Good Night, Mr. Tom

by Michelle Magorian

Book Overview

A powerfully emotional award-winning novel about the ways we save each other. London is poised on the brink of World War II. Eight-year-old Willie Beech is evacuated to the English countryside and lands on Thomas Oakley's doorstep, timid and scarred from abuse. Mr. Tom, a gruff but kindly old man, is deeply moved for the boy, treating him with a gentleness he's forgotten he's even capable of. With Mr. Tom's help, Willie forgets his hateful past and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006440174X
• ISBN13: 9780064401746
• Release Date: December 1986
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

I loved this book as a child.

This is a powerful story. I loved it as a child and have passed down to my daughter and nephews.

I cried

I liked it but if i was younger, i would have loved it more just because the character is an 9 year old doing 9 year old things. You really see Will coming out of his shell. It was a perfect ending. I understand its a childrens book but i would have loved if the author would have expanded on the climax.

powerful story about family

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.

Best kids book I remember

This book was read to me while I was in school when I was very young. I always remembered the title because I liked it so much. I have read it over and over as an adult and I love it every time. I like the way Magorian writes - she reaches out to the reader and gets you immediately immersed in the book. You care about Will and his transformation through loving but grumpy Mr. Tom!

One of the saddest books you'll ever read!

Goodnight Mister Tom, is the sad story of William, a sad and thin evacuee from London, his strict and rather evil mother sends him to live with a religious and good-willing person in the country, Mr Tom and his dog, Samuel.Mr Tom is a king but rather gruff man who had lived by himself ever since the death of his wife and baby child, William.He is grudged as a loner(what he is) and a rude and evil man(what he isn't)So when Willie, a sad and depressed boy who is always being beaten up by his mother com es to stay, it is up to Mister Tom to teach him the facts of life, and Will teaches the facts back to Tom too!Will becomes popular among his people in the country and becomes a handsome and strong boy, with a good will.But when his mother summons him back to London all the problems and difficulties unfold......... This book is the tragic story of the evacuees from London and even how they have a spirit trapped inside them like a prisoner- a prisoner from hell, one who will never survive, or may, if they are able to reach the hands of kind people at the right time.I loved this book and found it life-warming and a wonderful book for young adults and children too!

Prepare for a journey through England during World War II

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.

a wonderful book worthy of your time

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.