Books with author Michelle Magorian

Now featuring gorgeous new cover art, this classic, powerfully emotional, award-winning novel is the perfect read to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. London is poised on the brink of World War II. Eight-year-old Willie Beech is evacuated to the English countryside and lands on Thomas Oakley’s doorstep, timid and scarred from abuse. Mr. Tom, a gruff but kindly old man, is deeply moved for the boy, treating him with a gentleness he’s forgotten he’s even capable of. With Mr. Tom’s help, Willie leaves behind his hateful past and learns to love a world he never knew existed, a world of friendship and affection and joy. But then a telegram comes, and Willie is ordered to return to London. When weeks pass without word from him, Mr. Tom sets out for London to once again rescue the boy he’s come to love as a son.This heartwarming and much-honored classic is an excellent choice for independent or shared reading.

A wonderfully nostalgic story about one boy’s determination to follow his dreams Amid the rubble of post-war Britain, Ralph is entranced by the theater. He loves seeing the performances, talking to the actors, the buzz of the audience, and the corridors and dressing rooms backstage. But how can a working-class boy achieve his dream when there is no opportunity for theater training?

A classic young love story set in the middle of World War II It is the summer of 1943, and war continues to rage. For Rose and her sister Diana, it’s a time of independence and self-discovery as they find first loves. But when Rose uncovers an extraordinary love story from another war, she is forced to question that love. Rose is about to discover a secret that will change everything. Michelle Magorian combines her rich style with a refreshing take on wartime women in this classic coming of age story.

A rich and dramatic story of a young girl who manages to overcome many obstacles in her attempts to lead a normal life after World War II The war is over, but Elsie is still fighting her own battles. She’s bullied because she’s the only scholarship pupil at the grammar school, and she has an awkward relationship with her father as he struggles to assume a normal life after fighting in the war. But when she begins working at the local theater, Elsie discovers she can escape . . . A Spoonful of Jam is the second of The Hollis Family books, following Cuckoo in the Nest.

It's 1945. World War II has just ended and twelve-year-old Rusty comes back home to Britain after being evacuated to the US. The greyness and bleakness of life in England is a shock, but even worse is adapting to the strict discipline of her family, including a brother she's never met, after the warmth and openness of her adopted American family. Rusty is sent to a horrific boarding school, before finally running away as her search for happiness becomes more and more desperate.

An absorbing post-World War II adventureWorld War II has ended, but Henry is fighting his own battles. He misses his father, who died a war hero, and his only distraction is the cinema. When Henry develops an old camera film he uncovers a mystery and events spiral until his life resembles the drama of his beloved big screen. In this Costa Award-winning novel, Michelle Magorian takes a lens to post-war Britain, revealing its prejudices, its difficulties, and its warmth.