Such a beautiful book! It will whisk you away to some hard moments in time, it will make you laugh and it will make you cry but is such a classic read! I think this book will be highly recommended for many, many more years ahead!

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
Publication Date: May 6, 2021
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Description from NetGalley…
“Young Willie Beech is evacuated to the countryside as Britain stands on the brink of the Second World War. A sad, deprived child, he slowly begins to flourish under the care of old Tom Oakley - but his new-found happiness is shattered by a summons from his mother back in London.”
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Thank you to @netgalley @penguinrandomhouse children @puffin for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
A great classic. How come I’ve never heard of this?! This was published as the 40th anniversary edition: originally published in 1981. From page one I was drawn to the story. The narrative was great and moved right along. Such an endearing historical fiction, filled with emotions. You read about times of happiness and as well as times of sadness. There was a story of cruelty and abuse, but it was so sensitively written. Then, you open your arms to the kindness, patience and friendship that followed. If there were more “Mister Tom” out there, this world would be in a much better place. This edition has an extra short story and lyrics from the stage play.

aw i was young when this was on the telly and never interested me. Now im older, a bit wiser i absolutely loved this book. Not one to reread a book but this one is one i will certainly read again. An absolute classic.

Goodnight Mister Tom
by Michelle Magorian, Neil Reed (Illustrator)
4455388


This children’s novel opens when Britain is on the brink of the Second World War. Children are being evacuated from London, in attempts to keep them safe from German bombs. Young William Beech is sent to the country, where he is lodged with an elderly widower, Tom Oakley. Thus begins a rollercoaster journey for both of them. William is convinced that he is bad; Tom has a reputation in the local village for being grumpy and hard to get along with. However, as time passes, both of these well-rounded, believable characters change because of being in each other’s company.

This is a story full of emotion. There are moments of great sadness contrasted with times of great joy. There is cruelty and abuse, but also empathy, kindness and patience. As well as providing an insight into life during the war, it also says a lot about the human condition.

I was completely drawn into this well written novel and although there were some adult themes, I think many older children would enjoy “Goodnight Mister Tom.”

Thank you NetGalley for enabling me to read and review this book.

This is such a wonderful book to read and one that I have read time and time again, it is like meeting up with a old friend and enjoying their company once again. I would definitely recommend this book

Such a lovely way to celebrate 40years. Loved this book as a child. Read it over and over again. Such a sad yet absolutely amazing story of love, tragedy and family. Always brings a tear to my eye

I loved this as a child so the fact Puffin are celebrating 40years of Mister Tom was right up my street.

The story follows a little WW2 refugee called Will and the man he's sent to live with. It is heartbreaking and smile making all in one.

Puffin have celebrated the 40th anniversary of this enduring children’s classic by issuing it in a new edition which also contains a story of the young Tom and lyrics Magorian wrote for the musical adaptation. I had always thought I had read this book before but I hadn’t. I have also never seen the acclaimed TV version which starred John Thaw. It was one of those books where my vague ideas about it had cemented into what I believed was fact but I was often wrong. I knew it was a tearjerker but what I had always thought occurred never actually happens. The twists and turns of the plot were quite a revelation for me.
Will is sent from Deptford, South London, just before the outbreak of World War II, as an evacuee to the rural environment of Little Weirwold where he is allocated to Tom Oakley, an elderly widower who lives a very self-contained life with his dog Sammy. Will’s arrival disrupts this but the malnourished, poorly treated Londoner wins Tom over from the start and the youngster begins to thrive under his care.
The country scenes have a direct line to earlier children’s classics such as “The Railway Children” where nothing much happens but it is still a ravishing read. It’s a boy finding his feet amongst a new environment and new friends and the challenges he faces, a common enough theme in junior fiction but it is when the book reverts to London with a grimness which is shocking compared to what we have read before that it is elevated to another level. Following this, with the war established in both town and country Magorian pulls no punches and conveys the sense of not knowing what is round the corner brilliantly. As the war disrupts the lives of those in the country there’s a tension between adapting to the new events and wanting their lives to go on as before.
I loved this book. I loved the characters and the plot. I enjoyed the short story “Rachel And The Paintbox” which would be a lovely back-story read for long-standing fans of this book. The song lyrics were inessential but there again would be appreciated by those who have had this book in their lives for decades.
I cannot believe it has taken me this long to get round to it. My advice to you is to celebrate its special birthday with me by discovering it for yourself, re-reading it or buying a copy for a younger member of the family. This is a great read.
Originally published by Kestrel in 1981, the first Puffin paperback edition arrived in 1983 and this edition with the additional material was published in the UK on May 6th 2021 Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the review copy.

Such a beautiful story covering some very tough topics. I remember reading this book when I was at school and it stuck with me so I felt privileged to be given the opportunity to read it again.

I love this story so much! I literally couldn’t put the iPad down until I’d finished! I think I felt every emotion possible throughout reading this story and it tugged at my heartstrings. It is written perfectly, very uplifting and inspires young people to show a kindness and view the world as a better place.

A must read for any child or adult as a group/partner read or individual, this book can’t be missed.

This 40th Anniversary edition adds to the magic of the timeless classic. It was interesting reading about the origins of the story and also the short story.

I am not keen on reading books after I have seen the film but in this case I loved the book even more than I love the film.

Goodnight Mr Tom is the story of two outsiders who come together to help each other heal.

I think most people know the plot of the book, even if they just know it from the feel,

I absolutely loved this book but it did make me cry several times and I found the scenes with his mother much harder to read since becoming a mother myself.

I'd never read Goodnight Mr. Tom and couldn't pass up the opportunity when it came up.
I'd obviously seen the film, but not recently, so it was a welcome refresh of the story and, as is typical, the book is better!
It's a heart-warming story at times but equally sad at other times. A great mix of humour and loss.
It's not a story for younger children due to some of the subject matter and also because of the length but for older children tackling e.g. world war history at school it's perfect.
Totally recommended for adults too of course!!
I'm very grateful for the preview copy from Netgalley, which I received in exchange for this honest review.

This is one of my all-time favourite books! I have loved this story since I was around eight and as an adult, I still love it just as much. I think it is one of those books that is so cosy you can't help but love it. I think the development of the relationship is so beautiful and I will never get over the descriptions of the food at Mister Tom's house, it always makes me want a really hot cup of tea and a big bacon sandwich! It is a book I love and will make it a key part of my children's lives as well!

It is so good to see this book back again. It is one of our modern classics and a must read for young people studying evacuation during the war. It will leave you heartbroken, but at the same time, full of hope for the future. Michelle Magorian is a master storyteller and this is a wonderful example of her work. It should be in every library, both school and public

“He called me Dad” ❤️

This is one of those rare occasions where I prefer the film to the book. Don’t get me wrong, it was beautifully written and moving, however, there’s just something about John Thaw’s Tom Oakley and the memories I have watching this as a child that’s just so much more magical.

Having read this book to primary school children for a topical WW2 read and watching the fantastic film with the late John Thaw, I jumped at the opportunity to re read this book properly to myself and I am so pleased that I did.
I absolutely loved it!
It's got all of those things that make a good story a memorable one.
It had me laughing, crying, and racing through chapters to see what happens next.
One of my best reads so far this year.

This was a such wonderful book! I devoured it and really didn’t want to stop reading it. I loved following Willie Beech’s story as a London evacuee sent to the countryside during World War Two. He was a lovely boy who’d been treated badly by his mother but was looked after so lovingly by old Mister Tom. Tom was a sad widower who had kept to himself for years but all that changed when Willie came to stay. a wonderful book that I’d wished I’d read years ago and will definitely read again. Older children will really enjoy this story about Willie Beech and Mister Tom.

A beautiful classic, having seen the film I was intrigued to read this, and as usual the book gives so much more than the (brilliant) film. Beautifully written, a real tear jerker, this book is full of warmth and heart.

Many readers will doubtless remember the classic production with John Thaw playing ‘Mister Tom’. With this as the yardstick, the book had quite a challenge in adding anything to readers’ memories of the moving story of William Beech, who was evacuated during the Second World War. Happily, the book meets this challenge head on and provides additional detail that could not have been included in a TV adaptation. The human story revealed is as moving as ever and the additional content in this anniversary edition makes a useful contribution to the back story. This will appeal to adults and younger readers alike and is highly recommended,

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian is a heart breaking but beautiful children’s historical novel set during World War II.
William, a tiny scrap of a boy, is evacuated to the country to stay with Mr Tom, an older man who has kept his own company since his wife and son died years earlier. Both are broken souls in need of love and care.
Mr Tom’s heart is softened by William whose spirit has been broken, along with his body, by his mum. “He was such a bad boy, he knew that… She [Mum] only gave him soft beatings.” William has grown to expect cruelty from everyone. He believes he deserves it. The reader’s heart breaks. His mother has brought William up on a twisted form of religion. “Mum told him that whenever he was good she liked him but when he was bad, she didn’t. Neither did God … It was very lonely being bad.”
It is heart breaking to see the shell of a boy who believes he is bad. It is beautiful to watch him bud and blossom under the love and care of Mr Tom. Together, as their lives open up, they begin to let others in. The whole village is blessed by knowing them.
It is so sad to witness a nine year old who has never had his birthday celebrated. There is an African saying that it takes a village to raise a child. In Goodnight Mister Tom it takes a village to make a difference in a life.
The whole novel is beautifully written. Michelle Magorian has constructed a marvellous set of characters who are easy to visualise and empathise with.
There are hard to read scenes of cruelty and neglect. These are counter balanced by the love of Mr Tom.
I had seen the movie of Goodnight Mister Tom years ago and loved it. John Thaw made the perfect Mr Tom. I love the book even more. It is one I shall return to again and again.
I received a copy of the book from Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.