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{{Short description|Novel by Morris Gleitzman}}
{{Infobox Book | <!-- See [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels]] or [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Books]] -->
{{Infobox book
⚫
| name = Once
| author = [[Morris Gleitzman]]
| title_orig =
| translator =
| name = Once
| image =
| publisher = [[Puffin Books]]
⚫
| pub_date = 2005
| image_caption =
| author = [[Morris Gleitzman]]
| series = Felix and Zelda
| illustrator =
| release_number = 1
⚫
| isbn = 9780143301950
| cover_artist =
| country = [[Australia]]
| oclc = 76888577
| language = [[English language|English]]
| dewey = 823.914
| series = [[Once Trilogy]]
| congress = PZ7.G4824
| genre =
| pages = 160
| publisher = [[Puffin]]
| followed_by = Then'' (2009)''
| image = File:Once_(novel).jpg
| release_date = (Au)-2005 (En/Ir)-2006
| media_type =
| pages = 150
⚫
| isbn =
| preceded_by =
| followed_by = [[Then (novel)|Then]]
}}
}}


'''''Once''''' is a 2005 children's novel by [[Australia]]n author called [[Morris Gleitzman]]. It is about a [[Judaism|Jewish]] boy named Felix, who lived in [[Poland]]. Although ''Once'' is a work of fiction, Gleitzman was inspired by the events of [[World War II]] and Hitler's attempt to [[The Holocaust|destroy the Jewish population of Europe]]. The book's sequel ''Then'' continues immediately at the conclusion of ''Once''
'''''Once''''' is a 2005 [[children's novel]] by Australian author [[Morris Gleitzman]]. It is about a [[Jewish]] boy named Felix who lived in Poland and is on a quest to find his book-keeper parents after he sees [[Nazi book burnings|Nazis burning the books]] from a Catholic orphanage where he lived for over three years. He finds a girl named Zelda, unconscious in a burning house with her dead parents, and takes her with him. He protects her from confronting her parents' death through storytelling. Although ''Once'' is a work of fiction, Gleitzman was inspired by the story of [[Janusz Korczak]], the events of [[World War II]], and Hitler's attempt to [[The Holocaust|exterminate the Jewish population]] of Europe.


''Once'' was translated into German (''{{Lang|de|Einmal}}'') and was nominated for the 2010 [[Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis]]; it won the 2011 {{Interlanguage link multi|Katholischer Kinder- und Jugendbuchpreis|de}}.
==Plot Overview==
In 1943, Felix escapes from a Catholic orphanage in [[Poland]] in order to find his parents. Along the way, he meets Zelda, a girl who was orphaned by the [[Nazi]]s, and they go to the city together to seek their parents.


The sequels to the book are ''Then'' (2009),<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.morrisgleitzman.com/then.htm|author=Morris Gleitzman|title=Then|year=2009|isbn=9780141324821}}</ref> ''Now'' (2010),<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.morrisgleitzman.com/now.htm|author=Morris Gleitzman|title=Now|year=2010|isbn=9780141329987}}</ref> ''After'' (2012),<ref name=After>{{Cite book|url=https://www.morrisgleitzman.com/after.htm|author=Morris Gleitzman|title=After|year=2012|isbn=9780670075447}}</ref> ''Soon'' (2015)<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.morrisgleitzman.com/soon.htm|author=Morris Gleitzman|title=Soon|year=2015|isbn=9780670078875}}</ref> ''Maybe'' (2017),<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.morrisgleitzman.com/maybe.htm|author=Morris Gleitzman|title=Maybe|date=September 2018|isbn=9780141388656}}</ref> and ''Always'' (2021).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.morrisgleitzman.com/|title=Morris Gleitzman|quote=I'm talking of course about Always, the final book in the Once series|access-date=2020-06-02}}</ref> In chronological order of Felix's life, the books are ''Once'', ''Then'', ''After'', ''Soon'', ''Maybe'', ''Now'', and ''Always''.<ref name=After />
==Plot summary==

A nine-year-old Jewish boy named Felix escapes from a catholic orphanage in the mountains of Poland, thinking his parents are ready to take him home after finding a whole carrot, his favorite vegetable, in his soup. His parents sent him to the orphanage so they could fix their book store. He sees the Nazis burning a huge pile of the orphanage's Jewish books and thinks that they will do it to his parents' book store. He goes to the town he lived in when he was younger and sees that no-one was in the town. A mysterious man tells him that all the Jews have gone to the city. On his way to the city he sees a burning house and finds that two adults and a few chickens are dead. He suddenly sees a little girl who is unconscious and rescues her. When she awakes she keeps on crying for her mother and father. Felix carries the girl (whose name turns out to be Zelda) to the city with many other Jews and sees that they are being killed on the way. When he gets to the city the Nazis are shooting adults and putting children into a truck. A man called Barney saves a few of the children and keeps them in the cellar of a printing room. Felix later finds out that Adolf Hitler was behind the killing of the Jews. (He had learned that Adolf Hitler was a great man when he was at the orphanage.) Zelda gets a bad fever and Barney and Felix look around empty apartments for aspirin. Felix finds a big jar of aspirin, a story book titled ''Just William'' and a carrot for Zelda. He runs into a Nazi soldier who just looks at the book and Zelda's locket that Felix is wearing. Before Felix reaches it, the Nazis find the cellar and the children in it. Barney and all the children (including Felix and Zelda) get sent onto a train that will take them to a 'death camp'. But when Felix knocks a plank out of the carriage, he gets an idea. So he tells some men to break of a couple more planks off. Felix, Zelda and a girl called Chaya escape. Chaya gets shot and the other two survive. Barney and the others stay on the train to "DEATH CAMP".
==Development==
Although ''Once'' is a work of fiction, Gleitzman was inspired by the story of [[Janusz Korczak]], the events of [[World War II]], and Hitler's attempt to [[The Holocaust|exterminate the Jewish population]] of Europe. As research for the novel, Gleitzman read several books about and by young people in the Holocaust, including ''The King of Children'' by [[Betty Jean Lifton]] (a biography of Janusz Korczak), ''Salvaged Pages: Young Writers' Diaries of The Holocaust'', edited by Alexander Zapruder, ''The Hidden Children'' by Jane Marks, ''Words to Outlive Us: Eyewitness Accounts From the Warsaw Ghetto'', edited by [[Michał Grynberg]], ''Witness: Voices From The Holocaust'', edited by Joshua M. Greene and Shiva Kumar, ''A Childhood'' by [[Jona Oberski]], ''[[Maus]]'' by [[Art Spiegelman]], ''[[The Diary of a Young Girl]]'' by [[Anne Frank]], ''Born Guilty'' by [[Peter Sichrovsky]], ''The Hidden Children'' by Howard Greenfeld, ''Children of the Ghetto'' by Sheva Glas-Wiener, ''Konin: A Quest'' by Theo Richmond, ''The Boys'' by [[Martin Gilbert]], ''Flares of Memory: Stories of Childhood During The Holocaust'', edited by Anita Brostoff with Sheila Chamovitz, ''Yiddishland'' by Gerard Silvain and Henri Minczeles, ''Children With a Star'' by [[Debórah Dwork]], and ''Ghetto Diary'' by Janusz Korczak.<ref>{{cite book
| url=http://www.morrisgleitzman.com/once.htm
| author=Morris Gleitzman
| title=Once
| year=2006
| isbn=9780141320632}}</ref>

==Reception==
The Horn Book Guide described ''Once'' as "this is the rare Holocaust book for young readers that doesn't alleviate its dark themes with a comforting ending".<ref>{{Citation | author1=Gross, Claire E | title=Gleitzman, Morris: ''Once'' (Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review) | journal=[[The Horn Book Guide]] | date=2010-09-22 | volume=21 | issue=2 | pages=339(1) | issn=1044-405X }}</ref>

The School Library Journal recommends this book as a 'read aloud' book, and notes how it contrasts "how children would like to imagine their world with the tragic way that life sometimes unfolds."<ref>{{Citation | author1=Hastings, Jeffrey | title=Gleitzman, Morris. ''Once'' (Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review) | journal=School Library Journal | date=2010-04-01 | volume=56 | issue=4 | pages=156(1) | issn=0362-8930 }}</ref>

Kirkus Reviews describes Felix's misconceptions of the world "heartbreaking", and described his story as being "packed with sadness", with a tinge of hope offered by the character inspired by Janusz Korczak.<ref>{{Citation | title=Gleitzman, Morris: ''Once'' (Young adult review) (Brief article) (Book review) | journal=Kirkus Reviews | date=2010-03-15 | issn=1948-7428 }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Citation | author=Lewis, Tom | title=''Once'' and ''Then'', Morris Gleitzman. (Brief article, book review) | journal=[[New Statesman]]| publication-date=2009-08-17 | volume=138 | issue=4962 | pages=46(1) | issn=1364-7431|ref=none}}
*{{Citation | author=Jemtegaard, Kristi Elle | title=Morris Gleitzman: ''Once'' (Young adult review, brief article, audiobook review) | journal=[[The Horn Book Magazine]]| date=2006-07-01 | volume=82 | issue=4 | pages=473(1) | issn=0018-5078|ref=none}}
*{{Citation | author=Janssen-Gibson, Michael | title=''Once'' (Young adult review) | journal=Magpies | date=2005-09-01 | volume=20 | issue=4 | pages=35(1) | issn=0817-0088|ref=none}}
*{{Citation | author=Wyckoff, Amy | title=''Once'' (Young adult review, book review) | journal=[[Voice of Youth Advocates]] | date=2010-04-01 | volume=33 | issue=1 | pages=57(1) | issn=0160-4201|ref=none}}
*{{Citation | author=Ventura, Emily | title=''Once'' (Children's review, book review) | journal=[[Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy]]| date=2010-04-01 | volume=54 | issue=7 | pages=546(2) | issn=1081-3004|ref=none}}
*{{Citation | title=''Once'' (Brief article, children's review, audiobook review) | journal=[[AudioFile (magazine)|AudioFile]]| date=2006-08-01 | pages=61(1) | issn=1063-0244|ref=none}}
*{{Citation | author=Townson, Hazel | title=''Once'' (Eight to twelve, children's review)| journal=[[School Librarian]]| date=2006-03-22 | volume=54 | issue=1 | pages=24(2) | issn=0036-6595|ref=none}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.morrisgleitzman.com/books/fst_intro_once.html Introductory chapter from ''Once''] at morrisgleitzman.com
* {{cite web|url=https://www.morrisgleitzman.com/once-chapter-1.htm|title=''Once'': Chapter 1}}
* {{cite web|url=https://cdn.penguin.com.au/462/document/Once.pdf|title=''Once'' by Morris Gleitzman: Teachers' Notes|author=Andrea Blake|ref=none}}


{{Portal bar|Children's literature}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Once (Novel)}}
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[[Category:2005 novels]]
[[Category:Holocaust literature]]


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Once (Novel)}}
[[de:Einmal (Buch)]]
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[[Category:2005 Australian novels]]
[[Category:Australian children's novels]]
[[Category:Novels by Morris Gleitzman]]
[[Category:Novels about the Holocaust]]
[[Category:Novels set in Poland]]
[[Category:2005 children's books]]

Latest revision as of 04:02, 11 November 2024

Once
AuthorMorris Gleitzman
SeriesFelix and Zelda
Release number
1
PublisherPuffin Books
Publication date
2005
Pages160
ISBN9780143301950
OCLC76888577
823.914
LC ClassPZ7.G4824
Followed byThen (2009) 

Once is a 2005 children's novel by Australian author Morris Gleitzman. It is about a Jewish boy named Felix who lived in Poland and is on a quest to find his book-keeper parents after he sees Nazis burning the books from a Catholic orphanage where he lived for over three years. He finds a girl named Zelda, unconscious in a burning house with her dead parents, and takes her with him. He protects her from confronting her parents' death through storytelling. Although Once is a work of fiction, Gleitzman was inspired by the story of Janusz Korczak, the events of World War II, and Hitler's attempt to exterminate the Jewish population of Europe.

Once was translated into German (Einmal) and was nominated for the 2010 Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis; it won the 2011 Katholischer Kinder- und Jugendbuchpreis [de].

The sequels to the book are Then (2009),[1] Now (2010),[2] After (2012),[3] Soon (2015)[4] Maybe (2017),[5] and Always (2021).[6] In chronological order of Felix's life, the books are Once, Then, After, Soon, Maybe, Now, and Always.[3]

Development

[edit]

Although Once is a work of fiction, Gleitzman was inspired by the story of Janusz Korczak, the events of World War II, and Hitler's attempt to exterminate the Jewish population of Europe. As research for the novel, Gleitzman read several books about and by young people in the Holocaust, including The King of Children by Betty Jean Lifton (a biography of Janusz Korczak), Salvaged Pages: Young Writers' Diaries of The Holocaust, edited by Alexander Zapruder, The Hidden Children by Jane Marks, Words to Outlive Us: Eyewitness Accounts From the Warsaw Ghetto, edited by Michał Grynberg, Witness: Voices From The Holocaust, edited by Joshua M. Greene and Shiva Kumar, A Childhood by Jona Oberski, Maus by Art Spiegelman, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, Born Guilty by Peter Sichrovsky, The Hidden Children by Howard Greenfeld, Children of the Ghetto by Sheva Glas-Wiener, Konin: A Quest by Theo Richmond, The Boys by Martin Gilbert, Flares of Memory: Stories of Childhood During The Holocaust, edited by Anita Brostoff with Sheila Chamovitz, Yiddishland by Gerard Silvain and Henri Minczeles, Children With a Star by Debórah Dwork, and Ghetto Diary by Janusz Korczak.[7]

Reception

[edit]

The Horn Book Guide described Once as "this is the rare Holocaust book for young readers that doesn't alleviate its dark themes with a comforting ending".[8]

The School Library Journal recommends this book as a 'read aloud' book, and notes how it contrasts "how children would like to imagine their world with the tragic way that life sometimes unfolds."[9]

Kirkus Reviews describes Felix's misconceptions of the world "heartbreaking", and described his story as being "packed with sadness", with a tinge of hope offered by the character inspired by Janusz Korczak.[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Morris Gleitzman (2009). Then. ISBN 9780141324821.
  2. ^ Morris Gleitzman (2010). Now. ISBN 9780141329987.
  3. ^ a b Morris Gleitzman (2012). After. ISBN 9780670075447.
  4. ^ Morris Gleitzman (2015). Soon. ISBN 9780670078875.
  5. ^ Morris Gleitzman (September 2018). Maybe. ISBN 9780141388656.
  6. ^ "Morris Gleitzman". Retrieved 2020-06-02. I'm talking of course about Always, the final book in the Once series
  7. ^ Morris Gleitzman (2006). Once. ISBN 9780141320632.
  8. ^ Gross, Claire E (2010-09-22), "Gleitzman, Morris: Once (Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)", The Horn Book Guide, 21 (2): 339(1), ISSN 1044-405X
  9. ^ Hastings, Jeffrey (2010-04-01), "Gleitzman, Morris. Once (Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)", School Library Journal, 56 (4): 156(1), ISSN 0362-8930
  10. ^ "Gleitzman, Morris: Once (Young adult review) (Brief article) (Book review)", Kirkus Reviews, 2010-03-15, ISSN 1948-7428

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
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