Customer Reviews

Good Night, Mr. Tom

5 star:		(112)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"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.

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.

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.

Eight year old Willie Beech knows that he is a bad boy, his mother tells him, and she only gives him the most gentle beatings. But now, his mom has sent him away to live in the countryside like all the children in London during World War 2 to protect them from the Nazi bombings.

At first Willie is terrified of Mr. Tom, but gradually he learns to trust him. Eventually it is safe to return to London, but is it safe for Willie to return to his mother? Tom reluctantly allows Willie to return, but when Willie dosen't answer his letters Mr. Tom goes to find Willie.

A bit of caution with this title, the episodes of child abuse and neglect are rather strong, and may not be suitable for all ages...at least the abuse is not described in action, we just see the end result.

A great book to examine the relationship of family, and love. This book is a great book to read-aloud to your children and have a discussion...but you may want to read it first to see if your child is ready for this one.

"Good Night, Mr. Tom" puzzles me. When I read it objectively, looking only at the writing, it's not so impressive. The flow isn't particularly good and at times the book clunks along. The dialogue is engaging, though, and thoroughly real.

And the story itself is incredible. "Good Night, Mr. Tom" tells of a young London boy who is sent out to live in the country during World War II for his safety. There, away from an abusive home, Willie is able to grow and learn what it means to be loved.

With a series of remarkably realistic and fun characters, Willie (renamed Will in his new home with "Mr. Tom") moves and grows. Aspects of the book will make the reader cry (quite a few), aspects will chill you, but on the whole you will smile through your tears, because this book is just... special. It's got a very special feel to it, through tears and sad moments.

So while at times the story gets dull, it's an excellent book. I would recommend this to young teens, mostly because it deals with serious issues and might be a bit much for younger kids.

Definitely recommended.

Good Night, Mr. Tom is one of the best books I have ever read. It takes the reader on a jouney to England during the brink of World War II. William Beech, an abused child, is sent to the countryside to get away from his mother who beat him badly. Mr. Tom, the nice, gruff man who has taken him in as a foster child, introduces Willie to things he has never experienced. While Willie and Mr. Tom have a lot of good times together, they must still remember that England is on the brink of war and they must prepare for the worst. Mr. Tom and Willie built a shelter just to be on the safe side in case there was a boming and this would eventually come in handy. Good Night Mr. Tom takes the reader into a world of happiness, sadness, and adventure. This is a book that is hard to put down. I recommend this to every reader ranging from the young to the old. A must have.

My son had to pick a book from a long list to read over the summer for school. After reading the reviews for this book, we chose it. It was a very touching story, sad in places and happy in others. You really are cheering for Will and Mr. Tom. The author uses colloquial accents of rural England, but you really get used to it. My son is reading the book now and isn't having a problem understanding what the characters are saying. He is also enjoying the book a great deal, and having a hard time putting it down.

My daughter Kate who is in grade 5 and 10 years old thinks:

It really is a very good book for all ages, especially for people who want to find out about World War II. I learned a lot about what it feels like to have no one. And then to find someone. The ending made me cry! You will love this book!!!

Sometimes the way they speak is hard to read. They have an accent and the author writes it with strange spelling the way they say things in London. You get used to it after a while, but it took me a long time!

My grandmother gave me this book because it was her favourite fiction book and now it's one of mine too! My Mum is going to read it next.

I first read this book when I was 16, and that was years and years ago. Since then I have often returned to it's pages so I can see life through the eyes of an abused unhealthy boy and an bitter old man. One of the things I love most about this book is that it points out how powerful of an impact people can have in other people lives, for good or bad. In this case, Mr. Tom learned to love again, and Will finally found someone who would love and care for him, a parent that he deserved. I very highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, but be prepared to cry. Even though I've read it dozens of times, I still can't get through it without crying. A must have for your personal library, I promise that you will cherish it for years to come.

In Michelle Magorian's novel Good Night, Mr. Tom, she brilliantly illustrates the hardships of a young child growing up post World War II after having being abused and abandoned by his mother, the one person who was truly supposed to love him. After being shipped from London to the English countryside to live with Mr. Tom, Willie has to adjust to living in a world he never knew existed. A world in which love, affection and friendships flourish. Magorian uses what she knows to set the plot, being that she was born and raised mostly in England. Her parents met each other during the World War II and perhaps she was reflecting on her own issues because as a child she lived a couple of years in Singapore and Australia. She eventually came back to England when she was 9 years old, but had already been moved around a lot, as did the main character in the book. The New Yorker called Magorian's novel "An engrossing and poignant story, with much sunlight to balance the darkness." Jim Trelease from The Read-Aloud Handbook said it was "powerful." And that, it is.