'Goodnight Mister Tom', reviewed by Emma V.
'Goodnight Mister Tom' is a superb novel written by Michelle Magorian, published 1981.
It is about a young boy named Will, who is evacuated to the English countryside during World War II. He leaves his mother in London to live with an elderly widowed man named Mr. Tom. Will is an extremely anxious person with little confidence in himself and he is terrified of the thought of living in the countryside with a strange old man. However, Mr. Tom is very kind and understanding, and over the course of the book the two form a beautiful bond and it becomes clear that they both love each other very much. The safety and joy that their bond gives them allows the two of them to grow. Will makes new friends and discovers new things about himself, and Mr. Tom takes the time to come out of his shell and start loving again. They teach each other important lessons and help each other but, most importantly, they are there for each other, through thick and thin.
It is a heartwarming novel that shows the value of surrounding yourself with people that you truly care about, not being afraid to love others, and to let yourself be loved too.