A Child Called It
While my power has been off and on most of the day, I spent some time thinking about my personal library and books that I might be willing to part with. This is sort of an annual cleaning process that I undertake to make room for more books.
There is one series of books that has and will remain in my personal collection - not only do they happen to be some of my favorite books, but they are a constant reminder to myself that I really am one of the lucky ones.
The story of David Pelzer isn’t the easiest to read, but I think it’s a series that everyone needs to read at some point.
Because of this book series, I began to appreciate my own children more - I paid closer attention to my own bouts with depression and sought treatment in it’s earliest stages to try and prevent my depression from becoming a problem for my children.
It’s hard to say, what David Pelzer’s mother must have been going through - but no mother should ever be allowed to treat their child the way she treated hers.
Via Amazon: 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.
David went on to write an entire series - and trust me, once you read the first book you’re not going to want to stop until you’ve read the last page of the last book.
Obviously he lived to tell his story - but what happened throughout his entire journey is a good solid weekend of reading.
Have you read the series by David Pelzer? How many times? I’ve read it 4 times so far and each time I learn something more about myself, my children and my life.
A Child Called “It”: One Child’s Courage to Survive
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7 opinions for A Child Called It
marye
Mar 4, 2008 at 3:05 pm
I have read some of it but couldnt finish..I cried for weeks. I am always amazed at parents and the weird things they do.
I think this should be required reading for every 14 year old though!
homemom
Mar 4, 2008 at 3:19 pm
I never was able to read this book and I tried twice. It was just such a horrid thing.
pickel
Mar 4, 2008 at 3:20 pm
This is one of my favorite books because it opened my eyes to adoption and to depression. Its rare that a mother would take out her depression and grief on one child alone but it does happen…because she blames that particular child for all of her shortcomings.
Marye, When I was teaching middle school it was one of the most popular books on my shelf.
Mandy
Mar 4, 2008 at 9:55 pm
I teach in a school where we see various forms of abuse daily, and this book really tugged at my heart. I cried as I read, but I made it through, and I loved it! It is very well written. Well worth the read! And the tears…..
kadi
Mar 5, 2008 at 11:47 am
If I wasn’t in such a cry baby state right now, I’d run down and buy it immediately. It sounds like one of those life changing reads!
Gayla McCord
Mar 5, 2008 at 6:53 pm
@ Marye, I cried too, but just knowing that David was an adult and wrote the books is what kept me going. I knew in the end he lived and he was doing well.
@ homemom - it is terrible what depression and mental illness will do to some people. Especially mother’s who treat their children this way
@ Pickel - I think I’m going to have my kids read it. They’ll be 15 this month and could use a good dose of “see how lucky you are.”
@ Mandy - I couldn’t agree more! 4 x’s over.
@ Kadi - it truly is a life changing read. Even if you can only read it in segments.
selena
Jul 3, 2008 at 11:30 am
i finished reading this book today and i cryed so many times. im only 14 and i know that child abuse is a seriouse matter.millions of children get abused by their paretns mentaly,physically,or sextually everyday and it is enough to cry you’r heart out. =(
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