Once

At first, Felix is very naive and lacks an understanding of the simplest of things which seems unlikely in the war. However, he grows as a character when on his own, searching for his parents. His experiences build his awareness of the world and the dangers he faces. It is often very sad and offers the harsh realities of war and persecution. A book which will teach children about the terrible consequences of discrimination and cruelty towards others who are different from ourselves.

Beautifully written fictional account of ww2 from the point of view of a child.
A must read!

Amazing book which helps children to better understand the complex emotions and experiences of the Holocaust.

A harrowing story told through the eyes of young child.

Sorrow tale of Felix' journey surviving Nazi persecution. The story starts off with Felix determined to leave the orphanage that has been protecting him on a quest to 'find his parents'. Across the way we learn of Felix' naivety across the situations he encounters but also learn of the of the friendships he

This is a beautiful book and deeply heartbreaking. Getting to know the main character, Felix, and how he is so innocent at the start of the book of how he views the events in 1942 Poland and then how this innocence is gradually and sometimes abruptly snatched away as he realises what is truly happening is heartbreaking. A great book though and one that will stay with me.

Such a well written story, telling some of atrocities of the Holocaust through the eyes of young children. Their innocence cannot process the horror around them, as an adult reader it’s just heartbreaking. Good for upper KS2 and beyond. Very emotional and thought provoking. I’m definitely going to finish the series. I’m so hopeful Felix survives!!

A Fantastic book which really engaged me and when shared with my class - they were begging for me to continue reading to them. This fictional book, linked really well with our WW2 history objectives and it was based on a true story and therefore the elements were really engaging for the older pupils. The content of this book is only for UKS2, at that Year 6 really as parts are quite harrowing when discussed in greater detail. I would definitely recommend this book to both adults and children.

Loved this book. A great look into the plight of the Jewish people during WWII. Felt like I was on the journey with Felix. Loved the inspiration for the book too.

One of my all time favourite books that will have you working your way through the whole series in no time. A must read.

Beautiful and moving book narrated by Felix, a Jewish child, who escaped from an orphanage to find his parents. Highly recommend this book

Once there was a book that should be read by everyone. A book about something that happened once and must, never, ever happen again. A haunting tale of nativity and growing awareness as the true horrors of the Holocaust are reveled to Felix as he searches for his parents. It is a story of faith and friendship and one that the reader will never forget. Beautifully written, I immediately order and read the rest of Felix books. Never have I been so moved by a series of books.

Part of a series of 7 books, the final of which, Always (2021) has just been published. Once (2005) is a harrowing and heartbreaking work of fiction about the the Holocaust. It tells of a journey of Felix and a girl, Zelda, whom he saved from a burning house. At times it is brutal and a difficult read but one that includes a sense of hope.

Suitable for 9+
I would definitely recommend this but perhaps not as the first book that a pupil or student reads about the Holocaust.

Wow! A story about WW2, told entirely from a Jewish child's perspective. As an adult, I knew what was really happening, and my heart broke at Felix's naivety. I laughed, I cried. An incredibly powerful book that I would definitely read again.

Incredible story based on the awful events of the Holocaust. Very moving and so raw .. each character portrayed in such reality. Stayed with me .. I’ve no idea how it’s taken me so long to read it.

This book has an original approach for a story set in the midst of the Second World War. The innocence of children trying to make sense of an abhorrent and mad world is a charming theme and the treatment of Jewish people by the Nazis is described without being oversentimental. Young people will need some knowledge of the holocaust to appreciate why the main character is incorrect in his attempts to rationalise and explain the events he witnesses. Felix is a likeable main character and whilst you really want to believe there is a happy ending for him and his parents (and for Barney and the children he tried to rescue) the book ends without giving much hope for a miracle reconciliation. A good read which I would recommend to anyone who has studied the Second World War.

Horrific and beautiful all at once. Details the horrors of a Jewish orphan, Felix, who runs away from the catholic orphanage his parents sent him to. He runs away in search of his parents and the book details the journey and all the people he meets along the way. Many people help him and he finds a surrogate family for a while. This book is about the horrors of war, friendship, love, family, kindness, survival and death. Beautifully written from a child's perspective but accessible for both adults and children. It is not horrifically graphic, but does discuss public hangings and mass shooting of Jewish people. It is suitable for children from about the age of ten.

The story is based on real events in World War II. There are some emotionally difficult parts that are difficult to read but it is absolutely worth reading as history happened and we should all have an idea of what happened back then.

This was a book that would bring out a lot of feelings normally. My heart is obviously a stone. But it was a very good book which really put the tragedy that was the holocaust into perspective. Watching felix take the long treacherous journey was very fun to read. This is a great book for ages 10+

I thought that at the start it was a bit funny because the main character (Felix) was not thinking very accurately. When the Nazis came to the orphanage, Felix thought that they were professional librarians. At the start, Felix has no idea what was going on but near to the end he discovered more of the truth and had lots of danger. This book was a bit serious in some parts. For example when some of the Jewish people were asking where the Nazis were taking them. The Nazi told them it was the countryside and there was lovely fresh with lots of easy work to do but actually it was a concentration camp in the countryside which was a terrible place. This book shows the innocence of Jewish people and how it was like in Second World War from a point of view of a young child. I would recommend this book.

It was a good mix of fact and fiction as I learnt alot about the Nazi regime. My favourite character was Zelda - she was a strong character, bossy and kind.
Yes, 100% I would recommend. My next book is 'Then' in the series.

This book was a bout a boy in wartimes. He was a Jew. His parents had left him at an orphanage. He wanted to find them so he set out on a journey. He found a little girl who's parents had been shot and they walked up to a place where everyone was taken. He was found by a man who looked after them. There were other children there too. They then all got on a train to death camp. They were FORCED! Some Jews were jumping out the train but most were getting shot. The boy jumped out with a girl. He survived. She didn't.

This book is very sad, but exciting. There are many unexpected twists which make you want to read on. I really recommend this book.

this book is heart breaking but it has a moral which younger kids will not really understand its more of a 9-15 book

This is a brilliant book. It is all about a boy named William. He lives in an orphanage. He saves a girl from a fire. He travels all the way to the city and makes a Nazi with toothache laugh. he jumps off a moving train and watches a friend die.

This story was amazing but also quit emotional. the ending was abrupt I wish I could carry on reading to the end.

I really enjoyed this book. It is an excellent introduction to this topic. It is humorous, even though it shouldn't be. I have reserved all the next parts in this series.

Sad but truthful story! You seriously can not put it down until you finish it, but even then you cant put it down. Definitely recommend it!

This book should be read because it has lots and lots of wonderful description, (example: Poisonous Insects) and you wouldn't want to leave the book, one day I was reading the book for 3 whole hours!

This book is really good, you guys should really read especially for those who like sad books.