Showing results by author "Morris Gleitzman" in All Categories

Felix lives in a convent orphanage high in the mountains in Poland. He is convinced his parents are still alive and that they will one day come back to get him. When Nazi soldiers come to the orphanage Felix decides to escape and make his way home. The journey to find his parents is a long and difficult one, as all of Poland is occupied by the Nazis and a dangerous place for a Jewish boy.

Felix and Zelda - they escaped from the Nazis, but how long can they now survive when there are so many people ready to hand them over for a reward? Thanks to the courage of a kind, brave woman they are able to hide for a time in the open, but Felix knows he has a distinguishing feature that identifies him as a Jew and that it is only a matter of time before he is discovered, which will mean death for them all. Even though he promised Zelda he would never leave her, he knows he has to, before it is too late....

The war has officially ended, but the streets are still a battleground - for food, for shelter, for protection. Felix is in hiding to stay safe, but has been left holding the baby - literally. Felix vows protect the infant, just as a few incredible people saved him from the Holocaust. This immensely affecting story will move readers of all ages and will be welcomed by the many Holocaust educators who use Once and the sequels with upper primary and lower secondary children.

Morris Gleitzman's acclaimed story of friends Felix and Zelda in Nazi-occupied Poland has captured the hearts and minds of listeners worldwide. In Now he delivers the final chapter, bringing this most moving of stories into the present day.

Jamal and Bibi have a dream. To lead Australia to soccer glory in the next World Cup. They know it won't be easy. They'll have to beat some really good teams, plus landmines, pirates, storms and assassins. But they're sure they can achieve their dream, if only they can get to Australia.

Uncle Bart reckons humans don't hate cane toads, but Limpy knows they do. He's spotted the signs. The cross looks. The unkind comments. The way they squash cane toads with their cars. Limpy is desperate to save his family from ending up as placemats. Somehow he must make humans see how nice cane toads really are.

Jake lives with his parents in a holiday hideaway hotel; the hotel's main attraction is that it is a "kid-free" zone. When a couple from a magazine arrive to do a feature on the hotel, Jake must keep out of the way to ensure they have a great kid-free time. But things don't go according to plan.

Following a heartbreaking struggle to survive as a Jewish child in Germany, Felix faces perhaps his greatest challenge - to find hope when he's lost almost everything. As Europe goes through the final agonizing stages of the war, Felix struggles to reconcile hatred and healing. He's helped by a new friend, but if he should lose her as well...

Always is the seventh and final part of Felix's story, bringing to a powerful climax a series that countless young listeners around the world will remember. Late in life, Felix finds himself back where he started, living in an aged-care home that reminds him of his childhood orphanage. He's not happy. His body might be old, but his spirit is still youthful. When he learns that a dear friend from his early years is in terrible danger, Felix doesn't hesitate.

The next compelling chapter in the life of Felix, hero of the award-winning Once, Then, After, Soon and Now. 1946. Europe is in ruins. Millions of people dream of finding happiness somewhere else. Fourteen-year-old Felix is one of them. When he's offered a journey to Australia, he seizes the opportunity. So does someone very dear to him, even though she wasn't actually invited.

"Limpy has a dream. A dream where cane toads and humans live happily together. Surely, this time Limpy will be able to show humans how nice cane toads can be? After all, it is Christmas. And isn't Christmas a time of peace and goodwill to all men? And cane toads? A hilarious story of one cane toad's quest to experience the true meaning of Christmas.

'Ouch,' said Limpy. 'Why's my back hurting?' A horrible thought hit him. Perhaps it was a fork wound. Perhaps while he was unconscious the human had tried to eat him. He looked around. 'Stack me,' said Limpy. All he could see was blue plastic. Limpy's on a quest to find toad heaven. A place where cane toads won't be blown up with bike pumps or bashed over the head with folding chairs. Limpy's determined to find this place if it takes the rest of his life. But first he has to get out of the bucket.

Limpy the toad has a vision. A world where cane toads and humans play mudslides together and help each other with the shopping. But how does a young cane toad discover the ancient secret of living in peace with humans? First he has to dodge the killer trucks and supermarket trolleys. Then he has to stop his cousin declaring war on the entire human race.

Even more desperate to save his family from ending up on his stack of squashed relatives, Limpy takes his quest to the airwaves. When a TV cooking show kidnaps Goliath to be their main ingredient, Limpy sets out to rescue him and ends up on camera himself. Can Limpy use his 15 minutes of fame to get humans to lay off the cane-toad squashing? Or will that be a recipe for disaster?

"I'm only going to say this once more," said Dad, "so listen very carefully. We are not ever, under any circumstances, going to Australia." What does a kid do when his Mum and Dad are misery guts? Move them to a tropical paradise, decides Keith. That'll cheer them up. It's a brilliant plan, if he can pull it off.

A story of friendship, courage and a bit of crime. Bridget wants a quiet life, including, if possible, keeping her parents out of prison. Then a boy called Menzies makes her an offer she can't refuse, and they set off on a job of their own. It's a desperate, daring plan, to rescue two kids, Jamal and Bibi, from a desert detention centre. Can Bridget and Menzies pull off their very first jail break, or will they end up behind bars too? Sometimes to help a friend, you have to dig deep.

It's not easy being part of Ginger's family when you're allergic to cats; three of them love cats and five of them are cats. Now, the school principal is trying to kill Ginger's new best friend, a fierce-looking stray dog. Can Ginger expose Mr. Napier for the phoney he is?

Like many of his mates from the bush, Frank Ballantyne is keen to join the grand adventure and do his bit. Specially as a chest full of medals might impress the currently unimpressed parents of his childhood sweetheart. So Frank ups his age and volunteers with his horse, Daisy...and his dad. In the deserts of Egypt and Palestine he experiences all the adventure he ever wanted and a few things he wasn't expecting. Heartbreak, love and the chance to make the most important choice of his life.

Bigger and fatter than all the other microbes in the valley, Wilton feels ostracized and out of place. But even more worryingly, their world has become unhealthy and toxic with mass illness and flash storms. Setting out to find out what is wrong, Wilton meets Algy, a tiny microbe small enough to sit on his shoulder (and take refuge in his guts) who accompanies Wilton on his quest.

The funny and moving story of a boy and his friends never losing heart in a sometimes heartless world. Ludo helps other people. It’s how he was brought up. When Dad is elected to Federal Parliament, Ludo grabs the chance to make Australia an even better place. But he soon discovers it’s not the homeless of the national capital who most need his help - it’s the rich and powerful.