Once

Once

Historical Fiction

Author: Morris Gleitzman

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, LLC

Copyright: 2005

"Once I was living in an orphanage in the mountains and I shouldn't have been and I almost caused a riot. It was because of the carrot."

This book grabbed my attention from the first line and never let go. This is the story of Felix, a boy caught in 1942 war-torn Poland. Felix is a storyteller, on a quest to find and save his parents. He experiences many adventures, meets interesting people, and of course, tells a lot of stories. The style of this book is similar to The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, in that much of the information of Felix's story is inferred rather than directly stated. This gives the story more poignancy and gives special insights into Felix's character. This aspect of the story also provides a wealth of teaching opportunities for the classroom. This book is great for students who want to read more about World War II or the Holocaust on their own or as a class novel. It is well written and captivating the whole way through. I will be reading the rest of the books in this series.

There are many thoughtful quotes in this book that would lend themselves to some great discussion. Here is one example:

“Sometimes...parents can't protect their kids even though they love them more than anything in the world. Sometimes, even when they try their very hardest, they can't save them.”

Related Links:  

• Book Profile on Goodreads.com - This social media site contains more reviews by readers and information on the author.
• Then - The next book in this series.
• The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - This is a link to the free lesson plans provided by the Holocaust Museum to teachers.