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Summary: One can learn a lot from Dave Pelzer's personal story.
Review: In Dave Pelzer's personal story of A Child Called "It", he shares his horrid childhood experiences of how he survived years of physical and mental abuse from his drunken mother. The novel begins with Mr. Pelzer reliving the day in which he is freed from the bondage of his mother. Dave then returns the reader, knowing the outcome of the story, to years before the abuse began. Originally, Dave is loved by his mother and father as a child should be. As the family structure deteriorated, his mother began to discipline him. Her only explanation to him was that he was a "bad boy."; therefore, he blamed himself for the cruelty bestowed upon. At first, he was simply left in his bedroom for hours on end. It progressed and progressed until he was no longer a part of the family and simply referred to as "It." The child was no longer a son but rather slave. His abuse included: being denied to socialize with his own siblings being brutally beaten, being starved for of ten day, being locked in a bathroom with a mixture of ammonia and bleach, being stabbed, and being shoved into a cold bathtub and left there for hours. These are only a few of the less gruesome incidents of abuse that David was forced to live with for years. His tattered clothes and stench also did not help him escape his hell at school, where he was forced to steal from lunch boxes in order to eat. As his parent's relationship became more strained, his abuse increased in intensity, for his mother began to drink more and more. His mother was able to eventually control his father to the point in which he was helpless in saving David, and she was then able to drive him out of the house. In time, his brothers eventually began helping his mother beat Dave. Despite a few moments of wanting to die, his will to survive and his unbelievable faith in the Lord was able to save him from his mother. Looking at Dave during those years, one can find no weakness in such an innocent child; however, looking at his heartless mother, one can find no strength. This stark contrast has left a permanent impression upon me. On one hand, I pray that I will never become anything like that evil mother. On the other hand, I pray that I take Dave's strength as an example. No matter what one must face one can survive with internal motivation. Also, I am also humbled by the thought that no matter how bad thing seem to be going; it is nothing compared to what Dave lived through. It also sadden me that there were so many opportunities for Dave's salvation years before it actually occurred. In the future as a doctor, I pray that I will never have an abused child slip through my fingers. Although this book is extremely hard to read and digest at times, it is worth the struggle to complete. This story is an excellent reflection upon life in general and there are so many things to be learned from Dave Pelzer.
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Summary: Sort of a memory
Review: The biography of D.Pelzer was very emotional. The trauma he went through during his childhood was much like a family member of mine. Actually, three of my cousins went through what Pelzer went through from my grandmother. While reading this story about this man, I felt like I was actually watching everything go on. Pelzer wrote this book about his childhood and actually captured me into his depression, abuse, torture, and the happiness that he once had, and found again. I highly recommend this book to readers because not only is it fascinating, it is also real. This book tells about real things some children go through.
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Summary: It's been a bestseller for years
Review: I wondered why this book has been on the paperback bestseller list for so many years so, out of curiosity I bought it. Now I know! This oustanding book, which can easily be read in one sitting, tells the autobiographical tale of a young boy who was horrifically abused by his alcoholic mother. His father and brothers were too cowed to come to his aid. Tragically, they began to see David, rather than his mother, as the problem. The mother devised incredible horrors to inflict on this poor child including a "gas chamber" in which she forced poor David to remain in a sealed bathroom with a bucket of clorox and ammonia. A few of the many other atrocities inflicted on David were starvation and beatings. It's a wonder that David survived the many cruelties inflicted upon him. The abuse was systematic and almost without any relief. David is ultimately rescued from his dreadful situation and he is grateful to the school officials who did so. However, I am left wondering how it could have taken so many years for these teachers, social workers, nurse's etc. to do so. I am amazed that this could have continued for years. The book leaves many questions unanswered. For example, I wonder whether his abusive mother was brought to justice. I also wonder whether his father was held to account for allowing it to happen. There are two other books in the series, "The Lost Boy," and "A Man Named Dave." They too are on the bestseller list. My appetite is certainly whetted. I want some of the unanswered questions answered. I will read on and review those books afterwards.
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Summary: IT CARN'T BE TRUE.
Review: WHEN IWAS TOLD OF THIS BOOK I THOUGH THAT IT WAS JUST A STORY NOT REAL LIFE.AFTER READING IT I SPENT DAYS THINKING ABOUT HOW A MOTHER COULD DO SUCH HORRIBLE THINGS TO HERE OWN FLESH AND BLOOD.I KNOW TAHT NOT ALL PARENTS ARE BRILLIANT BUT THIS YOUNG BOYS MOTHER SHOULD BE A SHAMED AND GUILTY FOR THE SUFFERING AND ABUSE SHE PUT UPON HER SON. I FELT RELEAVED THAT LITTLE DAVID WAS SAVED BY HIS TEACHERS, THAT HE FOUND LOVE IN THE FOSTER HOMES, I HAVE YET TO READ THE LAST BOOK, WHERE I HOPE DAVID FINDS LOVE AND HAPPYNESS.
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Summary: Book Rewiew for A child Called "It"
Review: I recently read the book titled A child called "It" and was left speachless. After reading the story of a child named David who was rigorously abused by his alcoholic mother, I was completly disgusted. David's mother physically and mentally abused him by starving him for days on end and playing horrible mind games with him. Many times David came very close to death. However, with lots of amazing inner-strenght, David was ablt to outwit his mother and survive. He would steal garbage scraps for food and learn to take care of himself using little to no supplies. David wasn't treated anything close to what a child should be treated like. That is why the title of the book is so appropriate. David's mother thinks and treats David like an "It", not a person. This book really made me appreciate how nice and kind my parents are to me and how thankful I should be for everything that I have. I have an easy and enjoyfull like comparred to David. He wasn't able to enjoy such an easy child hood. And even though he used tremoundous strength and witt in out-smarting his mother, He is lucky that he lived to tell his breathtaking story.
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Summary: A Child Called "It"
Review: David Pelzer had the perfect family. They were a loving, caring family that went on family outings and vacations. That was before David was a "bad boy." His father was often away from home because of his job and his mother started spending whole days sitting on the couch in her bathrobe drinking her booze. At first she would only smush his face up against the bathroom mirror and make him say to himself, "I'm a bad boy. I'm a bad boy." Soon he was not allowed to eat with the family. When he was lucky, he got to eat the leftovers from his brother's cereal bowl. His mother would give him time limits to do his chores, and only if he finished his chores in time would he be given the privilege to eat. Sometimes going up to ten days without eating, David had to steal food. That, however, only made the beatings worse. He used to think his father was his hero, but his mother soon had everyone in the whole house brainwashed - even his new little brother. No one was allowed to acknowledge him and he was simply referred to as "The Boy." From his mother's point of view, "The Boy" was the reason for their marriage problem, so the beatings continued. They ranged from punching and starving, to swallowing ammonia, burning on the stove, or being stabbed. Some of the physical aspects of the abuse David could ignore, but he was suffering emotionally. He no longer had any friends at school because he was never allowed to shower or change his clothes. He received no love at home, and only in his daydreams did someone care for him. His only goal was to stay alive. His courage is what kept him going and what eventually led to his rescue. This is what encourages the readers. If a little boy can survive through a living nightmare, than the problems that many people face today start to look minor. When I read this book it really made me look at all of the things I had in my life. It made me realize all of the things I take for granted. They can be as small as being able to go to the bathroom on a toilet to being able to talk without endangering my life. This is a truly inspiring story that everyone should read no matter what their age or gender is. It also really makes the fact known about how awful the life of an abused child is. There are still other kids who are living a similar nightmare and don't know how to get out. The people around them need to be the ones to get them out of situations like that because they won't be getting any help from their families.
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Summary: heart-stopping book
Review: "A Child called "IT" was so outstanding,I couldn't put it down!Dave Pelzer's story was so sad. I can't belive how a mother could do that to her own child. I wouldn't want to feel all the pain and struggle he had to go through. His book inspiers me because I've learned that no matter how bad a situation may get, you have to be strong and keep trying to get where you want to be.This book tells about a little boy that get brutally beaten and starved by his alcoholic mother. His mother played games with him and he had to learn how to play those games inorder for him to survive because his mother didn't consider him a son enymore but an "IT". He had to clean, wash dishes, he couldn't eat with the family, sleep in a basement on a old army cot, take cold baths for hours, and on top of all that some broken bones. The outside world didn't know what was going on in that house with that crazy mother of his untill later on. Dave is a good example of a surviver. He was a strong person and never gave up. I hope his story made a difference in other peoples lifes.
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Summary: One child's courage to survive horror beyond horror...
Review: Child abuse is seen here in this horrific true story like never before in this heartbreaking, encouraging, and painful novel by surviving author David Peltzer. He was just a cute little boy growing up in the golden city of San Francisco, with a loving mother and father and family. Life was sweet, and the family spent their times thrillingly. But when his mother started becoming different, and attitudes around the family began to change, soon everything began to slowly fall apart. Horribly abused, unimaginably mistreated, the child David faces an enraged, brutal mother who abuses him for her own sick pleasure. She changed, and became an entirely different person, and brutalized her child like never before. Facing a horrible life, with absolutely nothing to give him hope, the child began to reach into his heart, pulling out courage, pulling out faith he never knew was there, pulling out a somewhat comforting hope to help him hold on and hopefully survive. A Child Called 'It' was a gripping painful story of a boy's courage to survive, and how he faced a mad, brutal mother who slashed pain not just at his body but at his heart to weaken him more then he could imagine. It was heartwrenching and gruelingly horrible to read, and I can't believe how a little boy like David could ever find hope. An absolutely nightmarish, gripping autobiography seen through the eyes of an unimaginably abused child, I DO NOT recommend this to children, as it is a horribly violent and scary novel that is likely to instill a nightmare. But for older readers, it is so encouraging and faithful, it gives you the hope that one so small and vulnerable can somehow survive, with the daring dream that someday he will at last be free of the horror.
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Summary: A child called it
Review: A child called it written by David J. Pelzar, is a very sad but good story. There are some very sad parts in this. You may not want to read this book if you have a week stomache, but it has the realities of real life in it that you may want to know about it. When David was a young boy his mom started abusing him. She would make him sit in the basement while everyone else ate dinner and then he had to clean up the dinner mess. He was only allowed to eat garbage scraps and that was only every 7-10 days. His father is on his side throughout the story, but he too is afraid of David's mom. To try to prtoect David sometimes his dad would take his mom out and get her drunk. One night after she got drunk she came home and told David that if he didn't do the dishes then she would stab him. She grabed a knife and went over and sat in her rocking chair and was holding the knife ready to stab him. When the dishes were done he went over and sat by his mom to tell her. The knife accidently slipped out of her hands and it stabbed him in the stomache. Now even after this his mom didn't take him to the hospital. All she did was wrap his stomache in towels. One time she even burnt him on the stove. Sometimes she would make sure there were no airholes in the bathroom and sitck clorox and amonia in there with David and make him sit in there and smell it for hours at a time. One time she even made him drink it! To make sure that David hadn't stolen food everyday when he got home from school she would make him throw-up and if he couldn't throw-up then he hadn't eaten. If he did throw-up then she made him eat the voment. One day a lady saw David mowing the lawn. She saw how scrawny he was and took him to her house and mead him a lunch bag. His mother saw this happen so when he got done mowing the yard she took him inside beat him very badly and then told him to go and take the food back to the lady and that he didn't need any food. As you can see David is one very tough and very lucky person to have lived through all of that. This book makes you realize how much we love our families and how there is child abuse going on in the world today.
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Summary: Such a tear jearker!
Review: A Child called It, by Dave J. Pelzer is a very fascinating book. The book is about a boy that is referred to his family as "the boy", he is the outcast of his family. His family was once the ideal perfect little family who always went on family trips to the Russian river. Soon the mother of the family developed a drinking problem and she took her anger out on "the boy" It will really make you jeark tears...Its amazing the way he fought to survive. This is a book i recommend to anyone.
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