Once

Once is a historical fiction novel by Morris Gleitzman based on the events that took place during the Holocaust back in the 1940s.  Readers do not need to have a deep understanding of the events that took place in this tragic event, as the main character, Felix, is learning about them as well.  The novel is the first in a trilogy of stories about Felix, with Then being the second book in the series and Now being the third.  The novel is about 163 pages, so it is a shorter read that moves quickly. Once is a great introductory novel for readers learning about the Holocaust for the first time. 

Felix has a gift: he is a beautiful storyteller.  He can tell stories that captivate an audience, help him make friends, and sometimes even get him out of trouble. However, the same wild imagination that can spin these wild stories can also cause Felix to struggle in finding the truth in the world around him.  Felix is in a Catholic orphanage in Poland, where his parents have left him in the safe keeping of nun while they tend to their Jewish bookstore. But it has been over two years since Felix has seen them and he is becoming impatient.  Felix has been keeping the secret that he is not really an orphan, but simply a boy dropped off by his parents to the trusting care of Mother Minka. Suddenly one morning strange men show up to the orphanage in uniforms and begin burning books, and lots of them.  Felix's parents own a bookstore and he feels this is the push he needs to secretly set out for them and warn them of the dangers.  Sneaking out one morning while all the others are at breakfast, Felix begins to slowly see how the countryside of Poland has changed in the years he has been gone. He has heard nothing about the war but Father Ludwik speak of how wonderful Hitler and his Nazis are.  So when Felix begins to encounter soldiers scouring the country, going house-to-house in search of Jewish people, his big imagination takes over to guess at what they are doing amid their descruction. Until one night he stumbles upon a house being burned and notices a family just outside the home.  The parents have been shot and left for dead, but the small 6 year old is barely alive.  He commits to helping her and together they set off in search of Felix's parents.  However, as they travel, Felix realizes the stories he has been making up in his head about these soliders is far from the truth.  Once is a heart-wrenching tale of little Felix, who sees the world through naive eyes, refusing to believe there can be such hate and evil in the world.  He wants to use his stories to bring happiness and eventually hope to others who are searching for loved ones and clinging to hope themselves because it is one of the few things they have left.  

Once is a great novel for students beginning to learn about the Holocaust.  This novel focuses mostly on the Nazi search to identify the Jews and their move into ghettos until transportation to the death camps. Because of the nature of the content of the Holocaust, this book is better suited for middle school students.  While there are more graphic novels about the Holocaust, Felix still sees atrocities many younger readers may not be ready for in elementary school, especially until they have learned about the Holocaust.  Some of these scenes may be emotionally upsetting for younger readers. Both boys and girls alike would enjoy this read and see Felix as kind and caring and naive and hopeful.  The novel is a beautiful story of sacrifice and friendship and hope that should be shared with all.