Author Pelzer example essay topic

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A Child Called 'It': One Child's Courage to Survive Click here to compare prices for this book from 100 stores Author: Dave Pelzer ISBN: 1558743669 Publisher: HCI Date published: 1995-09-01 Edition: Format: Paperback Number of pages: 195 Size: Related Books: All Editions Similar Books Click here to compare prices for this book from 100 stores Synopsis: 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 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. One wants to learn more about his ordeal and its aftermath, and now he's written a sequel, The Lost Boy, detailing his life in the foster-care system.

Thoughit's a grim story, A Child Called 'It' is very much in the tradition of Chicken Soup for the Couple's Soul and the many books in that upbeat series, whose author Pelzer thanks for helping get his book going. It's all about weathering adversity to find love, and Pelzer is an expert witness. Book Review: News Update! 11/7/97 -- A CHILD CALLED 'IT' is currently a New York Times Bestseller! A sincere THANK YOU to everyone who read this book and helped spread the very important message of Pelzer's life! (You may also want to check out the new sequel, THE LOST BOY, released August, 1997. ).