you can't look away..., July 28, 2007

By	Amy "hmmyum" (USA) - See all my reviews

While child abuse is something that needs much attention, I have to say, this was a difficult book to get through. Like some other reviewers, I found the details to seem imbellished; and I often found myself wondering: "bleach and amonia in an airless room?" Why is this man still alive?

What I find even more shocking is the number of kids' reviews there are on this book. As a teacher, I purchased the book to add to my classroom library, because I have been told by a number of students that this is a "great book." I have also seen it in elementary and middle school book fairs, and I find myself wondering why. I had trouble getting through the book and I think it would be in the best interest of parents and children for the parent to read this book before allowing children to read it. I WILL NOT put it in my classroom library. It is violent to the point of horror and made me cry over and over. And at some point it seemed like abuse for the sake of shock value. Parents, don't forget that some books are not really child appropriate.