Then (Once Series, 2)

I really love this book called “Then” it is set's during World War 2. The story would make you laugh and cry with them. It is a really sad book the main character is Felix he is 10 years old boy and need to find new parents knowing that his got killed by the Nazis. Then Felix meets a girl called “Zelda” she is 6 years old and also her parents were killed by Nazis, so they both decided to be a family. They both went to find new parents they meet a farmer who has a dog and now their a family. As you read the story you will know how the farmer becomes a family with them.I connected the boy is my age I also realised how tragic it was during World War 2. Since this story is really sad even for me, some of the words kids would not understand it is such a great book and I think kids above the age of 9 should read it. I would give the book 5/5 stars it’s such a great book and I think you’ll enjoy it.

In the second book in this series Felix has taken Zelda under his wings. He has decided to help them find a new home and find his parents who he still thinks is alive. He holds on to this hope throughout. Zelda claims she is Jewish even though she isn’t. Her parents were actual Nazi supporters. As Felix and Zelda travel across Poland they witness the horrors of the Nazis. Felix does his best to shield her from a lot of this violence. He tells her stories to take her mind off of any troubles they may run into. As a ten-year-old he seems at times so much older. Zelda is only six and can definitely be annoying. Felix takes it all in stride. This is the second book in the series and the tension is just beginning to get really taught. I highly recommend this series.

I liked the fact that there were more than one books in the 'once' series. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action, but also to someone who likes a sad book or is looking for info on WWII. You may want to read 'Once' first though. I rated it 5 stars because I don't normally cry over any books, but this one had a few tears escaping. Morris Gleitzman, I thank you for writing this book and also writing Once, After and Now. I also thank the people who died and went through struggling attempts to get the stories of the holocaust to people now. I pray for all the families who are suffering during any crisis today or any other day. The people who died will remain in our hearts.

Decent book. It was neat to read what happened to the characters after the ending of the first book. As stated in my review of “Now” - the third book in the series, the story is extremely simplistic and suited for upper elementary, but not much higher than that without it being to the point where my 8th graders were getting distracted by other things and putting the book down every couple of minutes.

I love this book. I first read it when my son was about 9 or 10. He's now 23. We both love this book. I'll be reading the rest.

My Year 8 students were held absolutely spellbound by this novel. It moved some to tears, (including their teacher) and some to anger. Perhaps the most profound effect it had was to make the children ask, as they often did, how can people treat other human beings like this? We read 'Once' last term, 'Then' this term and we plan to read 'Now' next term. Thank you Morris Gleitzman for bearing witness and making this terrible time in history accessible for my students.

I did not dislike anything about this book it was amazingly fabulous yet heartbreaking thank you Morris Gleitzman for sharing these amazing stories with us.

I teach a class that studies the first book in this series 'Once.' On completion, they were desperate to read the next installment, 'Then.' When that happens, you can be assured a book has what it takes! As an adult reader, I found the ending somewhat rushed, and tragic events happening almost too quickly to allow them to sink it -Gleitzman perhaps missing an opportunity to drive home his message.

Amazing book! A little bit sad at the end but otherwise surely magnificent. Read this marvelous book. Please, please please!

We ran for our lives up the hillside, pulling Zelda as I went, we had jumped from the death camp train, Chaya was killed, Zelda is only 6yrs and we must reach the forest, I am Felix 10yrs, we stumble into the forest, there is a huge hole full of dead bodies, children, we are seen by two soldiers who start shooting and we run, we hide in a clump of bushes until they are gone, a playful dog runs out licking us, an old man offers us a lift in his cart, Zelda gets on, ther is a notice on the side offering a reward for catching Jews, I grab Zelda and we run We are grabbed by a lady who marches us to her house were we are locked in the barn, soldiers arrive and stab the straw we are hiding in with bayonets, they leave, we find we are sharing our barn with a pig, after the soldiers had gone we were taken into the house fed and given a bath, the ladies name is Genia and she hates Nazi's, she is concerned my circumcision will give us away, she bleaches our hair blonde, we were to pretend we were catholics and our parents were dead and we were living with our auntie, Felix was told he was never to show his private parts, their new names were Wilhelm and Violetta Genia's husband was doing forced labour for the Nazi's and had been gone two years, we were now living with Genia, Leopold the dog and Trotski the pig, one day whilst in the barn a boy feeds the dog and puts a knife to Zelda's throat then suddenly runs, Genia says before all the orphans were killed some had worked on her farm and this must be one that escaped, Genia had got us some fake identity cards, we had practised our new identities and went to town with Genia, there are lots of posts in the town square with many dead people hanging from them, they go into a shop where Felix meets a boy of his age called Cyryl, Cyryls father takes things from the Jews in the Ghetto in exchange for food, Felix picks up a Just William book in Polish and takes it, they are then ordered outside for a Hitler Youth Parade Zelda sticks her tongue out at them, Cyryl laughs and gets a beating, Felix drops the book and a boy in the parade smiles at him, the Nazi's arrive to take the chickens and pig, at the same time Cyryl arrives with three friends, he asks Felix to join his gang, Felix agrees, the boys tell him as part of initiation he must show his privates to prove he was not a Jew, he refuses and they grab him and start pulling off his trousers, there is a gunshot from the barn and Cyryl and friends run off, Genia is holding Leopold the Germans had shot him, Felix decides to catch Rabbits for food and that night slips out, he comes across a large house full of Germans, this was the orphanage they had killed the children so they could use it behind him the boy who had threatened Zelda appeared, Felix assures the boy he is Jewish too and pulls down his trousers to show him, the boy leaves and Felix follows him, some Germans were fishing with hand grenades, the boy walks up shoots a German and runs off with the grenades The story continues with Felix digging a hole in the barn for Zelda if she needed to hide, Felix makes friends with one of the Hitler Youth, Felix is knocked out by the butt of a gun, the Hitler youth boy meets Felix again while potato picking and saves him from discovery, Dov the Jewish boy Felix had met comes to dinner, Dov was being hid by someone they knew, on Felix's Birthday Genia and Zelda go to town, Genia's husband returns, three people close to Felix are hanged in front of him, in revenge Felix and Dov take a bloody revenge on the Germans A very well written book, the story was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed it, there are four books in the series I have read three so far and this is the best, well worth a read

average print quality

The best book in the world according to my daughter, she was the reader.I have read the entire ONCE series after my son was assigned to read it as school. The series is wonderful and now my whole family has read and enjoyed the series.

I generally liked the book and the development of the story. Especially the character of zelda is interesting to me. However, sometimes it was not difficult to understand felix' thoughts. But i can still recommend it!