A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer

Pelzer, D. (1995) A Child Called “It.” Omaha:  Omaha Press.

                                         

                This book was very near and dear to my heart. Just last year, I had a child that suffered from child abuse, as did his baby brother that resulted in death. This book really makes me think of the way some children are seen as “problem kids,” when all they need is some love and attention since they are not receiving the right kind at home. This book had many facts about the way some teachers just pass it off as a “bad kid,” but we know all too well that is not the case with too many kids these days.

                This autobiography can be seen in many ways. Some may hate it and they do not face reality. Others can see it for what it is because they know how cruel this world can be. The main character, David Pelzer, was a child abused at such a young age. He was the third of five children in total of his family. He was brainwashed by his mother to say that these bruises were accidents and had stories readily available when someone asked him. His mother tortured him and let him stare most days. Some days, he received a homemade “gas chamber,” other days, a freezing cold tub he had to stay submerged in until told otherwise. The author, the boy in the book, had been known for stealing food from lunch pails, the cafeteria, and the local food mart. This information in this book would be great for all teachers to read to remind them of signs to look for in students that they may see as troubled or bad kids. The setting of this story is set from the 1970s in Daly City, California. The conflict in this story was man person against person. His mother was a true evil person that abused her own child. Why she picked Dave out of all the children, who knows. There were many things about this story to help guide the reader into knowing who David Pelzer really was (characterization). It said a lot about what David thought and helped you visualize with a mental picture of what David looked like by his bruises and old tethered clothing.

This was truly a sad story, but turned into an inspiration to all students that may be going through something similar. They can learn to not let that get them down, but to make something of themselves.