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

Reader reviewed by courtney

I loved this book.I read it twice. it brung tear to my eyes that a mother could do such a thing to a child she is suppose to love and nurture with all her heart. I think he is a fantastic writer and really captured the details perfectly. he made it feel as though u are there watching his mother do these things that are so unreal to anyone else.

Reader reviewed by Meeshee

Not a book for the extremely young, but great from 12 and up. A Child Called It is a look into the life of a boy abused - in many strange, uncommon, and very cruel ways, by his mother and uncaring father. A Child Called It is a must read and I highly recommend both it and it's sequals.

Reader reviewed by Cara

This book is an autobiography by Dave Pelzer. it's a heart breaking story of a child that was abused by his own mother. Dave's mother was described as a usually loving mother but because of her depression (a chemical imbalance as Dave refers to it) this drove her to hate her own so much she tortured him. Dave describes his mother as a loving lady but had such severe depression she didn't even know he was there most of the time. Dave could actually tell what sort of day he was going to have just by the way his mother dressed. If she was done up and had her make up on he would have a good day but if she looked tired and still wore her dressing gown etc then he expected to be starved and neglected.

Dave was severely beaten by his mother. The abuse usually took place when his father was at work but when it did happen at home his father tried to blank it out. It did mention that his father had tried to intervene a couple of time but had no success. On a good day Dave would get half a meal if he was lucky. Dave was starved due to no fault of his own.

This young boy was unloved and at the tender age of 8 he was actually burned on the back by his own mother. She also burned his hand on the stove and made him sit on his until there was smoke. Dave's younger brother was never abused and his mother seemed to "love him".

Reader reviewed by Nic

Dave Pelzer's memoir of childhood abuse will certainly cause tears and disbelief in all but the most hard-hearted reader... unless they've heard the comments from his family members and acquaintances that cast a shadow of doubt on the whole situation. If it's all true, this book is a story of horrific child abuse carried out by a cold, cruel, emotionally disturbed mother on an innocent young boy; his tales of her tortures and sick "games" are gut-wrenching. The writing itself is sub-genius and cliched, but makes for easy reading. If you like being depressed, this is the book for you.

Reader reviewed by A-Rae =]

This book is so sad, i cry everytime i read it. Dave Pelzer is a fabulous writer, and i love the fact that he became an amazing father and such a succsessful man after all that he went through. I know three different boys that have actually cried after reading this book. It has left a permanent mark in my heart, and it is what inspired me to want to become a foster mom. =]

Reader reviewed by Samantha

My teacher read this to me in 3rd grade. I didn't understand it then. My mother didn't want me reading, so for years I never looked back at it.

Years later when I got in HIgh School I read it. It makes me sad and angry when I read it. No child should go through that. It made me want to find his mom and do it to her.

Some say this is fiction some say nonfiction, i say whether it is one or the other it shouldn't happen. If it did happen, I know it was hard for him to write it, to let everyone know what happened to him. But at least he told us.

One part i hated the most (two really) was when she would lock him in the basement, and the other when he got burned by the stove.

No child should go through that.

Reader reviewed by Brandi

Are you really strong? Well the boy in A Child Called It is! This book is about a boy who lives with an abusive mom and a stepdad who is gone alot and can only stop it when he's home very seldomly. His mom trys to pretty much kill him, like she hates him. Will he survive? Will he want to leave?

I really loved this book because of the ending and because it makes me realize how great my life really is. Honestly I cried while reading this book. I dont like how his mom trys to kill him because why did she have him if she was gonna abuse him. I would tell every teenager to read this book because we say our lives suck but they really dont. I would love to read more books like this one.

Reader reviewed by Nakita

A Child Called It is about a Lilttle boy who is abbused by his mother but when he tells his dad and his dad try's to talk to her about it She kicks him out the little boy David runs to the store at resses every day to steel Food because he is sooo hungry. Davids Brother ignors david when he cry's for help. David dosent even have a bed to sleep in so he sleeps in the kichen This story IS a very sad story but It Is an awsome Book. The auther David Pelzer Is actually the boy in the story. This Story Is completely true.

My oppinion on this book is It is amazing and sad and If anyone would read It they would love It because It is a true story and when I read 1 page I couldent stop reading untill I was finished This book Will change the meaning of touching and you are bound to cry when you Read A Child Called It

Reader reviewed by PJR

"A Child Called It" is a unique book. It tells the story of Dave Peltzer's childhood. The horrors that this man suffered as a child are worse than most things we can even imagine.

I teach 7th grade reading and try to keep a WIDE variety of books in my classroom library, but this one is just too graphic for many young readers.

Reader reviewed by Allyssa

This book is so sad. It's an even sadder thought to know that this is a true story, knowing that the events actually happened.
This extremely sad story is about this boy named David. David's mother, one day, just decided that she hated him. David become her scapegoat. She abused him not only mentally, but also physically. It was bad enough that she abused him, but her methods of abuse were cruel and inhumane.


I cried while reading this book. It's unsettling, but a powerful story about child abuse. I think that if you could handle some of the situations he's put in, read it. But really read with caution, because it's so unsettling.