The Holocaust is a complex topic for adults to contend with. It is an even more difficult subject for children, which is why Morris Gleitzman's book Once, published in 2005, is so important.
Once attempts to distill the Holocaust into something palatable for children by telling the fictional but factual story of a young Jewish boy named Felix, who is forced to live through the Nazi reign of terror without much. Unlike many children his age, Felix is saved from death by kind Catholic people who work in an orphanage. And though Felix survives the Holocaust, those around him do not, including a young girl he meets named Zelda.
Once has been lauded by educators as an important way to teach their students about the Holocaust and an excellent book to read aloud to students. Once also received very positive reviews from critics. Kirkus Reviews loved Once. In their review of the novel, they said, "Gleitzman delivers a sharp sense of what it must have been like to be a child during the Holocaust, forced to grow up far too quickly." The Guardian felt similarly. They said Once "succeeds because Felix presents such a credible and plaintive point of view."
