A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive (Dave Pelzer #1)

Reader reviewed by brogan

a horrible life for suh a littl boy. the mother is such a horrible person.I would always wonder from now on if the little childeren next door are goofing around or being tortured as young david is
this book made me cry i definitly give it a 5

Reader reviewed by Nix

By Nicola Thomson
A Child Called It
I have recently read, enjoyed and fully understood a wonderful novel called A Child Called It written by the talented Dave Pelzer this book is a true account of a boy called David from the ages four to twelve.
The book takes place in the past in the 1970s in California. I know this as it tells me 5 March 1973, Daly City, California. The main events happen at Davids home. Because it was set at home it was easy to understand.
The book began in the house that David lived in. Ive got to finish the dishes on time, otherwise no breakfast; and since I didnt have dinner last night, I have to make sure I get something to eat. She catches me with my hands out of the water. SMACK! Mother hits me in the face, and I topple to the floor. David was a coward who tried not to give in to his mother, although he knew if he was too late or did not do a good job of the chores he would be hurt in some way physical. At school David would steel out of lunch boxes, David would often be in some sort of trouble at school. One day when he was late the nurse wanted to have a good look at him, because he had another bump on his head. She got the same excuse as always oh I ran in to the hall door &&& By accident. David was asked to take his clothes of. It was not the first time he had done it. She counts the slash-like marks on my face, looking for some she might have missed in the past. As she continues to look me over, she stops at the scar on my stomach. The days to follow were not all doom and gloom for some of the teachers had asked for a policeman to come and take David away from his family from all the abusing. The policeman asked David about his scars, then he took him from the school to the police station where the police man telephoned Davids mum to say: Mrs Pelzer, this is Officer Smith from Daly City Police Department. Your son David will not be coming home today. He will be in custody of the San Mateo Juvenile Department. If you have any questions, you can phone them. During Davids life he had had many horrible things happen to him. He had been nearly starved for ten consecutive days. He had been made to eat his little brother Russells soiled nappies. The list of repulsive things that happened to could go on forever.
David was stabbed by his mother. The summer of 1971 set the tone for the remainder of the time that I lived with my mother. I had not reached my eleventh birthday, but for the most part I knew what forms of punishment to expect. David had not eaten for 3 days; his mother was going to feed him some of the remainders of food that was on the plates from the familys dinner. All he had to do was clean the dishes and put them away in 20 minutes. Then he would have 2 minutes to eat the food. As I looked at her, mother snatched a carving knife from the counter top and screamed, If you dont finish on time, I am going to kill you! David had been stabbed by his mother while his brother was chanting Davids going to die! On her knees, mother was hastily applying a thick was of gauze to a place on my stomach where red blood was pumped out. David knew it was an accident, he wanted mother to know he forgave her but he knew if he done that she might punish him.
David Pelzer was the most important character in the book The Child Called It. The whole book was about him and what is horrendous mother done to him. His mother made him drink water with Clorox in it this made his throat and tongue go red raw. Davids mother would put Ammonia and Clorox in the bath while David was to clean the bathroom. Every so often David would go up to the vent and take in a big breath of air. Davids mother done this again but she turned the vent of. David could have died. David was a worried and cowardly sort of boy. He was scared by his horrid mother.
This book had interesting relationships, between David and his mother, David and his family, David and His teachers and Davids Mother and His teachers. This book had an exciting plot which was easy to follow. The text was very easy to under stand. If I was to give this book a mark out of ten I would have to give it ten. This book really took my fancy. From the moment I picked up the book till I put it down I enjoyed it. I could not put the book down it was so fantastic.

Reader reviewed by Jennifer



This is one of the best books i've ever read.It's truly touching.This little boy named dave, a child with a will to survive.His mother is mean to him.She starves him, sometimes for weeks.After all this he still takes it. This is a racy book not intended for children under 13.Read on!

Reader reviewed by Ed

H'okay, so. This is a book about a boy's survival of child abuse. Which is a good thing; hurray. But, well... If you'd like to see the miracle of how he overcame his tragic upbringing, read the two sequels; "The Lost Boy", then "A Man Called Dave". Reading this book was like watching a horrible action/thriller movie; my reactions went along this line:

"...Ooh! Owww... Holy *~!#, that's horrid- !...Ugh, thank heavens, it's over... Augh, she did it again- !?"

I found myself just exhausted after finishing the book. Just one heart attack after another. I'd skip this one and move onto the other two, ladies and gents.

Reader reviewed by Diana

A child called it is a story about a young boys struggle with abuse. His mother has beaten him all his life. This book shows his story. He was beaten ruitenly by his mother and forced to do many things a child should never have to do. It also shows his struggle to escape and to tell someome about this terrible thing.

This book is just to amazing for words. Everyone should read this and try to get a glimpse of what this poor boy went through.

Reader reviewed by Katieb

This book is very heartbreaking but a page turner. I didn't want to stop reading it but some of the things Daves mother did to him were horrible!!!

Dave is a little boy in this story. He is just trying to be a good kid but his mom beats him and doesn't feed him. Or she tells people lies to keep him there. Then after so long of Dave wearing the same clothes and always being beat his school tries to help him. But to know what happens you have to read the book!!

Reader reviewed by Jennifer

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.

Though it's a grim story, A Child Called "It" is very much in the tradition of Chicken Soup for the Couple's Soul and the many books in that upbeat series, whose author Pelzer thanks for helping get his book going. It's all about weathering adversity to find love, and Pelzer is an expert witness.

Reader reviewed by Austin Farris

this is a heartbreaking story. i hope that you read this and try to help the world in this situation. this book is one of the best books that i have read in my life. i always read it all the time! so i encourage you to read it and tell people about the book so they read it too.