Author: Morris Gleitzman
Genre: Fiction
Series: Once trilogy
Audience: Young Adult
Format: Book – Library
Synopsis: Once there was a Jewish boy called Felix who told wonderful stories. He escaped from an orphanage to go looking for his parents and rescued a girl called Zelda. Together they set off, hiding from the Nazis and helping each other to survive.
What I thought: Once is the first in 3 book by Morris Gleitzman that I have chosen for our book club this month. They're not long reads, I polished all three off in three days. Gleitzman creates these wonderful characters. Felix's storytelling is whimsical and imaginative. Most importantly, they are distracting and hopeful. The stories Felix tell throughout the book give not only the other characters hope, but the reader as well. But behind the stories you can feel the desperation, the uncertainty and the fear. In the end, you don't know for certain what has happened to everyone, although you can take an educated guess. The grim reality for so many people in Poland during that time though, is we will never know what happened.
Recommended for: people who liked The Boy in Striped Pyjamas
Challenges: 100+ Challenge, The Aussie YA Challenge, For the Love of YA Challenge
