A Child Called It Read-Alikes
Fiction
The Boy From the Basement by Susan Shaw (F SHA)
For Charlie, the basement is home. He's being punished. He doesn't mean to leave--Father wouldn't allow it--but when Charlie is accidentally thrust outside, he awakens to the alien surroundings of a world to which he's never been exposed. Though haunted by fear of the basement and his father's rage, Charlie embarks on a journey toward healing and blossoms when he becomes an unconditionally loved and loving member of the right foster family.
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott (F SCO)
Alice, a fifteen-year-old girl who was abducted by Ray when she was ten, lives in fear of what he is going to do to her and hopes death will save her from the nightmare.
Identical by Ellen Hopkins (F HOP)
Sixteen-year-old identical twin daughters of a district court judge and a candidate for the United States House of Representatives, Kaeleigh and Raeanne Gardella, desperately struggle with secrets that have already torn them and their family apart.
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin (F WER)
Seventeen-year-old Matthew recounts his attempts, starting at a young age, to free himself and his sisters from the grip of their emotionally and physically abusive mother.
Because I am Furniture by Thalia Caltas (F CHA)
The youngest of three siblings, fourteen-year-old Anke feels both relieved and neglected that her father abuses her brother and sister but ignores her, but when she catches him with one of her friends, she finally becomes angry enough to take action.
Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper (F DRA)
Teenage Gerald, who has spent years protecting his fragile half-sister from their abusive father, faces the prospect of one final confrontation before the problem can be solved.
When She Was Good by Norma Fox Mazer (F MAZ)
Em spent the first fourteen years of her life suffering her father's alcoholic rages and her mother's silent depression, and the next three trapped with her abusive older sister, Pamela. Now Pamela is dead, and Em is alone at last. Shy, sweet, and smart, Em does her best to live as she imagines "normal" people do. But will she be able to manage now that she's finally on her own?
Black-eyed Suzie by Susan Shaw (F SHA)
Enter the world of Suzie, a dark-eyed twelve-year-old who desperately needs to feel safe and worthy of love. Seeking only to be "good enough" she remains motionless and silent for hours on end, feeling the walls of her psychological prison pressing against her. Ultimately, Suzie finds herself in a mental hospital where she begins a long and fear-filled journey. To make sense of her world, Suzie must piece together a puzzle that involves seemingly unrelated clues--a broken bicycle, a torn picture, peacock feathers, and more--which together reveal a secret that is likely to change Suzie's life forever, and give her an opportunity to regain her voice and reclaim her spirit.
Room by Emma Donoghue (F DON)
Five-year-old Jack has spent his life living in an eleven-by-eleven foot space his mother calls Room and while Jack uses his imagination to create wondrous fantasies to entertain himself, his mother dreads the day her son begins to question why they must remain in Room and tries to find a way to escape.
Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Weiss (F WEI)
They promised Meredith nine years of safety, but only gave her three. Her father was supposed to be locked up until Meredith turned eighteen. She thought she had time to grow up, get out, and start a new life. But Meredith is only fifteen, and today her father is coming home from prison. Today her time has run out. Haunted by flashbacks, Meredith learns that three years in prison has not changed the abusive father who molested her.
Nonfiction
Broken Child by Marcia Cameron (B CAM)
This powerful tale takes readers on a harrowing, unforgettable journey into the nightmare of parental abuse and the darkness of mental illness. Written by a woman who endured horrendous abuse from her mother and became a split personality by the age of five, here is the story of her agonizing childhood, the conflicting personalities, and struggle back to sanity.
Stitches by David Small (B SMA)
A graphic novel that chronicles the life of American author and illustrator David Small, detailing his sickly childhood and teenage years, including his mother's oppressive silence and his cancer caused by his father's medical experimentation on him with x-rays.
Beautiful Child by Torey Hayden (371.9 HAY)
Seven-year-old Venus Fox's unresponsiveness was so complete that Torey Hayden initially believed the child was deaf. Venus never spoke, never listened, never even acknowledged the presence of another human being in the room with her. Yet an accidental playground bump would release a rage frightening to behold, turning the little girl into a whirling dynamo of dangerous malice. Of the five children in Torey's classroom that September, Venus posed the greatest challenge -- though the other four had serious problems of their own that could not be overlooked. Though all of the children had different needs and afflictions, they had two things in common: a profound, sometimes violent dislike of one another, and the desire to be almost anywhere other than Torey's class. The school year that followed would prove to be one of the most trying, perplexing, and ultimately rewarding of Torey's career, as she struggled to reach a silent child in obvious pain and need and, at the same time, create an atmosphere of learning and cooperation in a class bent on chaos.
Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood by Julie Gregory (618.9 GRE)
The author describes her life as the daughter of a woman afflicted with Munchausen by proxy, a form of child abuse in which a parent, most often a mother, invents or induces illness in a child in order to gain attention from medical professionals, tells how she was able to save herself, and discusses her efforts to have another young girl removed from her mother's care.
One Child by Torey Hayden (618.9 HAY)
Finally, a beginning... The time had finally come. The time I had been waiting for through all these long months that I knew sooner or later had to occur. Now it was here. She had surprised me so much by actually crying that for a moment I did nothing but look at her. Then I gathered her into my arms, hugging her tightly. She clutched onto my shirt so that I could feel the dull pain of her fingers digging into my skin. She cried and cried and cried. I held her and rocked the chair back and on its rear legs, feeling my arms and chest get damp from the tears and her hot breath and the smallness of the room.
A Hole in the World: An American Boyhood by Richard Rhodes (B RHO)
An award-winning author recounts the abuse he and his brother endured at the hands of their terrorizing stepmother and negligent father, and tells of the courageous role his brother played in delivering them to the care of others who would protect and support them.
Becoming Anna: The Autobiography of a Sixteen Year-Old by Anna Michener (B MIC)
The author tells the story of her childhood of extreme physical and mental abuse at the hands of her parents and grandmother, discussing the years she was forced to live in the garage, her stays at mental institutions after being committed by her mother, and her eventual placement with loving, accepting guardians.
Finding Fish by Anna Michener (B FIS)
Antwone Fisher tells the story of his life, from his birth to a prison inmate to his success as a screenwriter in Hollywood, discussing his childhood and teen years in foster homes, his stint in the Navy, his attempts to find his mother and father, and the determination that led him to create the life of his dreams.
They Cage the Animals at Night by Jennings Burch (B BUR)
Burch was left at an orphanage and never stayed at any one foster home long enough to make any friends. This is the story of how he grew up and gained the courage to reach out for love.
Three Little Words: A Memoir by Ashley Rhodes-Courter (B RHO)
Ashley spent nine years in foster care after being taken away from her mother. She endured many caseworkers, moving from school to school and manipulative, humiliating and abusive treatment from one foster family.
The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon (362.28 RUN)
When he was 14 years old, Brent Runyon set himself on fire. In this chronicle, Runyon describes that devastating suicide attempt and his recovery over the following year.
Trying to Get Some Dignity by Ginger Rhodes (362.7 RHO)
Richard Rhodes's memoir, A Hole in the World: An American Boyhood, etched an eloquent and unforgettable portrait of the emotional and physical abuse that Rhodes and his brother suffered as children at the hands of their stepmother. His book touched many men and women who had also been victims of abuse. These survivors wrote to Rhodes telling of their own abuse and how much the book had helped them deal with their own memories. Trying to Get Some Dignity is the result of these shared memories. The authors interviewed twenty of these men and women in depth to create a book that reports their experiences in their own words, forming an oral history that makes a collective narrative.
The Boy From the Basement by Susan Shaw (F SHA)
For Charlie, the basement is home. He's being punished. He doesn't mean to leave--Father wouldn't allow it--but when Charlie is accidentally thrust outside, he awakens to the alien surroundings of a world to which he's never been exposed. Though haunted by fear of the basement and his father's rage, Charlie embarks on a journey toward healing and blossoms when he becomes an unconditionally loved and loving member of the right foster family.
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott (F SCO)
Alice, a fifteen-year-old girl who was abducted by Ray when she was ten, lives in fear of what he is going to do to her and hopes death will save her from the nightmare.
Identical by Ellen Hopkins (F HOP)
Sixteen-year-old identical twin daughters of a district court judge and a candidate for the United States House of Representatives, Kaeleigh and Raeanne Gardella, desperately struggle with secrets that have already torn them and their family apart.
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin (F WER)
Seventeen-year-old Matthew recounts his attempts, starting at a young age, to free himself and his sisters from the grip of their emotionally and physically abusive mother.
Because I am Furniture by Thalia Caltas (F CHA)
The youngest of three siblings, fourteen-year-old Anke feels both relieved and neglected that her father abuses her brother and sister but ignores her, but when she catches him with one of her friends, she finally becomes angry enough to take action.
Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper (F DRA)
Teenage Gerald, who has spent years protecting his fragile half-sister from their abusive father, faces the prospect of one final confrontation before the problem can be solved.
When She Was Good by Norma Fox Mazer (F MAZ)
Em spent the first fourteen years of her life suffering her father's alcoholic rages and her mother's silent depression, and the next three trapped with her abusive older sister, Pamela. Now Pamela is dead, and Em is alone at last. Shy, sweet, and smart, Em does her best to live as she imagines "normal" people do. But will she be able to manage now that she's finally on her own?
Black-eyed Suzie by Susan Shaw (F SHA)
Enter the world of Suzie, a dark-eyed twelve-year-old who desperately needs to feel safe and worthy of love. Seeking only to be "good enough" she remains motionless and silent for hours on end, feeling the walls of her psychological prison pressing against her. Ultimately, Suzie finds herself in a mental hospital where she begins a long and fear-filled journey. To make sense of her world, Suzie must piece together a puzzle that involves seemingly unrelated clues--a broken bicycle, a torn picture, peacock feathers, and more--which together reveal a secret that is likely to change Suzie's life forever, and give her an opportunity to regain her voice and reclaim her spirit.
Room by Emma Donoghue (F DON)
Five-year-old Jack has spent his life living in an eleven-by-eleven foot space his mother calls Room and while Jack uses his imagination to create wondrous fantasies to entertain himself, his mother dreads the day her son begins to question why they must remain in Room and tries to find a way to escape.
Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Weiss (F WEI)
They promised Meredith nine years of safety, but only gave her three. Her father was supposed to be locked up until Meredith turned eighteen. She thought she had time to grow up, get out, and start a new life. But Meredith is only fifteen, and today her father is coming home from prison. Today her time has run out. Haunted by flashbacks, Meredith learns that three years in prison has not changed the abusive father who molested her.
Nonfiction
Broken Child by Marcia Cameron (B CAM)
This powerful tale takes readers on a harrowing, unforgettable journey into the nightmare of parental abuse and the darkness of mental illness. Written by a woman who endured horrendous abuse from her mother and became a split personality by the age of five, here is the story of her agonizing childhood, the conflicting personalities, and struggle back to sanity.
Stitches by David Small (B SMA)
A graphic novel that chronicles the life of American author and illustrator David Small, detailing his sickly childhood and teenage years, including his mother's oppressive silence and his cancer caused by his father's medical experimentation on him with x-rays.
Beautiful Child by Torey Hayden (371.9 HAY)
Seven-year-old Venus Fox's unresponsiveness was so complete that Torey Hayden initially believed the child was deaf. Venus never spoke, never listened, never even acknowledged the presence of another human being in the room with her. Yet an accidental playground bump would release a rage frightening to behold, turning the little girl into a whirling dynamo of dangerous malice. Of the five children in Torey's classroom that September, Venus posed the greatest challenge -- though the other four had serious problems of their own that could not be overlooked. Though all of the children had different needs and afflictions, they had two things in common: a profound, sometimes violent dislike of one another, and the desire to be almost anywhere other than Torey's class. The school year that followed would prove to be one of the most trying, perplexing, and ultimately rewarding of Torey's career, as she struggled to reach a silent child in obvious pain and need and, at the same time, create an atmosphere of learning and cooperation in a class bent on chaos.
Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood by Julie Gregory (618.9 GRE)
The author describes her life as the daughter of a woman afflicted with Munchausen by proxy, a form of child abuse in which a parent, most often a mother, invents or induces illness in a child in order to gain attention from medical professionals, tells how she was able to save herself, and discusses her efforts to have another young girl removed from her mother's care.
One Child by Torey Hayden (618.9 HAY)
Finally, a beginning... The time had finally come. The time I had been waiting for through all these long months that I knew sooner or later had to occur. Now it was here. She had surprised me so much by actually crying that for a moment I did nothing but look at her. Then I gathered her into my arms, hugging her tightly. She clutched onto my shirt so that I could feel the dull pain of her fingers digging into my skin. She cried and cried and cried. I held her and rocked the chair back and on its rear legs, feeling my arms and chest get damp from the tears and her hot breath and the smallness of the room.
A Hole in the World: An American Boyhood by Richard Rhodes (B RHO)
An award-winning author recounts the abuse he and his brother endured at the hands of their terrorizing stepmother and negligent father, and tells of the courageous role his brother played in delivering them to the care of others who would protect and support them.
Becoming Anna: The Autobiography of a Sixteen Year-Old by Anna Michener (B MIC)
The author tells the story of her childhood of extreme physical and mental abuse at the hands of her parents and grandmother, discussing the years she was forced to live in the garage, her stays at mental institutions after being committed by her mother, and her eventual placement with loving, accepting guardians.
Finding Fish by Anna Michener (B FIS)
Antwone Fisher tells the story of his life, from his birth to a prison inmate to his success as a screenwriter in Hollywood, discussing his childhood and teen years in foster homes, his stint in the Navy, his attempts to find his mother and father, and the determination that led him to create the life of his dreams.
They Cage the Animals at Night by Jennings Burch (B BUR)
Burch was left at an orphanage and never stayed at any one foster home long enough to make any friends. This is the story of how he grew up and gained the courage to reach out for love.
Three Little Words: A Memoir by Ashley Rhodes-Courter (B RHO)
Ashley spent nine years in foster care after being taken away from her mother. She endured many caseworkers, moving from school to school and manipulative, humiliating and abusive treatment from one foster family.
The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon (362.28 RUN)
When he was 14 years old, Brent Runyon set himself on fire. In this chronicle, Runyon describes that devastating suicide attempt and his recovery over the following year.
Trying to Get Some Dignity by Ginger Rhodes (362.7 RHO)
Richard Rhodes's memoir, A Hole in the World: An American Boyhood, etched an eloquent and unforgettable portrait of the emotional and physical abuse that Rhodes and his brother suffered as children at the hands of their stepmother. His book touched many men and women who had also been victims of abuse. These survivors wrote to Rhodes telling of their own abuse and how much the book had helped them deal with their own memories. Trying to Get Some Dignity is the result of these shared memories. The authors interviewed twenty of these men and women in depth to create a book that reports their experiences in their own words, forming an oral history that makes a collective narrative.