A Child Called "it"

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Pelzer, David. A Child Called “it”: One Child’s Courage to Survive. New York: Health Communications, 1997.

Awards:n/a

Annotation: The story of a young boy told from the perspective of a child who grew up in unfathomable abuse and how his unbreakable spirit endured.

Book Review: David Peltzer grew up in a time when teachers and neighbors minded their own business and did not interfere with one another’s domestic affairs. This was a recipe for the disastrous abuse that met young David, A child called “it”. While his father was indifferent to his struggles, his mother was a manipulative and abusive alcoholic who singled David out amidst his two brothers. While they ate, he was forced to fend for himself. His mother even subjected him to inspections where she would make him vomit to see if he had eaten that day. The first time his school attempted to aide him, his mother pulled off a brilliant display of acting and David paid the price at home. Finally, David was freed after a subsequent attempt and placed in a foster home. Amazingly, David grew up to have a family and raised his son with love and care, effectively breaking this cycle of abuse.