The Midnight Gang
By Mary Eisenhart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Zany, poignant tale of kids stuck in a London hospital.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
Based on 1 parent review
Report this review
What's the Story?
As THE MIDNIGHT GANG opens, 12-year-old Tom Charpers regains consciousness only to be terrified by a misshapen face peering into his and assuring him that everything's going to be all right. Turns out young Tom has been hit on the head with a cricket ball at his posh but horrible school, and now finds himself stuck in the children's ward at Lord Funt Hospital, an ancient and creaky London institution. Already in the ward are Amber (smart, snarky, both arms and both legs in casts), Robin (eyes bandaged due to recent surgery), George (pudgy cockney lad recovering from tonsil surgery), and Sally (who's a lot sicker than the rest of them, has lost all her hair, and spends a lot of time sleeping). In charge of it all is an outwardly beautiful, inwardly vicious Matron who delights in making them as miserable as she can. But as long as anyone can remember, the Midnight Gang has been subverting her rule with wild, secret nighttime antics and making kids happy. And the Porter (the ugly face who first terrified Tom) turns out to be a big part of it.
Is It Any Good?
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."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories like The Midnight Gang that involve kids in hospitals. Have you read any others? Were the stories scary, or funny, or inspiring?
Do you know any people who seem to be really, really good at saying the meanest, most upsetting thing possible to people? Why do you think they act this way? How do you deal with them?
The Porter has been shunned his whole life because of his physical deformities, and no one but the kids get to know the real person. Do you know people who say mean things or treat others badly because of the way they look? What happens?
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.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
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