Year 5 and 6 Narrative Writing

Once

Once is a powerful historical fiction novel written by Australian author Morris Gleitzman about a young Jewish boy named Felix navigating the Holocaust in occupied Poland. Felix is a 10-year-old boy living in a Catholic orphanage where he was left by his parents, who are Jewish booksellers. Believing his parents are coming back for him, he escapes the orphanage to find them after witnessing Nazi soldiers burning books in the courtyard.

Along his harrowing journey across Poland, Felix uses his vivid imagination and storytelling abilities to cope with the brutal reality around him. He rescues a six-year-old orphan named Zelda from a burning house, and the two travel together.

They are eventually taken in by Barney, a kind-hearted Jewish dentist who secretly shelters a group of Jewish children. The book focus is on Hope and Resilience, the Power of Storytelling and Friendship. These are some of our students responses to this powerful novel.

Felix and Zelda's Cake shop 1983                    by James

I woke up to the smell of the sweet strawberry icing along with that unforgettable smell of the freshly baked bread. As I slowly opened my eyes I saw my favourite person ever, Zelda, and she told me that we have to sell all of our delicious cakes, so in response I got ready for a day full of sales.

Zelda and I own the best Cake Shop in town, so therefore everybody knows us. We have all of the best flavours like chocolate, vanilla, rainbow, choc chip, mint, you name it, we have it, but our best selling is always the chocolate mud cake. Zelda is the baker, I work at the front in sales and that's how it is.

Zelda and I were ready to start the shift when "Ding!" A familiar face came in. At first, I was completely clueless, but then it clicked it was… Mother Minka, she was old, very old but undeniably the same person, her stern but warm face that is always recognisable regardless of her age. I feel my eyes start to water as I whisper, “Mother.” I see through the tears a warm smile start to form on her face. I go around the counter and hug her tightly, sobbing silently into her woollen jumper, remembering everything she had sacrificed for me. Mother Minka stayed for a while and talked about everything that had happened over all the years we had been apart.

Time has passed and now everyday, Mother Minka comes in and we have a chat and we give her a small cake that's on the house although there is no way I can repay her for everything she has done for not just me but for all the kids in the orphanage like me.

Then one day she didn’t come in, until Ding! A man in a black suit came in and softly stated… "Mother Minka has tragically passed away peacefully, in her warm bed just last night." Then everything just poured out of me. I couldn’t handle the fact that she had passed away, I cried and cried, sobbed and sobbed, but this wouldn’t fix the problem that she was gone. Then the man gave me a letter and then left, I unsealed the letter… it was from Mother Minka and inside the letter was a few words:

“I’m am so proud of you Felix!”

Mother Minka                  

The End

Barney                                                                            by Lucas

As I watched the train disappear into the distance I think to myself did l made the right decision leaving all of you behind. But I realised that you and all the others are just a part of my story, and there is still so much more to be told, written and shared. I don’t know where you are at this very moment but I know that you will do whatever it takes to keep all the kids safe even if that means... you know - anyway moving to a sadder topic.

Chaya didn’t make it. We made her a grave and buried her body yesterday morning. She is now at rest like the many others we knew. We also put some cornflowers over the grave and wrote on a tree, Chaya, a loving friend and an elegant princess. 

I really miss you all and I know you will never actually get this message but I forgot to tell you that I have so many good things in my life, more than once. Chaya, You, Mum and Dad, Richmal Cromptons, just Williams books, Moshe, Ruth, Janek, Jacob and Henryk too. Also Mother Minka, God, Jesus, The virgin mary and Zelda, sweet loving Zelda.

With love, despite everything Felix.

Zelda                                                                                 By Isaac

I look down at my hands, far larger than I remember. I’m not outside anymore. My chest rises and falls in panicked, shallow breaths, rubbing against the sheets of my bed. My vision goes blurry, vertigo making my head spin for a moment. My chest is tight, like my lungs don’t have enough room for me to breathe and my heart beats in quick, rapid thumps. My vision stabilises, but tears quickly fill my sight, making my hands look fuzzy. I pull my legs towards myself, cupping my head in my hands, trying to comfort myself. It’s over now, I tell myself, "I’m okay. I’m okay". But it doesn’t help. Tears roll down my cheek, and silent sobs fill my head. “I’m okay,” I whisper. But am I really?

I give myself a second to breathe, wiping tears from my cheeks. I look to my right and my alarm clock reads three twenty-six AM. Close enough. I drag myself out of bed and walk towards the shower. I grab the handle and twist, cold water smothering my hot, sweaty body. I stand still, trying to flush out my memories with the icy chill. After a while, I pull myself out of the shower, patting the cool water off my skin with a towel. I wrap myself in my towel, then do the same for my hair with a smaller towel. I pick up my toothbrush, lathering it in toothpaste and brush my teeth thoroughly, just like Barney taught me. I smile at the thought of him, the courageous man that risked his life to save a bunch of random children. He’s the reason Felix and I are alive. A tear rolls down my cheek at the thought of him, and I don’t know if I feel more sad or grateful.

After I’m done brushing, I rip off my towels and pull on my clothes, still slightly damp. I drag myself out of the door and walk downstairs to the icy streets, lit by dim lamps that illuminate the weirdly comforting sidewalk. I smile, looking out at the trees across the road. I turn back to the bakery, looking up in gratitude at the achievement Felix and I had led ourselves to. I pull my keys out of my pocket, unlocking the door and turning on the lights. I walk behind the counter, preheating the ovens and flouring the counter. As I pull out the milk and eggs from the fridge, a bell rings at the counter, and I turn my head to see a boy inglasses smiling at me.

“Hey, Zelda.”

“Felix,” I return.

He walks behind the counter, and we talk, kneading the dough and mixing the batter in preparation for the day.