Now Felix is 80 and his granddaughter Zelda is staying with him while her doctor parents are in Africa, helping underprivileged children.

Zelda knows who she was named after and some other stories of her grandfather’s life, including the reason she calls him Felix, not Grandad or Poppa or the usual titles.

As an accomplished surgeon Felix has helped hundreds of people, and he is celebrated at a special luncheon. Zelda can see how difficult this is however, especially as he is called a hero over and over. He doesn’t believe it, and she knows he’s remembering the people that helped him in the war. Real heroes in his eyes.

He has never called her Zelda. He always calls her Babushka, a Russian word he learnt after the war. Zelda is dealing with her own trials, firstly older school girl bullies, and the weight of responsibility when she believes she is to blame for a bush fire. She struggles with having the name of a little girl who was incredibly brave and so important to her grandfather, and is trying to live up to it.

After a terrible bushfire that takes many lives, the two of them together become heroes with Felix’s knowledge and Zelda’s steady hands.

Told in Zelda’s point of view (approx age 10), she adores her grandfather who she calls Felix. She has grown up with stories about him and his courage, and also the people he met who saved his life.

She tries to live up to the little girl she was named after, and worries about Felix now 80. His hands now shake, and he needs a walking stick, but he knows how to survive. When faced with a wall of flame multiple stories high, he knows what to do.

This is the 6th in this ‘family’ of books all written to ensure that no matter which book you begin of the 7 – you can go on to read the others, in any order.

These 7 books tell the story of a Jewish boy called Felix Salinger and his life through the Second World War and the Holocaust. The story continues in the immediate aftermath of the war, and then later in his 80’s. All brilliantly portrayed in a child’s point of view.

(Does have some harrowing scenes after a bushfire)

Author – Morris Gleitzman

Age 10+

Read the first chapter of Now here

Read a review of other books in this series (Click on a cover)

(2010, Penguin, Australia, Bush Fire, Guilt, Family, Bullying, Courage, Holocaust, Memories, Series, Responsibility, Celebration, 80th Birthday, Secret, Dog, Animals)