Customer Rating:  
Summary: Once is enough...
Comment: Felix is a young Jewish boy that has been living in a poor orphanage within WWII, hoping for the day that his bookseller parents come to save him. One day, floating in the mush of the daily soup, he receives a whole carrot and strongly feels that this is a sign from his parents that they are alive and awaiting his return. So, once a gang of strange German men come to the orphanage and burn a pile of books in the front courtyard, Felix's initial thoughts are solidified, and he takes this as a further sign that his parents need his help and he must venture off in search of them.
In terms of children's books, `Once' is the darkest, most upsetting read I have ever read. Due to the constant train of life-shattering events mixed with the somewhat annoying naivety of the main character, this can become a struggling read with few rewards. It is my opinion that the style of writing can also become irritating, including the use of the word `Once' at the beginning of every paragraph, as well as several key characters that seem to be based on but one aspect of what makes a real child. The story is extremely blunt and tangible, but the individuals you meet along the way are incomplete and seem to be fuelled by clichés and catchphrases.
Out of all the books specifically read for the log, this novel is the least accessible and has limited relevance due to the high emotional aspect of the plot. As to be expected, it is strictly for Year 5 and 6 and used only for studies of World War II from the perspective of the scared and vulnerable.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Well written and well researched..
Comment: although i felt it went a bit beyond the boundaries as it covers almost every aspect of suffering imaginable during world war 2. One small book should not contain such an immense amount of heartbreak, there is only so much we can take in one sitting. This book is meant to break your heart - and it manages it - over and over and over again. I do recommend it, it is a great little book, but be prepared to cry - a lot.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Once - Morris Gleitzman
Comment: I came to this book almost directly after reading The Book Thief and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and this book is definetly a recommendation for anyone who liked those books.
Similar to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in many ways, in that the story comes from the view point of a young boy in WWII - different in so much as Felix is a Polish Jew whereas Bruno was a child of a German Officer - but both short books play on the innocence of youth, and gives a heartwarming, moving and tragic story of war from the childs perceptives.
Clearly a childs book, and could be read in one sitting easy enough, that shouldn't be a deterrent as this is an enjoyable book and one which will bring about many a tear and thoughts from many an adult. Thought provoking insight into the war, and one which schools could do well to pick up on as would make an excellent insight into the War for Children. Well worth reading, and if you haven't check out the other books mentioned in this brief review.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Moving and believable
Comment: This was another special book by Morris Gleitzman. I always find that you can read his books quickly and they are easy to read, but they always have depth and a proper story and they always leave you thinking for ages afterwards.
This is a book about a boy called Felix who runs away from the orphanage that he is at during WW2. It is his tale of survival with the people that he meets along the way. The ending is sad. Possiby one of the saddest I have ever read. I was desperate to read it so I finished it during an English lesson at school and I was trying not to cry during the lesson!
Customer Rating:
Summary: A moving and uplifting introduction to the holocaust
Comment: 'Once' is one of the most moving, emotional and entertaining books I've read in a long time.It's about a 9-year-old Jewish boy who's in a Catholic orphanage, believing that his parents are off sorting out their bookselling business and will be back for him any minute. All the evidence points to his parents being dead, but the boy thinks up more and more elaborate (and humorous) explanations for his circumstances, and stays cheerful, because he 'knows' his parents are coming back for him soon. He runs away to find them and finds Nazis clearing the people out of his town and killing people. Even while the boy is trying to make sense of the horrific things he sees, the story remains uplifting, and there is humour in the most dire of circumstances.
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