The once and then books are a trajic story set in the wartime.  It is about a boy in poland called felix who lives in an orphanage. After finidng a carrot in his soup he thinks his parents sent his favoraite vegetable as a sign to say they are coming. A few days later nazi's came to burn jewish books so he thinks he needs to go to his town and save his jewish bookshop belonging to his parents. Little does he know about the horrible truth about what the nazis are doing. He finds a youg girl next to a burning house with dead parents and rescues her giving her food, water, freindship and hope. He goes to the city to find his parents whilst keeping the girl called zelda in hope that her parents are there. He gets knocked out an taken in by a dentist in hiding. When they get found they manage to escape the train and the rest is for you to find out.