Product Description

This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."

Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive--dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #700 in Books
• Published on: 1995-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 195 pages

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.

About the Author
Dave Pelzer travels throughout the nation promoting inspiration and resilience. His unique accomplishments have garnered personal commendations from Presidents Reagan and Bush. In 1993 Pelzer was chosen as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans (TOYA), and in 1994 was the only American to receive The Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP) award. He was also a torchbearer for the Centennial Olympic Games

Customer Reviews

Inspirational story of resilience. A must read!
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!

A Chiled Called "It" review
Online Review

A Child Called "It" is a fascinating book! If you read this you'll want to read it all the way through and never put it down. David Pelzer remembers every detail about his childhood life. The book is about David Pelzer's life when he was young. He was beaten very severely by his mom, but his brothers never were touched harshly. His dad didn't hit him, but also didn't say anything to his wife. He just watched. David explains all the hard times he went through. For example, he explains how he had to steal food from class- mates to avoid starvation. He'd have to run home from school and clean the house. His mom would make him strip down and get into a freezing cold bath with his head underwater, only breathing through his nose for 2 hours while his brothers and their friends came in, watched him, and laughed. He would sleep in the garage with only a jacket to warm him. One time his mom turned on the gas stove, had him take off his clothes and forced his body onto the stove. His mom would put disinfectant spray all around the garage and would stick 8 year-old David in there for hours, barely breathing because if he did, he would inhale the chemicals and get even more hurt or sick. The chemicals would burn in his throat and lungs. He called that the gas chamber. Everyday he'd have to come to school and make up another story his mom would tell him, to explain all of the burns, bruises, or whatever torture his mom put him through. It was said to be the third worst case of child abuse in the state of California. This book will make you want to cry and go back and help this poor lonely kid, who didn't have any friends because his mom wouldn't let him away from torture. But now David Pelzer is an adult and writes his experiences in A Child Called "It" and the other books in his trilogy. It is by far the saddest book I have ever read, but one of the best!

A Child Called "It"
I had the opportunity to see Dave at a conference and he had all of us spellbound. The fact that this atrocity had taken place is astounding enough and the fact that Dave, even as a child, had the tenactiy to endure and overcome his hellish childhood and survive is truly amazing. I have read both this book and it's sequel and I can truly say they are must read works. It is filled with personal insight to what his "life" was like and how he had the courage to endure. Not everyone who reads these books will believe his story, but I can tell you that while seeing this man before us relaying the events with such conviction and firmness with tears in his eyes made a believer out of me. No one could write books like these and call them fiction. Child abuse is real and the story Dave tells is real. If one person sees the signs after reading these I pray they too have the courage to step in and help their "Dave" out of their abusive situation. You sometimes need to "read between the lines" to find the cause for some actions as they are not clearly visible. I can't wait to get the final book in his trilogy. The saying " What doesn't kill you will make you stronger," truly fits this remarkable human and the people who helped him survive! God bless him!