A bit of a double post today. Ceri from Riot Communications recently sent me a copy of Goodnight Mr Tom by Michelle Magorian; it's a new special edition published by Puffin books to celebrate 30 years since it was issued.
How good to have a chance to read this book again. It tells the story of the evacuee Will, a boy from the city, who is billeted in a village with the somewhat gruff Mr Thomas Oakley. Will has had a somewhat traumatic childhood and it takes him a while to settle in, but Mr Tom does wonderful things for the boy, providing new clothes, good food and above all friendship and love. Mr Tom also learns from the child, rediscovering the pleasure of having someone else to look out for and care about. It sounds a bit cheesy, but the story of this unlikely relationship is set within vivid descriptions of what it is like to live as a child in wartime Britain.
As part of reading about the book, I saw that it has been made into a stage play, and I am gutted to have missed it when it came to High Wycombe (the nearest location to me) - but if you live near any of the other theatres on the tour schedule and have a chance to go and see it please let me know what you think.
Rereading this book also got me thinking about children's wartime stories. There are so many of them! At the end of the month, I am looking forward to going to see the Once upon a wartime exhibition at the Imperial War Museum with Paperback Reader Claire which brings 5 wartime books to life (including Carrie's War (which is one of my favourites), War Horse (which I thought made a fantastic stage adaption), The silver sword (something I haven't read for years which I really must return to), The machine gunners (another classic, although I didn't come to it until my teenage years) and the only one that I haven't read - Little soldier). Rambling Fancy wrote about the exhibition recently too which was what brought it to my attention.
I have a couple of wartime children's books on my TBR at present by two particularly key wartime-childrens-books writers (Blitz Cat (Robert Westall) and Private Peaceful (Michael Morpurgo) and hope to read them in the next couple of weeks, in anticipation of visiting the IWM. But what I wanted to do was ask you what your favourite (s) children's wartime themed book is? I don't want to make a complete list of books (although I might do in due course), but I'd love to know what people feel the best one's are. For me, Goodnight Mr Tom certainly ranks highly, but I think I slightly prefer Michelle Magorian's slightly more female novel, Back home. I also love the way that wartime features in soe many of Noel Streatfeild's books, as backdrop more than anything else. Do share with me!
I read this not too long ago, and though I loved some aspects of it, I couldn't help but keep mentally comparing it to Doreen. That was perhaps unfair of me, but the characterisation of Tom's mother in particular just didn't live up.
ReplyDeleteI actually have Carrie's War on my TBR pile here! Must read it soon. Private Peaceful was just beautiful, I thought. Sadly, I don't think I can recommend anything you haven't read before. I loved Remembrance by Theresa Breslin, but I think you told me at the time you'd read it as a teen.
Yes, Carrie's War is a must, I still have my copy from 1974 when it only cost me 25p!! Robert Swindell has quite a few others set in wartime, most of which are on my son's TBR pile. :-)
ReplyDeleteI loved Goodnight, Mr. Tom but I haven't seen the film adaptation, I've heard good things about it. I've had Carrie's War on my Netflix queue foreve but I didn't realize it was a book! My library doesn't have a copy but I'll have to see if I can get via ILL. I am so fascinated by wartime England, this would be so interesting. The exhibit sounds great, wish I wasn't so far away!
ReplyDeleteI love Goodnight Mister Tom but I actually read Back Home first and found it so moving.
ReplyDeleteI cannot think of any more at the moment but I will check some of these out soon.
I think you'll be there before me Verity so will look forward to your description of the exhibition. I expect you've read all of my favourites, but I do like The Chalet School in Exile, and Pied Piper makes an interesting read along with The Silver Sword. Love the Judith Kerr books of course. Have you ever seen the Louis Malle film Au Revoir les enfants? Very moving too.
ReplyDeleteSet just after the 2nd world war, in Germany I would like to recommend "Rowan Farm" and the sequel "The Ark" by Margot Benary-Isbert. My copy of Rowan Farm gives her name as Margot Benary, The Ark as M B-I.
ReplyDeleteThere's another title by her that I've not got hold of yet "The Long Way Home" which was also recommended to me by email friends.
Judith Kerr's "When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit" is my favourite.
ReplyDeleteWow, so many books to look up following this post!
ReplyDeleteThe second time I lived in England I was right around High Wycombe! That's fun. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I remember reading Goodnight Mr. Tom in middle school because my sister's British school had it as part of the curriculum. It was so touching.
There are a couple of Mabel Esther Allan's books that I like. "Time To Go Back" is a timeslip story and "A Strange Enchantment" is about a girl who joins the Land Army. Another good Land Girl story is "Peggy Speeds the Plough" by Madge S Smith.
ReplyDeleteGMT is one of my favourite children's books although I didn't read it until I was an adult. I don't think I've ever read a Magorian novel that didn't have me in floods of tears. Heartwarming without sentimentality.
ReplyDeleteI can recommend Blitzcat - and as my home needs a lot doing to it, Sargeant Smith in the story is my ideal man at the moment!
ReplyDeleteSo I haven't read Goodnight Mr Tom since I was a kid, but it made me sob then, so much that my mum had to come and talk to me and settle me down before I could sleep.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book, but only got around to reading it a few years ago - a long time after my childhood had ended. I reckon the best children's books are those that can be enjoyed as an adult too.
ReplyDeleteI started buying children's books again a couple of years ago as I hope my own children will enjoy some of the books I read as a child myself. Some books though I must have missed first time around (maybe I'm too old!) and I bought Goodnight Mr Tom (on my TBR pile). I read War Horse for the first time a few months ago and was very moved - very interested to see the film coming out at the end of the year. My son (age 9, year 4) bought War Horse home as a reading book this week so it'll be good to see how he gets on with it. It'll make a change from his usual reading books about burping and football anyway!
ReplyDeleteHi Verity, I read your blog today, it's great. I work in children's books and I wanted to drop you an email about an idea. Could you email me - contact details on my website? Thanks, Georgia
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite wartime children's book is 'The Summer of my German Soldier' by Bette Greene (IIRC), which is set in the US - it's so moving. I also really liked Margot Benary's 'A Time to Love', which is set prior to and during the war, in Germany.
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