IT

It
$29.99
This is one of my favorite silent movies and in my opinion the best romantic comedy ever made. It's easy to see how it propelled Clara Bow to stardom.

The Shuttered Room/It!
$19.98
I feel nostalgic about certain old movies. This, along with Daughter of the Mind starring Ray Milland, is one of my sentimental favorites.
Carol Lynley is feminine and achingly fragile--Oliver Reed is chasing her down wth hillbilly lust, to no avail. There are real gothic touches here, and atmosphere. Baby boomers will probably love it. The atmosphere of the old house with the mill looks genuinely disturbing without being in the cheap "slasher" category. If you liked the Haunting of Hill House (the 1960's version) this movie might be for you!

It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It
$18.99
I found the writing style to be rather juvenile, though the author has some valid points. If he hopes to reach an audience outside the mainstream churches of the USA, he's going to have to write in a more scholarly fashion in the future.
References to contemporary personalities are wasted - how many of us in ministry have time to watch endless movies or TV series?

A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive
$11.95
I read many of the reviews here, and many stated that once they opened the book and started reading they could not put the book down. How true this was for me also. I read the book cover-to-cover in just a few short hours. This book should be read by the abused, soon-to-be parents, teachers, social workers, police officers and those who try to understand and connect emotionally with people who have been abused. Dave Pelzer is truly an amazing person to have experienced such a horrible childhood and to have somehow managed to keep his spirit intact and shine for others to get so much inspiration. This book will take you through incredible waves of emotion. You will not want to put it down, and the experience of reading it will go with you the rest of your life.

I bought this book in an attempt to understand the trauma of my spouse, who underwent a very similar experience in her childhood. For years I failed to truly understand what she went through with her own mother. We had a very troubled time in our early years of being together. We argued constantly, and I often felt like I was constantly being tested to prove my love for her. I also wanted to know why after all the abuse and torture she experienced she would still somehow maintain any sort of relationship with her mother. I have met her mother, and I can say without a doubt she is the most evil person I have ever laid eyes on. After reading this book, I now understand.

In the simplest terms, this book gives you the closest experience you can ever imagine to feeling what it is like to be abused. From the very first page it captured my mind and soon I was shedding tears and wishing I could go back and rescue this poor boy from his monsterous mother and the father who failed to protect him. The one question this book does not provide an answer for is "Why?". We do not learn of his mother's background. There are no clues as to why she would turn from a loving, caring parent into the most horrible creature the world can imagine. There are no answers as to why she chose Dave to abuse, but treated her other children normally. There is no answer that explains why his father turned a blind eye and failed to stop it.

As much as I learned in this book about child abuse and the nature of the feelings of the abuser, I have so many questions that remain unanswered. The story is hearbreaking and disturbing, yet so very profound in the lesson that it teaches. The human spirit and the desire to survive can withstand horrific challenges. It also teaches us that the world can be a very dark place and that there are horrible things happening right now as I write this and you read it. Somewhere out there is a child or perhaps even an adult that is suffering great pain at the hands of another. They are so alone and cannot reach out to others to ask for help. If help is ever to arrive for these silent victims, it has to start by waking up and being more alert to what happens around us. The story of this poor child being tortured at the hands of his mother could be playing out right next door to your very own house.