Frank Carlson Library

[This book] is [an] account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played torturous, unpredictable games - games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."--Back...

Just when Casey thinks her foster care duties are done, she's asked to look after Sam, a troubled nine-year-old with a violent streak who drove his previous guardians to release him of their care. It soon unfolds, however, that this is no simple case. Determined to get to the root of Sam's behaviour, Casey is committed to uncover his mysterious past only to find out something far darker than she ever imagined... Having recently said goodbye to their...

"Sometimes you've got a story you need to find the courage to tell." Ten-year-old Della has always had her older sister Suki: When their mom went to prison, Della had Suki. When their mom's boyfriend took them in, Della had Suki. When that same boyfriend did something so awful they had to run fast, Della had Suki. Loving, loyal, and fierce, Suki is Dell's own wolf--her protector. But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing...

The final entry in a trilogy of memoirs in which Dave Pelzer, brutally abused as a child, discusses the struggles he faced as an adult, and his determination to have a meaningful life.

"Jack, 12, tells the gripping story of Joseph, 14, who joins his family as a foster child. Damaged in prison, Joseph wants nothing more than to find his baby daughter, Jupiter, whom he has never seen. When Joseph has begun to believe he'll have a future, he is confronted by demons from his past that force a tragic sacrifice"--

Damaged is the true story of the relationship between Jodie and her foster mother, Cathy Glass. Jodie, a troubled eight-year old, was the most disturbed and abused child Glass had ever taken care of. In Cathy, Jodie found the one adult worthy of her trust, one who could help her begin the process of recovery.

Seven-year-old Reece was the last of six siblings to be taken into foster care. Cathy, Reece's foster carer, was about to unravel a truth about the reasons for his violent and aggressive behaviour - a truth more shocking than she'd ever imagined.

Discusses the laws that govern the foster care system, the newest and most innovative programs available today and provides an overview of the history of foster care, including the orphan trains and the British home children.

David Pelzer, victim of one of the worst child abuse cases in the history of California, tells the story of how he survived his mother's brutality and triumphed over his past.