Once by Morris Gleitzman, is the survival story of Felix, a young imaginative Jewish boy, who escapes from the orphanage, where his parents left him at the outset of WW11. He goes on a journey with the hope of finding his parents and along the way witnesses strange and worrying scenes involving Nazis, whose actions or wickedness his childish heart can't comprehend. Along with a young child, Zelda, who he rescues, Felix encounters Barney, a dentist, who helps and hides him until they are eventually discovered. While being deported, the children manage to escape from the train.
Verdict: Heartwarming story despite the serious backdrop. Suitable for study at Junior Level.
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