Good Night, Mr. Tom [Library Binding]

Michelle Magorian (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 23, 1982

When Willie Beech is evacuated from London just prior to the outbreak of World War 11, he is sent to live in the relative safety of the English countryside. The abused child of a single mother, Willie is at first terrified of the unfamiliar country sounds and the huge farm animals of the village of Little Weirwold. But with the help of Mr. Tom, the old man with whom he is staying, Willie begins to take his first, timid steps into a world he had never imagined existed before -- a delightful world of dazzling country mornings and silent, starfilled night skies -- a world where friendship and affection are exchanged as easily as gifts -- a world where Willie need not be afraid that one false step will lead to sharp words, or beatings, or worse. Willie learns to read, and with the help of Zach, an original and lively friend, he learns to laugh.

Then a telegram arrives from Willie's mother in London, and he must return to a world of despair and hate which he now remembers only in bad dreams. Weeks pass by; when Mr. Tom hears nothing from Willie, he fears for the boy's safety and he sets out for London, to look for the child he has come to regard as a son....

With unflinching honesty and a commanding voice, Michelle Magorian has written a first novel of rare insight. A powerful exploration of human emotion which is at once unsentimental and deeply moving, Good Night, Mr. Tom is a book which, once read, will not be forgotten.

‘A small, timid refugee from wartime London—and from a sadistic mother—and a lonely villager who has reluctantly accepted the child form a bond of love and trust that is deeply touching. Michelle Magorian has created a vivid cast for an English story with universal and timeless appeal.’ —Zena Sutherland, IRA Children’s Book Award Chair. ‘An engrossing, vividly detailed novel.’ —BL.

Winner, 1982 International Reading Association Children's Book Award
Notable Children's Books of 1982 (ALA)
1982 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)
1983 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)
1982 Young Adult Editors' Choices (BL)
1983 Teachers' Choices (NCTE)
Notable 1982 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
1988 Choices (Association of Booksellers for Children)
Children's Books of 1982 (Library of Congress)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Powerful." -- -- The Read-Aloud Handbookby Jim Trelease --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Michelle Magorian was born in Portsmouth, England, and grew up in such diverse places as Perth, Australia, and Singapore. She now makes her home in London.

An actress, dancer, and writer by profession, Ms. Magorian has worked with numerous touring and repertory companies, and spent two years training as a mime at Marcel Marceau's world-renowned L'Ecole Intenationale de Mime in Paris, France. An absorbing interest in the history and nature of children's books led her to try her hand at writing for younger readers. Good Night, Mr. Tom -- Which is her first book -- grew out of a short story she had written about the meeting of the two main characters. As Ms. Magorian explains, "I had to know what happened -- so I wrote the book."

Her other writing credits include a television play and poetry.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Library Binding: 336 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (March 23, 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060240792
• ISBN-13: 978-0060240790
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (133 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,072,488 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Night, Mr. Tom, May 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Good Night, Mr. Tom (Paperback)

"Good Night, Mr. Tom",is an excellent historical novel, by Michelle Magorian, set in World War II. This is a wonderful and touching story, about a small boy, named Willie Beech, who is evacuated from London to live in Little Weirwold with a complete stranger, Mr. Thomas Oakley. Tom is an old man, not used to children (he had a baby bay that died, but that was his only child), but he is kind to Willie. Willie is a deprived and abused child, and he is afraid of everything, because he wasn't let outside much in his earlier life. Slowly, Willie starts to think on his own, and he forgets the hate and despair of his past. Tom comes to love Willie like a son. Then a telegram comes, and Willie must return to his abusive mother in London, but weeks pass and Willie doesn't come back, so Mr. Tom goes to London to try to find the boy he has come to love so much. I would recommend this book to anyone young or old wo wants to read an excellent book. I hope all who read this book enjoy it as much as I did.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars powerful story about family, July 11, 2007

By 

Tabitha (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Good Night, Mr. Tom (Paperback)

Timid, scrawny, Willie Beech is the abused child of a single mother. She sends him to Mr. Tom, who lives in the English countryside, because London is being bombed by the Nazis.

The two main adults in this story, the mother and Mr. Tom, seem very similar in the beginning. Yet, by the end, we see that they are completely different. What really hit home was this: hard times can make hard people, but one's true colors shine through when faced with others in need.

Mr. Tom's gruff exterior is only his exterior. He's really got a warm heart, which he opens up to Willie and shows him the love that's supposed to be in a family.

The mother's quiet, strict exterior masks her bitter, mean nature. She has no love for her children, and abuses them in subtle, neglectful ways.

We don't actually see the abuse, we see the end result...which, in my opinion, is far more powerful. I cried for Willie at the end of this book, and cheered Mr. Tom for doing everything he could to save this poor boy. When children are old enough to understand the results of abuse, every family should read this book.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Father is Born, March 30, 2003

By 

Plume45 "kitka12345" (Westchester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good Night, Mr. Tom (Paperback)

Set in pre WW2 Britain this award-winning novel describes
the birth and growing pains of affection between two strangers, joined by the bizarre circumstances of war. Eight-year-old Willie Beech is one of many London kids sent to the country for safety in the late 30's. Recognizing their children as the country's most precious assets, London parents reluctantly
sacrifice the presence of their offspring by entrusting them to the care of country folk. Paired with Tom Oakley, the crusty recluse who lives next door to the church, the lad arrives terrified of everything: the friendly dog, asking questions,
even of smiling. Expecting nothing, he dares not hope to be recognized as a human being.

Not that he has had anything to smile abobut in his miserable years alone with a mentally- disturbed, abusive mother. Mr. Tom, as the boy calls him, quickly realizes that the boy is in desperate need of healing: for his tortured body, his twisted mind and his lonely young heart. As the dour man cares for the sick child (malnutrition, bedwetting, nightmares) he develops an unspoken but deep fondess for the unloved and friendless boy. Compassion for Willie brings out Tom's long-buried tenderness. It takes many months for Willie's true self to emerge: good country air, tender care of his battered body, cultivation of his active mind, and the boon of natural socialization with his peers. Gradually sloughing off his urban shell of fear, Willie makes his first friends, learns to read and write, and then discovers his natural talent as an artist.

But these evacuees are only temporary residents of Little Weirwold; we realize that eventual separation and future heartbreak are inevitable. What happens when their rightful parents reclaim these kids? This is a heartwarming tale of the transformation of a rejected weakling into a healthy, lively and accepted member of a generous country village. It is also a story of gradual healing and rejoining of the human race by Mr. Tom, the embittered host--who never came to terms with the death of his young wife and infant decades earlier. We learn many details of Britain's preparation for war and the blitz. But this story is really about the value of human relationships. Two separate entities can become a self-contained family unit, but will the authorities permit the boy to stay with the older man, who is no blood kin? Magorian provides touching insight into the mysteries of friendship and the nature of grief, as one abused little boy takes the country cure. GOOD NIGHT MR. TOM presents readers with an historical setting for contemporary understanding of child abuse issues.