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

Rating:
Summary: A Child Called It.
Review: I really was shocked while reading this book because it brought back the memories of my childhood. The shock was that I thought no one else could treat their own child so bad. My older brother was treated nearly as bad as It. I witnessed this until he moved from home at the age of 17. I would read for a while and turn to my wife or my oldest daughter and tell them some of the similuar experiences that I witnessed. The public needs such revelations as A Child Called It to fuel public out cry for such neglect and abuse. The courage to report is needed. I explain to my two children that there is no excuse for abuse of a child like what was exampled in the book. My oldest daughter even went as far as conducting a book report after reading A Child Called It. Wanting to express publicly her distress over the situation of child abuse/neglect.

Rating:
Summary: The best book I have ever read.
Review: "A Child Called It" is by far the best book I have ever read. It is about a child named David whose mother is beyond cruel to him. She rarely ever feeds him, she doesn't even feed him once a week most of the time. Whenever he goes to school he sometimes steals food, and he is then punished for it when he gets home. His mother uses very odd and very cruel ways to punish him, she makes him drink Clorox and Bleach until his tongue starts turning raw and bleeding. She stabbed in the stomach with a knife and didn't even take him to the hospital, she made him continue with his chores as if nothing was wrong. David's father tries to help him at first, but eventually gives up and moves out of the house. This is a very good book, it is also a very sad book. It is hard to believe that a mother could be so cruel to her own son. He brings a note home from his teacher saying what a good student he was and how he got to name the school newspaper, his mother rips the note into snowflake pieces and tells him that no matter what he does it doesn't impress her because he is an it not a child. While you are reading the book you can actual feel like you are there with David going through what he is going through.

Rating:
Summary: A CHILD CALLED "IT"
Review: A child called "it" is a tear jerking heart throbbing piece of liturature. Dave Pelzer takes you through eight years of his life and keeps you wanting to read more with all of his goory details. Even though this book is not a book for enjoyment reading, it is well worth spending the time to read it for you own personal knowledge about child abuse. Thia book is well written and in the contents of its pages you will be left breathless and emotion struck by the horrifying things David had to encounter. You will also be amazed and overwelmed with this child's will and courage to servive. Child abuse is a wide-open subject. there arre so many types and levels that no one really knows about unless you have experienced it for yourself. A child called "it" does exactly that, It takes its readers to the extrems of child abuse and leaves you hanging on to false hope and trying to grip the reality of the story. i recommend this book very highly even though tissues will be needed!!

Rating:
Summary: Unforgettable
Review: <br />Similar to another book I have read recently titled "NIGHTMARES ECHO,though the abuse in this book is a bit different, " A CHILD CALLED IT" tells the unforgettable story of a child of severe abuse. One of the worst cases probabably within the U.S. Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable mother, relates the story of his life. This is the first in a set of works written by Mr. Pelzer about his life. He relates to you even more about his life in his works "Lost Boy". You wonder how anyone could possibly come out of such abuse,let alone to become a respected author. <br />As a fan of memoirs, this is one of the most emotional books I have read. You will feel the anger and sadness...the feel of hopelessness as you read what this child had to endure. But, you also rally behind him-and await Mr. Pelzer's next books to see this courageous man overcome. Long after you have read this work, you will not be able to forget. <br />Along the lines of this book, "A Child Called It" and along with his other book that i have read "Lost Boy", you will also want to read "Nightmares Echo" and "Sickened". As each offers to you different perspectives of children that must endure the unbelievable and yet survive and inspire us with their works.

Rating:
Summary: Survivor
Review: A Child Called "It" is true and unforgettable story about a child whose courage and determination allowed him to survive through death-threatening situations.

As a child, David was physically abused and starved by his cruel and alcoholic mother. His mother would often play these life-threatening games that would almost kill David. David had to figure out his mother's games and outsmart her in order to win and survive. In his mother's eyes, David was no longer a boy named Dave, but A Child Called "It".

When David was little he was treated like a human being as well as his other brothers. David's mom wasn't an alcoholic then, and loved her son's dearly. When David turned six years old, things started to go bad for him. It started out with him being the house slave, and then it jumped to starvation for a day or more. He also suffered severe beatings from his mother. His brothers didn't care and didn't even try to help their lost and miserable brother. David's dad would try to help David by sneaking him some food if his mother didn't feed him or help David with his daily chores. But as time passed by, David's dad gave up on him and moved out of the house. His dad couldn't stand his mother any longer, so he decided to escape, leaving his lost child behind. When his father left, the beatings became worse from his mother. From that point on, David knew that he couldn't trust anyone and that if he wanted to survive he would have to do so on his own.

In reading this book, I realized that one should not take life for granted. I thank God for the wonderful parents that I have, parents that treat me right. I was highly upset to read what David's mother attempted to do to her son. How could any parent live each day knowing that they try to kill their six-year-old boy who's completely innocent? I hated his mother for this reason. I was also angry with David's dad for not stepping up as a "man" and stopping his wife from abusing their youngest son. I was also upset when he walked out on David. How could a father leave his home knowing the things that were transpiring at their house? Besides being upset, I felt happy and proud in some parts of the book. I was proud of David when he would outsmart his mother at times to survive. David never gave up and always kept a positive attitude. I admired this about David. After all that his mother put him through, he always had 100% love for his mother, and it hurt him when she didn't know it. I felt bad for David at times and just wanted to be there and tell him that everything would be okay. This was my reaction while reading this book.





Rating:
Summary: Heartbreaking
Review: I read this book from front to back in one night, I couldn't put it down. That was weeks ago, and I still can't stop thinking about this boy, and the horror he went through at such a young age. I wanted to reach into the book and hug him. The idea that this abuse may be happening in my own city at this very moment is sickening. This book is not easy to read, but you will never forget it.

Rating:
Summary: great condition
Review: The speed in delivery was outstanding. The book was in great condition, especially for a paperback. I would definitely purchase another from this person.

Rating:
Summary: Wow!! Breath Taking
Review: This book is amazing. The way that he writes the story makes you feel as if you are standing there witnessing the entire event. It's appalling what his mother did to him, and a miracle that he was able to overcome such extreme obstacles. I went on to read the following two books and once again couldn't put them down. I would recommend this book to anyone and having a box of tissues is not a bad idea.