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  • A Child Called 'It'

  • One Child's Courage to Survive
  • By: David Pelzer
  • Narrated by: Brian Keeler
  • Length: 3 hrs and 46 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (80 ratings)

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A Child Called 'It' cover art

A Child Called 'It'

By: David Pelzer
Narrated by: Brian Keeler
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Publisher's Summary

Dave Pelzer's astonishing, disturbing account of his early years describes one of the most severe child-abuse cases in California history. This book spent over 175 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list and was also nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Dave was in first grade when his unstable alcoholic mother began attacking him. Until he was in fifth grade, she starved, beat, and psychologically ravaged her son. Eventually denying even his identity, Dave's mother called him an "it" instead of using his name. Relentlessly, she drove him to the brink of death before authorities finally stepped in. With faith and hope, Dave grew determined to survive. He also knew that he needed to share his story.

A Child Called "It" is the first of three books that chronicle his life. Through publications and public appearances, Dave is now recognized as one of the nation's most effective and respected speakers about child abuse.

Listen to the second book in David Pelzer's harrowing, multi-part memoir of child abuse: The Lost Boy.
©1995 David Pelzer (P)2001 Recorded Books

Critic Reviews

"Pelzer's portrayal of domestic tyranny and eventual escape is unforgettable." ( School Library Journal)

What listeners say about A Child Called 'It'

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Truly Shocking

What a devastating story yet also an inspiration from a man who managed to capture his tortured life into words and continue to live and grow with his own family.

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1 person found this helpful

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Heartbreaking and amazing

Heartbreaking story of Davids’s childhood and cruelty of one mother towards her own son! Amazing how David survived those horrors and will power to live and not give up! Beautiful narrated by Brian Keeler this is a must listen book for us all because every one of us can help rather than turn a blind eye! I was a survivor of my own child and later husband abuse but it would’ve been a big help if I knew that help was out there! I read critics review and some people suggest that it was not as bad as David made it out- it is totally untrue- No body can invent or make up such a story, you have to live through it! Well done David for being a person you are today!

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wow

What a strong Spirit, what an incredible and horrible experience.
Thank you for using this to create change in our world x

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Amazing Novel

This is an incredible story as is the other two books in this series. However, it makes me wonder how much "truth" there is to this narrative.

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the level of child abuse this man suffered!!

very very enjoyable but at times very hard to hear what this man went through at the hands of his sadistic mother.

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Heartbreaking but eye opening

As a victim of child abuse this story hit really hard but also helped me process my pain in some ways.
Very well written and narrated
well worth the listen

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Sad and beautiful

Just wow! Words cannot express how this made me feel. Inspirational! He could have turned to a life of crime with all he had been through but chose to educate.

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The point of view from David

I loved how it shows the little brain games mother would play with David and at such a young age he know what to do to make the beatings less worse

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Incomprehensible is so many ways.

Such a sad story of a helpless boy who had everyone reject him in desperate need for help until intervention years later. Some events are a little hard to believe to of occurred to the full extent of his recalling and seems to leave out some more pivotal information. But nonetheless a hard book to stomach especially if benefit of the doubt is given to the extent of his truth actually occurring.

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