Good Night, Mr. Tom is a delightful children's novel written by the British author Michelle Magorian. It was published in 1982 and has won numerous awards. It is what I would call a "quality" children's novel in the sense that it is more than just a happy story. First of all, I like the fact that it is written by a British author. I am frequently amazed by how different British culture is from that of the United States. I think that it is a good idea to acclimatize children early on to accepting ideas and people that are different from their everyday experience. Second, this book does not avoid controversial or adult issues, it embraces them. From child abuse to budding sexuality, this book discusses issues that will be important for the rest of a child's life. Finally, the book is very interesting and will keep the attention of both a child and an adult making it ideal for reading aloud.