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

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring book.
Review: The book I read was called a Child Called "It" by David Peltzer. I gave this book five stars because it was an inspiring book. This book is about David. His life was perfect until he was six years old. His mother was the envy of the town. One day when David came home from school his mother slapped him across the face and told him he was a "bad boy." She said he was stupid and he was staying in second grade. But, David was a good and smart boy he normally got an A+ on everything. David's mother did cruel and evil things to him. Some of the worst were making him eat baby poop, eating his throw-up, putting him in a freezing bathtub, and leaving him there for hours. And when she told him to get out of the bath, [not even dry off] put his clothes on and making him sit in the backyard on the rocks in the shade. She left him out on everything her and her family did, and she didn't feed him for up to a period of six days, and put him in the bathroom with no window with Clorox and ammonia fumes. The worst thing was when his mother stabbed him with a knife. His mother did not even take him to the hospital! One day David's school had enough. A police officer came to the school and took David away. To see what happens read the book!

Rating:
Summary: A Very Compelling Book
Review: My husband told me a coworker read this book and told me I may like it. I like reading books on human issues.

But this book was on one hand disturbing on the other hand I could not put it down. I cannot believe a woman could be this mean. She makes Mommie Dearest look like a wonderful mother. Initially it starts by normal discipline then into some mistreatment then outright abuse such as the Mirror Treatment, find Mothers missing things, the beatings, the broken arm, the grounding in the celler, Then she begins to abuse him in front of father like the no Christmas presents punishment, the not going with the family on vacation stuff.

Then this abuse becomes unbearable. Then Mother tries to burn David on the stove. Then by second grade Mother begins to starve David for not doing his chores fast enough, Davis steals food at school, Mother starves him more, he throws up and is forced to eat it, he is fed iodine one time, ammonia another as well as listerene and clorox numerous times. He is beaten severely, when given a bath it is a cold one, he had to sleep on a cot with no blankets for a while then mother makes him sleep on father's bed(no logic in that one).

It even gets worse. He accidentally got stabbed once, then one summer when the father was away for two weeks David was starved for 10 solid days. Still once in a while Mother lets David back in the family when re;latives came arround or she got a visit from Child welfare people.

I am surprised that this was not stopped previously. Most people were aware he was abused but did not know the extent of the hell David lived in. The house became a prison for David. He was treated worse than a prison inmate and worse than a dog.

By the way his mother is no longer living. Dave's official website stated this. I wonder how she died. Anyway she is most definately in the lake of fire(provided there is one.. I believe there is).

I also read the Lost Boy as well. I am hoping his third book tells us what became of his "family."

Rating:
Summary: A Child Called It
Review: A Child Called It by David Pelzer is an amazing story about a boy who went through hard times as a child and how he fought each day just to live. I could never imagine how a mother could treat her child like that. She would always beat her son David and she would try and find new ways to torture her son. It makes me appreciate and love my mother so much more.
When the story starts everything is so happy and there is so much love. And then everything changes so fast.
Dave Pelzer went though a lot as a child; I think it is amazing that that he could write about all the trauma that he went through. He is a very good writer. It was so descriptive I wanted to go in the story and help David.
I would recommend this book to everybody because it is inspiring and it causes you to step back and think about all the great things in your life, and wonder what some of your friends could possibly be going through. Now I pay attention to other peoples' feelings.

Rating:
Summary: Child Called "It" -Bill
Review: "A Child Called It" by Dave Pelzer is a heart breaking account of David's childhood. The story retells all the horrors that were brought upon him by his mother as he was growing up. Even though the book is extremely sad and depressing it is wonderfully written and entertaining. I finished the book in a 2-hour sitting, I tried to put it down but I had to see what was going to happen next.

The book opens with David getting rescued from his outrageously abusive mother, which is good because as you read the rest of the depressing pages you know that it will end sometime. All of a sudden one-day David's mother begins to abuse him. First it is just verbal and emotional, but soon it escalates into horrible physical punishments. His mother makes him eat his brother's dirty diaper, he can't eat dinner with the family, and she even stabs him one day because he didn't do the dishes on time. She plays terrible mind games with David, once she told him that his punishments were over and she loved him again. He believed her and then realized it was only an act when a social worker arrived the next day to see that everything was ok. It is amazing that David lived through all of his mothers abuse and can talk about it today.

The fact that Dave Pelzer was the author of this book makes it as good as it is. No one could have written a book about David's tragic childhood better than he. He retells of the horrible events with such accuracy and emotion that no one else could get it right. Only Dave knows what was said and how it was said. It adds a feeling to the story that makes it enjoyable to read, even though it is such a sad and depressing story.

The book reads like you are having a conversation with Dave and he is telling you the story. The story is written easily and straightforward, just about anyone who can read will be able to understand this book. The way David writes makes you feel so bad for him because he doesn't feel bad for himself. He tells how he feels about certain events but never feels bad for himself, which makes the reader more depressed for him.

This book gets a huge thumbs up. Anyone would enjoy reading this book, it has its depressing parts but you know everything turns out ok because David describes getting saved in the beginning. Even though it is terribly depressing, it is also entertaining to read, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: A Child Called It
Review: A magnificient book wrote by David Pelzer just for you to read. Read and enjoy, or not enjoy. This book explains to you with many, many details about the early childhood of a young boy in autobiogrphic form. In this book David keeps his name the same to make an effect on how people view this book. With his name in their it creates the idea that this really is a true story. The story that I'm talking about is about and young boy of about five or six who's only thing worth living for is the memories of his mother when she wasn't drinking. After she started to drink she would start to physically abuse Dave, from the inside and out. Once you pick this book up you won't want to put it down, but in order to find meaning and purpose in this book you may have to have the right values. A kind, caring person might find this book escrusiating and not want to read it, but once you start, you just can't stop. The vivid writing and course dialog pulls you in, making you the main character. Though there are still many people who may find David's writing offensive and incorrect, but to those of you who feel that, you might not realize that you are like the boys mom, cold and heartless!
Since there is such harsh punishment and ill mannered treatment, I wouldn't recommend anyone under the age of 11 to read this autobiography. Instead aware your children, grandchildren, or younger siblings that things like this do exist, so if any of their friends are experiencing such a torture, they can let you know. The point in David letting people know about his awful past is to show or tell people what it feels like to be that child, and he tells you through experience. I feel that by writing this book he is lifting a trumendous wieght off his shoulders, instead of keeping it secret all of his life. Also that he thinks that by facing and dealing with his past, besides botteling it inside, he is decreasing the chances of the abuse chain continuing.
The Child Called It is a wonderful autobiography of pain, depression, and lonliness. Experience and enjoy how thoughtful David is by spreading the word to your friends and family. A part of the chain is broken! Now is where you come in, help break the chain into even smaller peices. Read the book, tell your friends to read the book, and I garunte you will feel ten times better about yourself. You just helped some porr little child!

Rating:
Summary: A Child Called It Book Review
Review: David Pelzer has written a fantastic but a very upsetting and disturbing novel. The book "A Child Called It" talked about David's upbringings and how he was abused even as a three year old. The way he is still here today with us by the way his mother beat him while his father loved him but did nothing was disturbing. As the book went on the worse the beatings got. There was even an instant when on accedent his mom stabbed him in the side part of his stomach. The father of David was the only person who showed any sympathy. The Mother had brainwashed all of her other sons into hating him and treating him like hogwash. David put all of this behind him when he was at school or talking to his social worker Ms. Gold. David was an acceptional student until he started to live in a foster home. Then he was just a mediocre student. For more information on Dave Pelzers life read his other books "The Lost Boy" and others.--This text refers to the softcover edition.

Rating:
Summary: One child's courage to survive
Review: David Pelzer suffered from and survived the third worst case of child abuse in California. After living through his nightmare, he managed to re-visit his childhood and write the autobiography in a three-book sequence. His first book titled, A Child Called "It", portrays his life from when his family life was too perfect, to when each day he woke up to fight to stay alive. Throughout the book he tells of his abuse, life at home, and his only hope of living, his father. As the story progresses and the severity of David's abuse grows worse every day, he comes to the same decision; do I fight to live or hope to die?
With the exception of the first chapter, the rest of David's life is told as a flashback. The fact that the book begins with David's rescue gives you reassuring hope that soon his torture will end. The way in which David Pelzer writes, matures at the same rate as his age and character. In many instances, this makes one feel David's pain and anguish. This technique creates an imaginary sense of friendship between the reader and David. The author builds loyalty to the reader through his narrative approach. David Pelzer is uncomplicated and innocent, just as a child would be. His genuine, child-like dialogue draws you to his life, and feeds your compassion and desire to save him.
David was born to something commonly known as the "Perfect Family". His early childhood was spent on trips to the Golden Gate Bridge and Russian River where they would go camping for weeks at a time. He was born to a loving and devoted mother, a proud and brave father, and two brothers that only exceeded his own age by a few years. For whatever reason, he never explained what exactly had started his abuse. He mentions his parent's love of drinking, yet it was never mentioned to be at a cause of his dramatic lifestyle change. When the abuse begins, he mentions how he remembers his parents fighting. Yet even their marital issues never seemed to have gotten in the way of their love for their children. Throughout the book he never formally addresses a specific cause to the start of what he once thought would be the end of his life.
As his mother stripped him of his very own humanity, his spiritual self was all he had left to keep himself alive. His father, who he once thought would someday save him, gradually faded out of his life. When his dad finally moved out, David hated the world. He claimed that his far worst enemy was God, for not answering any of his prayers. David learned to hate anyone that knew of his situation, yet failed to help him. David Pelzer also learns to become his own hero. He knew that if he didn't have his own heard, he would die. Yet there were times when he even doubted that much. There are points in the book where he describes waking up and hoping that today would be the day she finally killed him and woke him from his never ending nightmare. This compelling story will take its reader from heart-wrenching torture and discipline, to David Pelzer's rescue and recovery of his own life.

Rating:
Summary: Beyond Courage
Review: Denise Lewis, A reviewer,
This book goes beyond the normal courage of a child that lives through such ordeals as Mr. Pelzer lived through. A book of the ages, one that must be put in Libraries and Schools-one that parents should have to read and one that should be reading material for all Child Protective Services. This book is powerful in its content. A must read!

I want to also recommend several other memoir style books that also show courage through a childs terrible life and the healing that happens for them: Nightmares Echo,Lost Boy,Lucky,and Running With Scissors.

Rating:
Summary: How child abuse can hurt pople
Review: This book was really good!!! When I frist read this book I stared to read this book I was crying! when I was done I wanted to know what ever happend to him? Like: did he die or did he get marred? when I got THE LOST BOY I kind of found out what happend. then I got A MAN NAMED DAVE then I really found out what happend to Dave!!!

Rating:
Summary: Unforgetable!
Review: I read this book in one sitting. As disturbing as it was, I literally could not put it down. This child's story of abuse and survival ranks as one of the most compelling and heart wrenching works that I read in recent years. The trilogy is a reminder to all of us that one can triumph and overcome tragedy even in the most deplorable circumstances and left me with goose bumps that I haven't from reading ever before. You will never forget it.