Goodnight Mr Tom - Michelle Magorian

Goodnight Mister Tom has always been one of my favourite stories from when I was younger. I remember my mum bought me the book for my Christmas one year after I watched the drama on TV and I loved it. The novel was actually written in 1981 by Michelle Magorian and the drama was first played on TV in 1998. The drama was directed by Jack Gold and I remember it being brilliant. The story is about a young boy called William Beech who was just 10 years old when he was evacuated from his home town, London, where he lived with his mother during the Second World War. William is amongst a group of children brought to a quiet village and a gentleman called Tom Oakley is ...  Read the complete review

My eldest son is in Year 4 (second year of Juniors or 8-9 year olds in old money) and last term he and I read Goodnight Mister Tom together in support of the WW2 syllabus subject that they were following. I found that what is essentially a children's novel (in the vein of The Railway Children and The Chronicles of Narnia) and which appears on the school syllabus, had both the depth and gravity of a novel aimed at adults, whilst remaining accessible to the younger reader. To be frank, I was surprised at how moved I was when reading it. The book, by Michelle Magorian, was published in 1980 and tells the story of a WW2 evacuee, Will, who leaves London to live in ...  Read the complete review

Goodnight Mr Tom is a book my mum gave me when I was younger and still to this day its my favourite book and one that I never bore of reading. The book was written by Michelle Magorian and has been in circulation since 1981. I first read this book when I was 12 but to be honest I think its one that should be viewed by parents before allowing their child to read it as it does contain some uncomfortable but powerful reading. The book tells the story of a young boy called Willie who is evacuated from central London to the country where he is boarded with a older widowed male called Tom Oakley. As time goes by and the two begin to build a ...  Read the complete review

Goodnight Mr. Tom is a wonderful tale of emotions concerning a small, meek evacuee (William Beech) drafted into the country from London in World War II and the impact he has on a gruff, unsocialable old country man. (Thomas Oakley) It is a modern, classic tale, the likes of which can be precious few. The tale develops beautifully, showing how William gradually adapts to life in the country, and life in general. At 8 years old, his gruff supervisor soon warms to the new child in his life, bringing back past memories for him. At the same time, his instant impressions of the terrified boy suggest to him that something is badly wrong, and after a wonderful few ...  Read the complete review

This is one of those modern classics that if you haven't read you should rush out and buy right now! Although this is considered a children's book it isn't the kind of thing I would let my eight year old son read, so if you buy it for a child I would strongly advise that you read it yourself first. Goodnight Mister Tom, which is set during the Second World War, follows the tale of a child, Willie Beech, as he leaves his London home and goes to live in the country. This is no ordinary story of evacuees though. Willie Beech is an abused child. The man he is placed with, Tom Oakley, a hermit who has lost his family. This is an incredibly ...  Read the complete review