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A Child Called 'It'

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A Child Called 'It'

Written by: David Pelzer
Narrated by: Brian Keeler
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About this listen

Dave Pelzer was brutally abused as a child by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother. She considered him a slave - no longer a boy, but an "it".

He was physically and mentally tortured and starved. The outside world knew nothing of the nightmare he experienced behind closed doors, and his father was aware of the abuse but turned to denial and alcohol. The abuse only fueled a determination to survive and become stronger.

He eventually found amazing strength from his experiences: both in himself and other people.

©1995 David Pelzer (P)2001 Recorded Books Abuse Dysfunctional Relationships Parenting & Families Relationships Emotionally Gripping Heartfelt Biography Child Development

What the critics say

"Pelzer's portrayal of domestic tyranny and eventual escape is unforgettable." ( School Library Journal)
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Very sad, touching story. It also shows how resilient people can sometimes be. I am so glad for the happy ending!

Very touching story

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I read this book as a young girl because my mother read it. Scared me so much. Now almost 40 I decided to read it again to see if my memory was accurate. To my shock it was. Great book sad but good

Hard one

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absolutely heartbreaking, and very sad to listen to but such a good book. I would recommend everybody listen to or read this book at some point in their life. My heart goes out to David and I am so glad he was able to overcome his horrors

heartbreaking but a must read/listen to

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This is the first story I’ve listened to on this and I’ve fallen in love with not only this story, but this app.
I was blown away with the intensity of the story and how the audio reader was performing to make it more visual.
This is a story that I couldn’t stop listening to. Thank you so much for this.

It was remarkable

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Such a shocking true story, at the extreme end of the abuse that some children endure. Provides a lot of respect for child protection services, and teachers, who figured out what was going on, and removing this child from a destructive home. Listen at the end for an afterword. Also, read this book first, then David’s second book, The Lost Boy. His resilience is amazing.

So sad, shocking

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This book was very emotional. Where does the courage to survive come from. Some people don't deserve to be parents.

A child

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I had never heard of this horrific child abuse case but listened with both sadness and hope that David could both survive and overcome this. Many of us have no idea what many children live through once they walk through the door to their home every day. Let's hope this makes more people take action when they suspect child abuse (or animal abuse as many times they go hand in hand.

A true survivor of abuse and strength

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I liked the awareness this book brings about the length someone will go to abuse a child. it shocked me how others can stand there and watch, especially his own fathers. David rose above! good for you!

the honesty

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very hard to hear true story. I felt as though I was actually in the moment of David abuse.. this is a book that everyone should read in their life time. This is the reality of many children and needs to be heard/ read

a must read in your lifetime.

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Excellently well written story. The author is an inspiration. Sad that a child had to go thru something so horrific, and there was no consequence to the mother.

Heart wrenching story

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