Michelle Magorian facts for kids

Michelle Magorian (born November 6, 1947) is an English author. She writes many popular children's books. She is most famous for her novel, Goodnight Mister Tom. This book won the Guardian Prize in 1982. It has been made into a movie and a stage play. Her other well-known books include Back Home and A Little Love Song. Michelle Magorian lives in Petersfield, Hampshire, in the UK.

About Michelle Magorian

Michelle Magorian was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire. Her father was from Ireland. When she was seven, she lived in Singapore and Australia for two years. As a child, she loved spending time at the Kings Theatre, Southsea.

Becoming a Writer and Actress

Michelle always wanted to be an actress. She studied at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama. Then, she spent two years learning mime in Paris. After that, she became a professional actress. She toured all over the country, performing in different plays. She worked in many theatre groups.

While acting, she secretly wrote stories. When she was 24, she became very interested in children's books. She decided to write one herself.

The Story Behind Goodnight Mister Tom

Her first book was Goodnight Mister Tom. The idea for the book came from a song. She thought of brown as an old color and green as a young color. This made her think of the main character, William Beech. She imagined him as a slim young boy, like a beech tree.

Some details for the story came from her mother. Her mother was a nurse during World War II. Michelle took four and a half years to finish the book. This was because she was also working in the theatre.

Success and Awards

Goodnight Mister Tom was published in 1981. It quickly became popular around the world. Michelle Magorian won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for the book. She was also a runner-up for the Carnegie Medal. This award is for the best children's book by a British author. She also won the International Reading Association Children's Book Award.

The book was made into a film in 1998. It has also been adapted into a musical.

Other Famous Books

After Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian wrote Back Home (1984). This book is also about a child during World War II. Goodnight Mister Tom was about a boy from London living in the countryside. Back Home is about a girl returning to Britain after five years in the United States.

Her third novel was A Little Love Song (also called Not a Swan in the US). It tells the story of a young woman finding independence and love during wartime. Most of Magorian's books are set in the mid-20th century. Many of them are about theatres.

She has written four more novels: Cuckoo in the Nest (1994), A Spoonful of Jam (1998), Just Henry (2008), and Impossible (2014). She has also written two poetry collections, a short story collection, and two picture books.

In 2007, she received an honorary doctorate from Portsmouth University. Her book Just Henry won the 2008 Costa Book Award for Children's Books.

Books by Michelle Magorian

• Goodnight Mister Tom (1981) (ISBN: 0-7226-5701-3)
• Back Home (1984) (ISBN: 0-06-440411-0)
• Waiting for My Shorts to Dry (1989)
• Who's Going to Take Care of Me? (1990)
• Orange Paw Marks (1991)
• A Little Love Song (1991) (ISBN: 0-7497-1061-6); U.S. title, Not a Swan
• In Deep Water (1992)
• Jump (1992)
• A Cuckoo in the Nest (1994)
• A Spoonful of Jam (1998)
• Be Yourself (2003)
• Just Henry (2008)
• Impossible (2014)

Movies and TV Shows

Michelle Magorian's books have been made into films and TV shows. She has also acted in some productions.

See also

In Spanish: Michelle Magorian para niños

• Goodnight Mister Tom