Once

By: Morris Gleitzman

Narrated by: Morris Gleitzman

Felix lives in a convent orphanage in Poland. He is convinced his parents are still alive and that they will one day come back to get him. When Nazi soldiers come to the orphanage Felix decides to escape and make his way home. The journey to find his parents is a long and difficult one, as Poland is occupied by the Nazis and a dangerous place for a Jewish boy. Felix manages to live and look after himself and another orphan, Zelda, with the help of a kind dentist, Barney, who is hiding and looking after a number of Jewish children. When the Nazis discover them, Barney makes the ultimate sacrifice for the children - electing to go with them on the train to the death camps, rather than taking the option of freedom offered by a Nazi soldier, one of his grateful patients.©2005 Creative Input Pty Ltd. By arrangement with Penguin Group (Australia). (P)2005 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

• 2005 Audie Award Nominee, Children's Titles, Ages 8+

I enjoyed this book... My kids loved it

This is a good story in a kids perspective on a topic we all know. Both of my daughters enjoyed it so much that they put it on their ipods.

Brillant, raw, insightful and so much more

So heartbreaking and moving. Loved all the characters. Will get all the kids to listen to it.
Barney & Fliex are such heroes and the little girls that jumped.

Moving and Important.

What a wonderful, sensitive way to help young readers understand more about the Holocaust and try to make sense of the unimaginable. This would be an excellent read aloud.

LOVE IT

It was amazing and the author has a good idea about nazis I will definitely read this Agian and her other books.

Fantastic story, well told

This is a fantastic story about a young Jewish boy, an orphan who tries to survive in Poland in 1942 when Hitlers brutal soldiers take over. He is a wonderful storyteller and his stories help other children. I couldn't put it down! Excellent narration as well.