A Child Called It

This is one of the most intense books I've ever read. It is certainly not for the sensitive reader, that's for sure. It is Dave Pelzer's autobiographical novel and it follows him as a very young child dealing with an unbelievable amount of maternal abuse. This isn't just a kid who gets slapped around a little by an alcoholic mother, this is the most extreme case of violence I've ever heard of. He is one of three boys and for reasons I'm not sure he ever understands , he is the only one who his mother abuses. She tortures him, makes him her personal slave and beats him to the point of near-death more than once. One of her choice forms of abuse is locking him in the bathroom with a toxic mix of chemicals that gives off fumes that would eventually kill him. He cowers in the corner, shirt over face, trying to survive, all the while wondering what she has in store for him next. He has dealt with this for several years now, and this book begins and ends with his school administration finally taking a stand for him. He has been too afraid to tell anyone, although adults around him have been suspicious for a while. When one teacher finally has the courage to take a stand for this little boy who can't stand up for himself, Dave is freed from his outrageous situation.

Now, I have to say, I am not a very sensitive person when it comes to things that I read. Having said that, I think you'd have to be a pretty cold person not to cry over this particular story. One incident after the other, you're never quite sure if this amazing boy is going to live to tell the rest of his story. Pelzer has actually lived to finish this trilogy of his gruesome childhood. I haven't read the other two books, but having read this one, I can't imagine not wanting to find out what happens to him next. He has also written three other books, all of which I believe are inspirational books for people struggling with the same kinds of issues he has overcome.

This is definitely an adult book, the content is worse than any movie I've ever seen. However, I did read this when I was a teenager and I know a lot of other teens have read it also. That isn't to say I'd ever assign it, but it's such an amazing story that I would encourage anyone who can handle it to read it. It is hard, I almost wanted to get sick a few times, but if you can get over that, you're left with one of the most touching, inspirational stories I've come across. I'm still not sure how to justify even having a book like this in my classroom library. I worry about the kid who wants to read it but who's parents freak out about its content. I am very open and I believe in letting kids experience lots of different things, but not everyone is going to agree with me on that, so I would tend to just avoid the whole risk altogether. I guess, then, the reason I read this was for more selfish reasons. I do realize it doesn't fall under our YAL category, but I wanted to spend some of the 15 books on things that would contribute to my study of the tortured child. I want to read more literature like this that will open my eyes to situations that I never even heard of in my town, never mind came close to dealing with myself. These are situations that I might come across in teaching emotionally disturbed kids. I am, in a sense, building up my nerve and learning to hear stories like this with less of a shock value and more of a desire to help and motivate, if that makes sense.

Finally, I can't imagine a better use of my time than reading Pelzer's stories. It was an amazing book and I wish I could just have everyone read it! Definitely keeping this and re-reading it for years to come.