Dave Pelzer was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother, a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games - games that left one of her three sons nearly dead. She no longer considered Dave a son, but a slave; no longer a boy, but an 'it'. His bed was an old army cot in the basement, his clothes were torn and smelly, and when he was allowed the luxury of food it was scraps from the dog's bowl. The outside world knew nothing of the nightmare played out behind closed doors. But throughout Dave kept alive dreams of finding a family to love him. This book covers the early years of his life and is an affecting an inspirational book of the horrors of child abuse and the steadfast determination of one child to survive. 'Dave Pelzer conveys brilliantly how his own determination allowed him to keep alive his dream of one day find a family who would be proud to call him their son. Truly touching, and emotionally shocking. A marvel' Best
About the Author
Dave Pelzer is recognised as one of America's most effective and respected communicators addressing corporations, conventions and health/psychology/primary care workers. His unique accomplishments have garnered personal commendations from Ronald Reagan and George Bush. He was selected as torchbearer for the 1996 Olympic Torch relay. He has dedicated his life to helping others help themselves.
Prizes
A Child Called 'It' received unprecedented media attention on hardback publication and is an international bestseller The UK hardback went straight into the bestseller list and has not been out of the top five since, reprinting regularly, mirroring the phenomenal US success It was on the New York Times bestseller chart for over two years Over a million copies have been sold around the world and it has been translated into 20 languages The follow-up to A Child Called 'It', The Lost Boy, hit the UK bestseller lists within four days of publication Dave Pelzer is one of America's most effective and respected speakers; he was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for A Child Called It and was named one of the 10 Outstanding Young Persons of the World 'His tale will both break and warm your heart' The Mirror
Reviews
Gr 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
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Reviews
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When I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down.
I was unaware that child abuse could be so severe.
What a family!
How this could have lasted so long without anybody outside the family noticing the abuse, I don't know.
It's an eye-opener- we all have to keep our eyes and ears open and speak out when we suspect child abuse.
What a story. How does someone recover from such abuse?! Dave Pelzer was treated worse than the family dogs, who by the sounds of it good! He even ate the dogs leftover food, which says something about the pecking order of the household. An awful tale of abuse that is quite frighteneing. Makes you appreciate your own life so much more!!
This is an amazing book. What an incredible child Dave was to survive the treatment he was subjected to by his mother. And how did he mangage to cope with the fact that his father and brothers all chose to ignore what was happening to him, in order to keep peace in their own lives.
It is an awful story. A heart wrenching story.
But one that needs to be told.
I finished this book, and started reading the next, in my third night of bedtime reading. I couldn't not read... it is an easy to read book, but not an easy story to accept. This should never happen to our children.
Wow how horrific for poor Dave to live through such terrible experiences. I cried the whole time I read this book, it certainly makes you wonder how this could have gone on so long, even though it was a different time back then, its horrible to think a mother could put her child through such horrible, demeaning situations.
Such a sad and horrific story but also is able to show the stength in the human Spirit. Dave is an amazing young man that lived a horrible childhood in which his sole purpose is just to survive.
I suggest after this book read the other 2 in the series they are also amazing and its great to see who he becomes.
Very moving story. It always astounds me that adults can be so cruel. I will be getting the other 2 books as Dave's story didn't finish with his "rescue".
HORRIFIC!!!! YET EXTREMELY UPSETTING , GRIPPING READ
GET THE KLEENEX. I read this book whilst pregnant, took me all of two hours as i couldn't put it down. A Torrid Tale of one of the worst child abuse cases ever seen!!!
I bawled my eyes out reading this!
What this little boy was put through by his mother is absolutely unspeakable. The ignorance of family members makes this read even more devastating and evokes emotions in you that make you want to jump up and down with rage....
I am not a person to advicate eye for an eye, but after reading this story your heart just bleeds for Dave and makes you want to seek revenge for him. The follow on stories in this series are well written and are also Gripping reads...
I was in shock after I read this. It is unimaginable that someone could do this to their son. Pelzer narrates in an emotional manner which is transferred to the reader, leaving you shocked and stunned at the brutality which is so calmly issued. An inspiring story, leaving you very thankful for what you have got.
This book is absolutly amazing. A real eye opener and 100% worth the maximum of a day that it will take you to read it. Dave's story is very encouraging and inspirering and makes you realise that your upbring probably wasn't half as bad as what it could have been. If you read this, be sure to read the 2nd and 3rd from the trilogy The Lost Boy and A Man Named Dave. Everyone could and should read this book.
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