Book Review |
| Goodnight Mister Tom |
By Michelle Magorian |
| This is one of
Puffin's Modern Classics. It was written in 1981 and it is about a young boy called
William Beech who is evacuated from London in the 2nd World War and goes to live in the
country with a surley old man named Tom Oakley. The book tells how Tom's life is changed by this addition to his family and how he stirs a sense of excitement deep within Tom that had been lost for many years. Tom changes - changes for the better. William has lead a very miserable life with a cruel, sick mother and no father. He has no personality at all and he just tries to be as small, quiet and meek as possible. He has no joy in his life and he lives in constant fear of making mistakes and upsetting people. Tom and his lovely dog Sammy and the good people of the villiage gradually teach William how to love and how to have fun. He discovers there are things he is very good at and he makes some very good friends - especially Zach, who is another evacuee in the villiage. Then .... his mother wants him back home! This is a fantastic novel which has been very well written. At first you just think it is about the war and stuff but then you find it isn't, it is about growing up and changes and all sorts of things, some of them very disturbing. I really enjoyed reading it and I think it will be one that I would read again. It is certainly a "Classic" novel. Jan 2001 |