Has anyone read A Child Called "it", and can tell me what it is about?

Question

I've read Death From Child Abuse...and no one heard. It's really sad the five year old girl goes thought a little over 55 hours of hell. Her mother stands by and does nothing and lets her boyfriend do these things. They dumped her body in a lake. What I find real sad is the little girl goes though the whole book still wanting to please her mother. Every one says if read that book I should read A Child called "it". But is it a true story and what's it about.

Answer 1

yes it is a true story about a boy who was in a similar situation as the girl your talking of..who was abused and such..it was a really good book..and theres 2 more sequels after that book that continues on with his life that you should also read..heres a summary of it from wikipedia:

Dave Pelzer was the third of five boys. His father was a fireman and, according to David, his mother was originally a loving, kind and caring person.

The book states that around the time that the author turned five, things within the family slowly began to change. While his father was away at work often, his mother became an alcoholic. The author's mother has claimed that Dave was so badly behaved that he required punishment. The summer before Dave started kindergarten his mother reportedly beat him, dislocating his shoulder. The book goes on to describe a period of mixed emotions over the following few years with the increasingly abusive and damaging behaviour from Ms Roerva gradually ostracizing Dave from the rest of the family.

The book describes the worsening abuse which Dave suffered at the hand of his mother and her alcoholism. Among the many incidents discussed is that Ms. Roerva attempted to burn Dave on a cooker when he was eight years old. By this point he was no longer considered as part of the family and lived in the basement denied basic contact, play or food. Ms. Roerva has stated that she did not want Dave to interact with "her family" demonstrating the lack of regard in which he was held.

Over time the depth of the abuse worsened. Dave claims he was forced to sit in the Prisoner of War position (head bent backwards facing sky and sitting on hands). His mother stopped using his name and began referring to him first as "The Boy" and finally "It". The punishments are reported to have evolved into 'sick games' in which Ms. Roerva made her son suffer.

Incidents cited in the book include; making him drink ammonia, cleaning the bathroom with ammonia mixed with chlorine bleach resulting in a near fatal outcome, inducing vomit followed by forced ingestion, smashing his face against the mirror while screaming "I'm a bad boy", lying in the bathtub naked with freezing water for hours, stabbing, rubbing his face in his brother's dirty diaper/nappy, making him eat dog's feces and starvation.

Answer 2

A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive

David J. Pelzer's 1995 autobiographical account of his maltreatment as a child by his alcoholic mother, Catherine Roerva, who singled him out much more so from among her other children as an object of abuse.

Synopsis :
Dave Pelzer was the third of five boys. His father was a fireman and, according to David, his mother was originally a loving, kind and caring person.

The book states that around the time that the author turned five, things within the family slowly began to change. While his father was away at work often, his mother became an alcoholic. The author's mother has claimed that Dave was so badly behaved that he required punishment. The summer before Dave started kindergarten his mother reportedly beat him, dislocating his shoulder. The book goes on to describe a period of mixed emotions over the following few years with the increasingly abusive and damaging behaviour from Ms Roerva gradually ostracising Dave from the rest of the family.

The book describes the worsening abuse which Dave suffered at the hand of his mother and her alcoholism. Among the many incidents discussed is that Ms. Roerva attempted to burn Dave on a cooker when he was eight years old. By this point he was no longer considered as part of the family and lived in the basement denied basic contact, play or food. Ms. Roerva has stated that she did not want Dave to interact with "her family" demonstrating the lack of regard in which he was held.

Over time the depth of the abuse worsened. Dave claims he was forced to sit in the Prisoner of War position (head bent backwards facing sky and sitting on hands). His mother stopped using his name and began referring to him first as "The Boy" and finally "It". The punishments are reported to have evolved into 'sick games' in which Ms. Roerva made her son suffer.

Incidents cited in the book include; making him drink ammonia, cleaning the bathroom with ammonia mixed with chlorine bleach resulting in a near fatal outcome, inducing vomit followed by forced ingestion, smashing his face against the mirror while screaming "I'm a bad boy", lying in the bathtub naked with freezing water for hours, stabbing, rubbing his face in his brother's dirty nappy, making him eat dog's faeces and starvation.

Answer 3

Your first answer is very complete.
One other note to mention is that this is a series of books in which other volumes give insight into the weaknesses of the foster-care program and elements of recovery for the adult who was abused.

Answer 4

It is a true story of a boy named David who suffered years of abuse. He also has two other books about how he has dealt with it. I have read them and they are heartbreaking and his daily struggle with recovery as an adult is inspiring.

Answer 5

it is a true story. I havent read it since a few years but basically the author, David (i think), writes about his life with child abuse.

Answer 6

"IT" IS ABOUT (AND WRITTEN BY) A MAN WHOSE CHILDHOOD WAS UNBEARABLY ABUSIVE. HE WAS CALLED 'IT' READ IT.