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ONCE by Morris Gleitzman

January 11, 2012 by becca

I have a book recommendation for you. Yes, you. This is my new thing, as opposed to telling you every book I ever read or re-read. Because I have decided that you probably don’t care, and so there you go. But if you’re looking for something, try this.

Once I escaped from an orphanage to find Mum and Dad.

Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house.

Once I made a Nazi with toothache laugh.

My name is Felix.

This is my story.

Everybody deserves to have something good in their life.

At least ONCE.

(The above, from the book, actually taken from Mr. Gleitzman’s personable and delightful website.)

Poland, WWII. A Jewish boy who prays to God, Jesus, Mary, Joseph and Adolph Hitler. All at once. A notebook full of stories. An adventurous heart. A poetic, spare, lyrical narrative. Oh, guys, just a very, very great book.

It reminds me of Spinelli’s remarkable “Milkweed” which cracks the heart wide open, but ONCE tells a smaller story in scope, and leaves the possibility of perfect-ending in the reader’s mind.

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(10) Comments for this blog

  1. January 11, 2012

    Ohhhh, I love a good book recommend. Thanks Becca!

  2. January 11, 2012

    Ohhhh, I love a good book recommend. Thanks Becca!

  3. January 11, 2012

    I hope this doesn’t sound insensitive, but WWII has given writers a lot of great material…
    Have you read The Book Thief? If so, how does this compare?
    I just finished reading Sarah’s Key (last night), which also deals with victims of WWII… will have to check this one out.

  4. January 11, 2012

    I hope this doesn’t sound insensitive, but WWII has given writers a lot of great material…
    Have you read The Book Thief? If so, how does this compare?
    I just finished reading Sarah’s Key (last night), which also deals with victims of WWII… will have to check this one out.

  5. January 11, 2012

    Sounds really cool. ThAnks for the recommendation.

  6. January 11, 2012

    Sounds really cool. ThAnks for the recommendation.

  7. Melanie Jacobson
    January 11, 2012

    You’re “what I read” posts are actually some of my favorites. Just sayin’.

  8. Melanie Jacobson
    January 11, 2012

    You’re “what I read” posts are actually some of my favorites. Just sayin’.

  9. January 17, 2012

    I don’t know if I can read anything this good right now. I need things that won’t make me cry. Just about everything makes me cry these days. I am putting this first on my “Books to read when you’re more stable” list.

  10. January 17, 2012

    I don’t know if I can read anything this good right now. I need things that won’t make me cry. Just about everything makes me cry these days. I am putting this first on my “Books to read when you’re more stable” list.

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