Once (novel) facts for kids
| Author | Morris Gleitzman |
|---|---|
| Series | Felix and Zelda |
|
Release number
|
1 |
| Publisher | Puffin Books |
|
Publication date
|
2009 |
| 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 follows a brave Jewish boy named Felix who lives in Poland during a very difficult time.
Felix has been staying in a Catholic orphanage for almost four years. One day, he sees Nazis burning books from the orphanage. This makes him worry about his parents, who are book-keepers. He decides to leave the orphanage and go on a quest to find them.
During his journey, Felix finds a young girl named Zelda. She is unconscious in a burning house, and her parents have died. Felix takes Zelda with him and tries to protect her from the sad truth about her parents. He does this by telling her many imaginative stories.
Even though Once is a made-up story, Morris Gleitzman was inspired by real events. He learned about World War II and The Holocaust, which was a terrible time when Hitler tried to harm Jewish people in Europe. He also learned about Janusz Korczak, a real person who helped children during this time.
Once has been translated into German, where it is called Einmal. It was nominated for a big award in Germany in 2010, the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis. In 2011, it won the Katholischer Kinder- und Jugendbuchpreis, another important award for children's books.
This book is the first in a series about Felix and Zelda. The other books are Then (2009), Now (2010), After (2012), Soon (2015), Maybe (2017), and Always (2021). If you want to read them in the order of Felix's life, you should read Once, Then, After, Soon, Maybe, Now, and then Always.
How the Book Was Written
Morris Gleitzman wrote Once as a fictional story, but he wanted it to feel real. He was inspired by the true story of Janusz Korczak, a kind doctor and educator who cared for children during World War II. He was also inspired by the terrible events of The Holocaust, when many Jewish people were persecuted.
To make sure his story was accurate, Gleitzman did a lot of research. He read many books and diaries written by young people who lived through the Holocaust. This helped him understand what life was like for children during that difficult time.
See also
In Spanish: Una vez para niños
