Parents' Guide to

The Midnight Gang

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Zany, poignant tale of kids stuck in a London hospital.

The Midnight Gang Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 8+

Based on 1 parent review

age 8+
A story about friendship.

This title has:

Great messages

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

British author David Walliams is in top form with this imaginative, poignant, often crude, and frequently hilarious tale of kids stuck in a London hospital. Some of the antics -- drugging oppressive adults and having secret expeditions to walk-in freezers -- are definitely not suited to real life. But it's a heartstring-tugging, thought-provoking tale with unforgettable characters, relatable issues, and a determination to do better than the bad people in your life.

"'That lady has darkness in her heart. She enjoys making the children in her care suffer.'

"'Why?' asked Tom.

"'Matron loves being cruel. It must make her feel powerful. This is why she made you wear that nightdress.'

"I hate her,' said the boy through gritted teeth.

'"Don't. That must be what she wants. If you hate her, she's won. And your heart will turn dark too. I know it's hard, but please try not to let her get to you.'

"'I'll try.'

"'Good,' said the Porter."

Book Details

  • Author: David Walliams
  • Illustrator: Tony Ross
  • Genre: Friendship
  • Topics: Adventures, Friendship
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Harper
  • Publication date: February 27, 2018
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
  • Number of pages: 480
  • Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
  • Last updated: June 3, 2019

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate