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Paperback | Searching... Hamlin Public Library | 921 PELZER D | Adult | Searching... Unknown |
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Book | Searching... West Huntington Public Library | 362.76092 PEL | Adult | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."
Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive--dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.
Author Notes
David Pelzer was born on December 29, 1960 in San Francisco, California. He survived what is reported to be the third worst case of child abuse in California state history. The victims of the other two cases are dead. At the age 12, Pelzer's teachers risked their careers to notify the authorities and saved his life. He was removed from his home and his abusive mother, and made a ward of the court. He was placed in foster care until he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at age 18. While in the service, Pelzer achieved the rank of Sargent and was hand-picked to midair refuel the highly secretive SR-71 Blackbird and the F-117 Stealth Fighter, which played a major role in Operations Just Cause, Desert Shield, and Desert Storm.
His first book, A Child Called "It", was published in 1995 and dealt with his abusive childhood. His other works include The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family, A Man Named Dave: A Story of Triumph and Forgiveness, Help Yourself: Finding Hope, Courage, and Happiness, and Moving Forward. He received several awards including the J. C. Penney Golden Rule Award in 1990 and the 2005 National Jefferson Award.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (1)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 UpThis autobiographical account charts the abuse of a young boy as his alcoholic mother first isolates him from the rest of the family; then torments him; and finally nearly kills him through starvation, poisoning, and one dramatic stabbing. Pelzer's portrayal of domestic tyranny and eventual escape is unforgettable, but falls short of providing understanding of extreme abuse or how he made his journey from ``Victim to Victor.'' It takes some work to get past the poor writing and the self-aggrandizing back matter, but the book tries fervently to provide a much-needed perspective. One of the greater obstacles to healing for males is admitting that they have been victims, especially if their perpetrator is a woman. This author has overcome that obstacle and succeeded in life by such masculine norms as joining the Air Force and receiving awards for his volunteerism. However, while personal accounts of child maltreatment provide crucial information about the realities of childhood, youngsters need insight and hope in order to digest the raw material of abuse. James Deem's The 3 NBs of Julian Drew (Houghton, 1994) is a well-crafted, fictional work that effectively covers much of the same ground.Carolyn Polese, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.