The Story of Dave Pelzer

I believe that by reading about child abuse and how different children overcome the hurt and humiliation that usually accompanies abuse we can learn much about how to spot a child in trouble and how to get that child help. There are three books that span the years in the life a man named Dave Pelzer who was severely abused as a child. Mr. Pelzer appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show several years ago and his story is truly amazing. The first of these books, A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive, begins with Dave's early memories of being abused by his alcoholic mother beginning somewhere around the age of four. The second book, The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family, takes you through the foster homes where Dave experienced more abuse as he was shuffled from home to home. The third book, A Man Named Dave, is about Dave Pelzer as an adult. In this book Dave tells you how he overcame the painful memories of his youth and how as a man he became a loving father.

I recommend reading these three books. I agree with those of you who say it is very hard to read about abusive situations. I find that the knowledge I gain by following a story from beginning to end almost always leaves me with new understanding about the abusive personality, and what I learn about the abused child makes me want to reach out to those children who so desperately need someone to save them.

The title's of the books are links where you can find out more about the stories in the books and about information for purchasing them.