A Child Called It is a book written by Dave Pelzer. Dave writes this book as an abused child who went through a horrible experience. In the first part, he recounts how he was horribly beaten and even forced to swallow his own vomit, ammonia and even soap. Dave writes about the horrors children experience when they are abused. A Child Called It is the unforgettable account of an abused child who was brutally beaten, burned, starved and tortured by an unstable alcoholic mother. A Child Called It is an incredibly moving story in which the author describes how he endured unthinkable suffering and abuse at the hands of his own mother who hated him for no reason. Dave provides a detailed account of the neglect and abuse as well as the emotions, struggles and pain he faced to survive. Later, Dave was able to free himself from his hateful mother and the hell he was living in. A Child Called It is written from the perspective of a child. Dave's book is an eye-opener about how children are abused, even by their own mothers. Child abuse is not something new in our society because it happens everywhere. Many cases of child abuse go unreported because society and the people around them don't care (Crosson-Tower 47). This book tells the story of the struggles of a young boy who has gone through difficult times. Dave was a victim of abuse for approximately 13 years, when he was removed from his abusive home. Dave was treated poorly compared to his brothers, but he never gave up but fought to rise above it all. Even though he had lost hope in his dreams and doubted humanity, Dave was able to overcome this trauma and improve his life. Dave and his brothers Stan and Ronald lived normal, happy lives while they were still young. They lived happily with their m...... middle of paper ......ngs. He hurt his son and left him with many scars, but Dave was determined to live. He says, “Mother can beat me all she wants, but I haven’t let her take away my will to somehow survive” (4). He was abused by his mother and treated less than human, but Dave never stopped preserving his own life and sanity. Dave struggled to stay alive in a home where he was unwanted and abused. He was treated like an animal, but Dave still fought to stay alive and overcome all of his mother's abuse. Works Cited Pelzer, Dave. A child called it: a child's courage to survive. California: Health Communications, 1995. Print. Pelzer, Dave. A child called it “it”. The journey of an abused child, from victim to victor. London: Orion Books Limited, 2008. Print. Crosson-Tower, Cynthia. Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect, 9th Edition. New York: Pearson, 2014. Print.