Book Review: The Lost Boy

"A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family"

The Lost Boy covers the time from when David Pelzer enters foster care at the age of 12 until he ages out of the system at age 18. Written in the same style as A Child Called 'It', Pelzer tells his story from the view point of his age at the time whether that be a 12-year-old or an eighteen-year-old.

A Must Read for Foster Parents

This book is a must read for foster parents as the reader is given the opportunity to see and try to understand how a child in David's position can interpret and misinterpret unrelated occurrences to being somehow his/her fault. Very enlightening reading as the reader is able to see the inner workings of an abused child. I'm sure most foster parents will be able to see past foster placements in young David.

About the Author

Dave Pelzer entered foster care at the age of 12 due to the severe abuse he endured at the hand of his alcoholic mother. The abuse became so terrible that she actually started referring to Dave as "The Boy," instead of a child, her son, or Dave. At the age of 18 Dave aged out of the foster care system and joined the U.S. Air Force.

Dave has won many awards and personal commendations from Presidents Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush. In 1993, Dave was honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans. In 1994, he became one of the only United States citizens to be awarded as an Outstanding Young Persons of the World, for his efforts in teaching about child abuse and it's prevention. Dave is also the author of A Child Called "It", A Man Named Dave, The Privilege of Youth, Help Yourself, and Help Yourself for Teens.

Today Dave is a husband and a father and resides in Rancho Mirage, California.

More Information

You can find a section entitled "Perspectives on Foster Care" at the end of the book where different key players in this case give their insight or feelings on Dave's case. A section with numbers to call for more information on social work and foster care is also included.

(Published by: Deerfield Beach, FL.: Health Communications, Inc., 1997.
ISBN 1-55874-515-7)