A Child Called "It", by Dave Pelzer

A Child Called "It"
Dave Pelzer

This is one survivor's tale of horrific child abuse. David Pelzer and his younger brothers enjoyed an idyllic existence, until, one day, for no reason at all, his mother began to abuse Dave. Treating her other sons as princes, she singles out her oldest son as "the bad boy" who is the source of all her problems. She starves him daily, forces him to drink ammonia, burns him on the stove, puts him in a homemade "gas chamber," and even stabs him. I didn't even give it all away.

This torture lasts for years, as his father weakly looks on, too intimidated to step in and save his little "tiger." In time, his younger brothers come to believe that Dave truly is a monster, and participate in his abuse.

Years pass, and Dave becomes an outcast at school: he is rarely allowed to bathe, so he stinks; he is rarely allowed new clothes, so his are worn with holes; he is rarely allowed to eat, so he steals from other students' lunches. FINALLY, years after this torture began, school personnel take notice and report Dave to the authorities, who free him from his mother. He ends up becoming the third worst case of child abuse in the state of California.

This is a short book; it can be read in about an hour or two, depending on your reading speed. It is a simply told tale that reminds us never to allow suspicions of abuse to pass quietly by. However, one problem with the book is its cover: it appears to be a cheesy book on self-help or new-age spirituality, instead of the moving tale of survival that it is. Check it out:

If I didn't already read about the book, I wouldn't be tempted to pick it up on its own. True, you should never judge a book by its cover, but lame covers don't help. In a time when the James Freys of the world have cast a doubt on memoirs, having a cloud-hand touching a child's chin does not add to one's credibility. That is not to say I disbelieve a single word of his book; in fact, there are letters from teachers and administrators who finally saved Dave which add legitimacy to his tale. Because of the serious nature of A Child Called "It", the book deserves a serious treatment. So ix-nay on the oud-hand-clay.

My other gripe with the book is that we never learn WHY the mother changed from being perfect and loving to awful and full of hate. Is she schizophrenic? On drugs? Abused herself? We don't know. OF course, there could never be a justification for her behavior, but I'd like to hear something. Maybe that comes in part 2, explaining Dave's teen years in foster care. Or part 3, discussing Dave's adult years.

In a nutshell: Not for the faint of heart, but at least you know he survives to tell the tale.

Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars