Once (Gleitzman novel) facts for kids
| Author | Morris Gleitzman |
|---|---|
| Series | Felix and Zelda |
|
Release number
|
1 |
| Publisher | Puffin Books |
|
Publication date
|
2005 |
| Pages | 160 |
| ISBN | 9780143301950 |
| OCLC | 76888577 |
| 823.914 | |
| LC Class | PZ7.G4824 |
| Followed by |
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Once is an exciting children's novel written by Australian author Morris Gleitzman. It was first published in 2005. The story is about a brave Jewish boy named Felix. He lives in Poland during a very difficult time in history.
Felix has been staying in a Catholic orphanage for almost four years. One day, he sees Nazis burning books. This makes him worry about his parents, who are book-keepers. He decides to leave the orphanage and search for them. On his journey, he finds a young girl named Zelda in a burning house. Her parents are gone, and Felix takes her with him. He protects her and tells her stories to help her cope with the terrible things happening around them.
Even though Once is a made-up story, Morris Gleitzman got his ideas from real events. He was inspired by the story of Janusz Korczak, a brave doctor. He also learned about World War II and the sad events of The Holocaust. This was a time when many Jewish people in Europe faced great danger.
Contents
About the Book
Once is the first book in a popular series about Felix and Zelda. The book has been translated into other languages. For example, it was translated into German as Einmal.
Awards and Recognition
The German version of Once was nominated for a special award in 2010. This award is called the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis, which means the German Youth Literature Prize. In 2011, the book won another award, the Katholischer Kinder- und Jugendbuchpreis. This award celebrates great Catholic children's and youth books.
The Felix and Zelda Series
Once is the first book in a series that follows Felix's adventures. There are several other books in the series.
Books in the Series
The books in the series are:
- Once (published in 2005)
- Then (published in 2009)
- Now (published in 2010)
- After (published in 2012)
- Soon (published in 2015)
- Maybe (published in 2017)
Story Order
The books were not published in the exact order of Felix's life. If you want to read the story in the correct order of events, you should read them like this:
- Once
- Then
- After
- Soon
- Maybe
- Now
The author, Morris Gleitzman, has also said that the final book in the series will be called Always.
