Once by Morris Gleitzman

How do you teach your children about the tragedies of your people? This is a question that Jewish people have grappled with for generations, if not forever. In Rwanda, they are trying to figure out the answer now. One fine day, in a free Iraq, they will learn about and remember the war and its ugly aftermath. Those of us who live in largely Christian countries, will learn about its unpleasant and bloody chapters in history lessons.

Once, is Morris Gleitzman's  wish to tell a Holocaust tale to children, in a sometimes gentle, sometimes shocking, and really thoughtful way. It is the story of Felix, housed in an orphanage during the war. His parents are book sellers and he assumes that the point of the war is to rid the country of book sellers and books.

He escapes from the orphanage and searches for his parents to warn them of greater dangers. On his way, he has many "adventures" which ultimately teaches him about the true reasons for the war. He is a hero, a victim and an truly innocent voice.

I know someone who pre-read it for her children aged 8 and 10. She thought that they were too young for it. I never pre-read books for the children, but I had some time on a long flight and read through the 150 pages of stirring stuff in one go. I immediately handed it to my ten year old who read it in one sitting as well (no seat back televisions on our return from Japan). He was not deeply upset. It gave us a chance to revisit the subject. And when it comes time to read Anne Frank, perhaps he won't have the nightmares that I had because he won't be acquainted with the subject through that brilliant and harrowing book. This is fiction, of course, but not really.

I have a friend whose mother and grandmother survived Nazi Poland and came to live in England. He spent a childhood hearing the stories and living the nightmares. He has not told his 9 year old about the Holocaust. I respect and understand that. My children have known about the Holocaust from a young age. Perhaps we decided that because of a lack of close contact with survivors. My grandparents lost siblings in the war and they never spoke to us about it once.

You can listen to my shocked friend and not get this book, or you can listen to me, let your children read this book or even better, read it to them.