Dave Pelzer
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Dave Pelzer (born 1961 in California) is an author and advocate for children's rights from California. As a child he alleges he was severely abused by his mother for a period of eight years, and that his was considered one of the three worst cases of child abuse in California history. When he was twelve, his teachers finally notified the police: he was removed from his home and sent to live in a series of foster homes, where he gradually overcame the trauma of his earlier years.
Books
Pelzer has written a number of books, some of which outline his experiences. Five of these were included in the New York Times bestsellers list over the past few years. His works include:
- A Child Called It (1995) ISBN 1558743669
- The Lost Boy (1997) ISBN 1558745157
- A Man Named Dave (1999) ISBN 0452281903
- Help Yourself (2001) ISBN 0452282764
- The Privilege of Youth (2004) ISBN 0525947698
- Life's Lessons (2004) ISBN 0007146914
Controversy
Criticisms or questions about Pelzer's works have been raised in articles in the Mail on Sunday ("Is He Making 'It' All Up?"), the New York Times Magazine ("Dysfunction for Dollars"), and the online magazine Slate ("Dave Pelzer - The Child Abuse Entrepreneur (http://slate.msn.com/id/90532/)").
External links and references
- Dave Pelzer's Personal Website (http://www.davepelzer.com)
- An interview with Dave Pelzer (http://www.bookbrowse.com/index.cfm?page=author&authorID=145&view=Interview)sv:Dave Pelzer