What readers think of A Child Called It, plus links to write your own review.

When do we recognize a child as old enough to find out that there is abuse in the world? When the child grows up to become an adult, or when they become shocked by a book such as this that it shows them that their world is not as innocent as they might think? One out of these 123 reviews of this book says that she does not want children reading it because "the shock value for young readers is high. It definitely robs one of their innocence." Kids will grow up whether we want them to or not, and by reading about one child who lived through this suffering for so many years and survived it gives anyone an insight into their own life. Many reviewers say that they see that their hard times are now a blessing compared to what David Pelzer had to live through. We can all learn positive stuff from reading this book and find that we can be grateful for everything that we have.

This book was written for a fifth grade level, and the author took out a lot of the more important details about his childhood, but I still recommend it, if you have the stomach for it. Remember the box of tissues!

This book is amazing! I really enjoyed reading it. All of the invigorating things that are described and how the mother of David P. treated him, i would never do that . I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone! Its one of the best books i have ever read and i will for sure read the continuing stories.

In class we are reading this book, and so far I love it, the writer catches the feel of being in the room amazingly. it is a thrilling book i can't wait to hear the rest of it.

One of reviewers cites a reference on Wikipedia to a book by Dave Pelzer's brother, Stephen, entitled "Dysfunction for Dollars". There is no such book. "Dysfunction for Dollars" is an article by Pat Jordan in the New York Times Sunday Magazine, July 28, 2002.

This book is about a young boy who is once loved by his family and then his mother & father become alcoholics and his mother starts abusing him worse than I've EVER heard. When his dad tries to stick up for him, his mother would get really mad and yell. His mother brainwashes his dad and him and his brother. I think you should really read this book, it very INTERESTING, it read it in the course of four days, this one & the sequel, now onto the last.

I work with neglected and abused children. This story seems implausable to me. The neglect and abuse described here, plus constant food stealing at school, should have triggered responses from school officials much sooner than the author would have us believe. He was twelve when removed from the home and so we're to believe that six or seven years of stealing food at school, covered in bruises, wearing the same ragged clothes,... and the school does nothing? In San Francisco? In rare circumstances, mothers do starve children, but they rarely get away with it once children are in school. And this kind of abuse is usually given to step children, but this child is being raised by both his biological parents in an intact family. The father, who is portrayed as a meek man, allowing his wife to starve and abuse the child, was actually a fireman, ...not a profession for the meek. The parents are now dead, and cannot defend themselves. According to Wikipedia, one of his siblings says the book is a farce and wrote a book called, "Dysfunction for Dollars". The authors grandmother also disputes the abuse.

This Is an amazingly sad book and I could read it over and over for months. This man was tortured and severely abused for years while his brothers stood there watching. I don't believe I could have the courage to survive these inhumane acts by someone you dearly used to love.

I loved the book I thought it and its sequels were one of the best books I have ever read. I can not relate to ALL the abuse but I can relate to some and the foster care and the story touched my heart as it did to my husband