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Once (Paperback)

by Morris Gleitzman (Author) "Once I was living in an orphanage in the mountains and I shouldn't have been and I almost caused a riot ..." (more)
4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
RRP: £5.99
Price: £4.49 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Frequently Bought Together

Once + The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas + The Book Thief
Price For All Three: £11.97

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Product details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Puffin (23 Feb 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 014132063X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141320632
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 1.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 3,633 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators > G > Gleitzman, Morris
    #92 in  Books > Fiction > Historical

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Product Description

Product Description
For three years and eight months Felix has lived in a convent orphanage high in the mountains in Poland. But Felix is different from the other orphans. He is convinced his parents are still alive and will come back to get him. When a group of Nazi soldiers come and burn the nuns' books, Felix is terrified that his Jewish, bookseller parents will also be in danger. After escaping from the orphanage, Felix embarks on a long and dangerous journey through Nazi occupied Poland, befriending a little orphan girl called Zelda and a kindly dentist, Barney, who hides and cares for Jewish children. But when the Nazis discover them, Barney makes the ultimate sacrifice for the children.

About the Author
Morris Gleitzman was born in Lincolnshire and moved to Australia in his teens. He worked as a paperboy, a shelf-stacker, a frozen chicken de-froster, an assistant to a fashion designer and more before taking a degree in Professional Writing at Canberra College and becoming a writer. He has written for TV, stage, newspapers and magazines but is best-known for his hugely succesful children's books including Two Weeks with the Queen, Bumface, Boy Overboard and Girl Underground.
Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Once I was living in an orphanage in the mountains and I shouldn't have been and I almost caused a riot. Read the first page
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Once
51% buy the item featured on this page:
Once 4.1 out of 5 stars (10)
£4.49
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
29% buy
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas 4.0 out of 5 stars (304)
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I am the Messenger
9% buy
I am the Messenger 4.7 out of 5 stars (19)
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The Book Thief
9% buy
The Book Thief 4.5 out of 5 stars (447)
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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.1 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
56 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic children's book that adults should read!!, 11 Jan 2006
By A Customer
My 10 year old read this book in two days and loved it. It's written in very simple language from the viewpoint of a young Jewish boy in Poland in 1942 who is trying to find his parents. The plot is simple but riveting and unusually is written in the present tense. For my son, the story was paramount and although the subject matter is harrowing for an adult, children seem to be able to detach themselves. When I read the book, I couldn't put it down!! It brilliantly captures the thinking of small boy in a frightening, violent world, and charts his journey from endearing naivety to crushing realisation of the truth. The book also highlights the humanity and resilience of the time without ever sentimentalising. The ending is very cleverly done, its ambiguity allowing the reader to complete their own story. For me, this was one of those books that leaves you thoughtful for days and has a profound effect, you feel that the subject matter will never be the same again! An exciting, thought-provoking read for children, a harrowing, but uplifting read for adults and a great book to discuss with your children after you've both read it.
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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A moving and uplifting introduction to the holocaust, 10 Feb 2006
By Philippa (London, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
'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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20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Moving and believable, 12 Jul 2006
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!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Simple,childish,quick read and quite believable. A good story
Unlike "The boy in the Striped Pyjamas", this book had a believable storyline. It was simple, childish quick to read but you wanted to read it. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mrs. Katrina B. Dewar

5.0 out of 5 stars Shockingly good
The narrator of this is a young boy, looking after a six-year-old girl in Poland. He tells the story in short, shocking sentences. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mrs. Caroline Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
I bought this book after reading a review in the Sunday Times, i was not disappointed. If you read and enjoyed The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and Once you will definately enjoy... Read more
Published 3 months ago by T. Southward

4.0 out of 5 stars A Story of Friendship, Family and War.
Once is very similar to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, both in style and theme. It's very easy to read, is told from the perspective of a young child, and is set during the... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Jenny, Wondrous Reads

2.0 out of 5 stars Once is enough...
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. Read more
Published 9 months ago by G. Munday

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written and well researched..
although i felt it went a bit beyond the boundaries as it covers almost every aspect of suffering imaginable during world war 2. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Leeds lass

4.0 out of 5 stars Once - Morris Gleitzman
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... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Morris Day

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