Loyal Creatures (14 page)

Once I escaped from an orphanage to find Mum and Dad.

Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house.

Once I made a Nazi with toothache laugh.

My name is Felix.

This is my story.

Once
has received many literary accolades and children's
choice awards in Australia and overseas.

‘ . . . moving, haunting and funny in almost equal measure,
and always gripping . . . '
The Guardian

‘This is one of the most profoundly moving novels
I have ever read. Gleitzman at his very best has created
one of the most tender, endearing characters
ever to grace the pages of a book.'
Sunday Tasmanian

‘ . . . a story of courage, survival and friendship told
with humour from a child's view of the world.'
West Australian

I had a plan for me and Zelda.

Pretend to be someone else.

Find new parents.

Be safe forever.

Then the Nazis came.

The brilliant, moving sequel to
Once
.
Then
has also received many literary accolades and children's
choice awards in Australia and overseas.

‘ . . . an exquisitely told, unflinching and courageous novel.'
The Age

‘[Gleitzman] has accomplished something extraordinary,
presenting the best and the worst of humanity without stripping
his characters of dignity or his readers of hope.'
The Guardian

‘Gleitzman's Felix and Zelda are two of the finest and
sure-to-endure characters created in recent times.'
Hobart Mercury

After the Nazis took my parents I was scared.

After they killed my best friend I was angry.

After they ruined my thirteenth birthday I was determined.

To get to the forest.
To join forces with Gabriek and Yuli.
To be a family.

To defeat the Nazis after all.

Another chapter in the life of Felix, continuing the story begun
in the award-winning
Once
,
Then
and
Now
.

‘To say
After
is one of the finest children's novels written in the
past 25 years or so is no idle statement.'
Saturday Age

‘At its heart,
After
is about love and we are edified by reading it.'
Sydney Morning Herald

‘Morris Gleitzman is a writer who has moved
generations of children . . . 
After
does this and far more besides.'
Hobart Mercury

Once I didn't know about my grandfather Felix's scary childhood.

Then I found out what the Nazis did to his best friend Zelda.

Now I understand why Felix does the things he does.

At least he's got me.

My name is Zelda too.

This is our story.

Now
has received many literary accolades and
children's choice awards in Australia and overseas.

‘
Now
is an edifying, tender, nuanced novel from
an exceptionally compassionate author.'
The Age

‘Gleitzman has a special way of seeing the world through the eyes
of a child, and generations of readers are grateful to him for it.'
West Australian

‘Gleitzman's trademark fine balance of tragedy and
comedy is a sure as ever.'
The Guardian

Jamal and Bibi have a dream.
To lead Australia to soccer glory in the next World Cup.

But first they must face landmines,
pirates, storms and assassins.

Can Jamal and his family survive their
incredible journey and get to Australia?

Sometimes to save the people you love
you have to go overboard.

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.

In the beginning there was me and Mum and Dad
and the twins. And talk about happy families,
we were bountiful.

But it came to pass that I started doing sins.

And lo, that's when all our problems began

A story about that exhilarating scary childhood moment
when we begin to question adult attitudes and beliefs.

What do you do when your mum, your dad
and sixteen camels are in trouble
– and only you can save them?

The sometimes sad but mostly funny story of a boy,
a girl, a dog and four trillion dollars.

A young Aussie soccer genius and his
10-year-old manager take on the world.
And win.

For a time.

A funny and moving story from one of Australia's
most entertaining authors.

‘He is one of the finest examples of a writer who can make
humour stem from the things that really matter in life.'
The Guardian

‘Be assured: here is another winner in the
popularity stakes for Gleitzman.'
Magpies

Published by the Penguin Group

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(a division of Penguin Australia Pty Ltd)

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Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London, WC2R 0RL, England

First published by Penguin Group (Australia), 2014

Text copyright © Morris Gleitzman, 2014

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

Cover and text design by Tony Palmer © Penguin Group (Australia)

Cover photograph (clouds): Leskus Tuss/Shutterstock

Cover illustration (horse): Nikita Chisnikov/Shutterstock

Cover photograph (sand): huafeng207/Shutterstock

Cover photograph (explosions): federicofoto/Shutterstock

Cover photograph (lighthorse riders): Sydney Mail

puffin.com.au

ISBN: 978-1-74348-071-7