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A Child Called It Essay. A Child Called It is written by David Pelzer. It was published
by Health Communications, Inc in 1995. The book is 184 pages. ...
child called "it". A Child Called ?It? The book A Child Called ?It? was
written by Dave Pelzer. ... Pelzer, Dave. A Child Called ?It?. ...
A Child Called It. A Child Called ?It? A Child Called ?It? is the story
of a young boy who, in order to survive, must triumph ...
A Child Called It. A Child Called ?It? A Child Called ?It? is the story
of a young boy who, in order to survive, must triumph ...
A Child Called It. A Child Called ?It? A Child Called ?It? is the story
of a young boy who, in order to survive, must triumph ...
Submitted by nursesusan on April 28, 2007
Category: Book Reports
Words: 339 | Pages: 2
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A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive
by Dave Pelzer
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. 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...
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