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

Pelzer, Dave.  A Child Called “It”: One Child’s Courage to Survive. Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, 1995.  Print.

Awards

#1 New York Times Bestseller (for over 6 years)

#1 International Bestseller

Annotation

Dave Pelzer chronicles his childhood years, ages 4 to 12, spent enduring his mother’s abuse and living in fear.  He also recounts how he was eventually taken out of his home as a result of the reports and observations made by those working at his school.

Review

This autobiographical book details the abuse one boy undergoes as well as his journey from being a member of the family to “it”.  Pelzer recounts the degradation he suffered at the hands of his alcoholic mother and the betrayal he felt when he father refused to protect him.  Isolated from his family and forced to obey his mother’s horrific commands, Dave struggles to survive his seemingly impossible childhood.  Written purposefully from a child’s perspective, this work serves to illuminate the cycle of abuse for young adult readers.  While at times heartwrenching and difficult to read, this text does strive to instill a message of hope as witnessed through Dave’s determination to live.

Image credit: http://cobutler.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/influential-book/