Book Review - Once - Morris Gleitzman

Once by Morris Gleitzman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have seen this book everyday in the last 14 years I have worked in the bookshop but I've never read it. I had the opportunity to do so last week and here are my thoughts.

This book was well written and very respectful. The main character is a child who has been placed in an orphanage to hide him from the Nazi's. He believes his parents are world adventuring bookshop owners. As the course of the novel progresses we see the main character start to lose his innocence as he gradually finds out what is actually happening in Poland, which starts when he leaves the orphanage to warn his parents people are burning books.

Depressing in places (but what novel about Nazi regime wouldn't be) this is a highly recommended book for juniors/teens to read to get a feel of what World War 2 was about.

Glad I read it, I wouldn't mind reading the other two in the series Then and Now.

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Reviews By You - After by Morris Gleitzman (Reviewed by Shine)

After by Morris Gleitzman

Felix is a young Jewish boy who is desperate to find his parents after they were taken by the Nazis in World War II. Despite the many challenges and disadvantages 13 year-old Felix encounters, he is still determined to find his parents. Living under the helpful watch of Gabriek, his guardian, they set out to find Felix’s parents.

My favourite part of After is when Felix comes to the rescue by opening hundreds of tins of soup using only a diamond ring. Since there was no tin opener, he had to use his intelligence and imagination to help save himself and other helpless Jewish people from starvation. I thought that this idea was very creative and smart.

Felix is the main character of this story and he is desperate to reunite with his parents. Together with the partisans, a group of people who fight the Nazis, they try to find Felix’s long lost parents. But then the war intensifies and the partisans themselves are in danger. Will young Felix ever even see his parents again?

I deeply enjoyed reading this book. This story is really interesting and it moved my heart. It has also educated me about World War II just like the others in this series - Once, Then and Now. I like the setting and the storyline of all these stories. Some of the events makee you feel sad and some just seem funny and ridiculous. It is a great book to bury your imagination into.

People who love any Morris Gleitzman’s books are guaranteed to enjoy this book. I’m also 100% sure that people who have read Once, Then and Now will totally adore reading this novel. I strongly recommend this book to people who like war stories and adventure. If you haven’t read the previous books in this series by Morris Gleitzman, I strongly encourage you to read those books too.

Reviewed by Shine (12 years old)