Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
45 used & new from £0.29
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Just Henry
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Just Henry (Paperback)

by Michelle Magorian (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £4.79 & eligible for Free UK delivery on orders over £5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £3.20 (40%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 21? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
30 new from £0.83 15 used from £0.29
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 8 used & new from £1.94

Frequently Bought Together

Just Henry + A Spoonful of Jam + Back Home (Puffin Books)
Price For All Three: £15.27

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Dragonfly Pool

The Dragonfly Pool

by Eva Ibbotson
5.0 out of 5 stars (4)  £3.89
Cosmic

Cosmic

by Frank Cottrell Boyce
4.9 out of 5 stars (15)  £5.99
Back Home (Puffin Books)

Back Home (Puffin Books)

by Michelle Magorian
4.9 out of 5 stars (29)  £5.24
A Spoonful of Jam

A Spoonful of Jam

by Michelle Magorian
4.2 out of 5 stars (12)  £5.24
Cuckoo in the Nest

Cuckoo in the Nest

by Michelle Magorian
4.8 out of 5 stars (13)  £5.24
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 720 pages
  • Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd (5 May 2008)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1405227575
  • ISBN-13: 978-1405227575
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.4 x 3.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 18,989 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Review
"'The author has a wonderful gift for hanging a richly woven tapestry around an essentially simple frame.' Times Education Supplement."

Product Description
From the award-winning author of "Goodnight Mister Tom" comes "Just Henry": a gripping mystery-thriller and an insightful snapshot of time, set in post-war Britain. It's 1949 and life is bleak for Henry. He misses his father who died a war hero, and he escapes from his annoying stepfather and stepsister whenever he can and goes to the cinema - his passion.One day in the cinema queue he meets Mrs Beaumont who also loves films, and lends Henry a camera for his school project. Henry is disgusted that he's been put in a group with Jeffries, the son of a man who went AWOL, and Pip, who was born illegitimate; but he's about to learn that tolerance and friendship are more important than social stigmas.Henry will need his new friends when he processes the film and makes an alarming discovery.Like a bomb waiting to explode, Henry's world is about to unravel.

See all Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(1)
(1)
See all 4 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Just Henry
86% buy the item featured on this page:
Just Henry 4.2 out of 5 stars (6)
£4.79
Back Home (Puffin Books)
5% buy
Back Home (Puffin Books) 4.9 out of 5 stars (29)
£5.24
A Spoonful of Jam
3% buy
A Spoonful of Jam 4.2 out of 5 stars (12)
£5.24
Cuckoo in the Nest
3% buy
Cuckoo in the Nest 4.8 out of 5 stars (13)
£5.24
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Too short at 700 pages, 11 May 2008
By Algernon Flowers (Cotswolds, UK) - See all my reviews
The book is set in late 1949 (ah! I remember it well)and fourteen year old Henry lives with his mother, stepfather, little sister and his Gran. Henry knows his father died a hero and, in his eyes, 'Uncle Bill' does not match up and Gran agrees. There is conflict enough at home without the new teacher taking against him. Especially as he acts so friendly to the two boys that nobody wants to know. However, slowly Henry's eyes are opened to truth after truth till a photo that he has taken turns his world upside down.

This was one of the most gripping and enjoyable books for youngsters that I have read. To write a 700 page book for children is challenge enough. To succeed in making every one of those pages captivating is a tremendous achievement. The author populates her book with distinct and clearly defined characters which young readers will come to regard as friends - but, of course, not everyone can be depended on.

It is the gradual resolution of one mystery after another that involves both Henry and the reader in this terrific tale. The plot moves from one puzzle to the next with obvious care and simplicity so that, despite its length, the story is over all too soon.

For the younger reader, there is much social history on subtle display. How attitude have changed to divorce and unmarried mums! For the reader who remembers 1949, it is a luxurious wallow in forgotten memories such as Saturday morning picture shows, the launch of The Eagle comic and some marvelous black and white movies. For all, it is a heart warming, engrossing read.

It is ten years since the last book by Michelle Magorian. This superb book justifies the wait.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I Love This Book, 17 Feb 2009
By M. Dowden (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
The last time I picked up a children's book it was Inkheart (yuck!), so when I first picked this up it was with some trepidation. What I found though was a really riveting read that crosses genres and will appeal to people of many ages. The story starts off in late 1949 and moves into 1950 (befoore my time), but I have heard my parents speaking about what it was like then. Indeed my mum belonged to the ABC Cinema Club.

For those like me who weren't around then this was a time when Britain was still rationing and many places were still rubble from the bombing by the Germans. Men still had to do National Service, abortion was still illegal, and you could still be hanged for murder. Ms Magorian gives a book that is rich in detail and shows what it was like if your father was a deserter or you were born illegitimate. Illegitimacy, a common thing in our modern world was still a social stigma back then, indeed it is interesting to see how attitudes and our society has changed in such a relatively short period. This story takes place mainly in Sternsea, a fictional south coast town, but there is still some action in London, including the bomb ravaged East End.

It is hard not to give too many details away writing about this book, and it takes in many genres. Basically though the story revolves around movies and the cinema, and the families of the children who seem to be looked over by Mrs Beaumont, a kind of fairy godmother. I don't mean to imply that there is any magic in this tale, but Mrs Beaumont is quite resourceful and can usually find solutions for problems that others may miss.

Henry himself lives with his mother, step-father and half-sister Molly, along with his Gran (his first dad's mother). We follow him through his making friends to when his world falls apart, and just beyond. Taking in melodrama, mystery, crime and thriller, along with a bit of romance this story has it all. It starts off like a kitchen sink drama and gradually evolves into something much more. I'm really glad that I read this and I will definitely read it again, so if your child is reading it confiscate it or wait until they have finished it and give it a go yourself, you shouldn't be disappointed.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Another classic from Magorian, 1 Feb 2009
By M. Harrison (Middlesbrough, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Being a big fan of Goodnight Mr. Tom, I was interested to read Michelle Magorian's latest book. Henry is a boy fascinated by the cinema, who goes mostly to escape the absence of his war hero father. He's disgusted to be paired with the son of a deserter and an illegitimate child when he's given a school project on the cinema, but once he breaks free from the narrow-minded influence of his tyrannical granny, it turns out nothing is as it seems. It's over 700 pages long, but it flows brilliantly and it's a real page turner. I got this book for my nana, who was a kid at the same time as Henry, and she enjoyed it just as much as I did. Gripping and charming in equal quantities, and a must-read for fans of Magorian.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Henry
A brilliant book. I would recommend it not only to kids but to anyone!! Very touching and once you start reading it will be hard for you to go to bed and leave it unfinished!
Published 1 month ago by M. Zajickova

3.0 out of 5 stars Too long at 700 pages
Magorian is a great storyteller and this is a strong narrative, but goes into far too much detail at times. More is not always better.... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Pompey 54

3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasant if flawed
While I will happily say I enjoyed this as an absorbing read with some great characters and a wonderful sense of atmosphere, there was alot here that really jarred. Read more
Published 9 months ago by catwolf

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

The Body Shop

The Body Shop - Vitamin C Skin Boost
Protect and boost your glow with The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost.

›Shop The Body Shop

  

Beauty without the Beast

Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream
From au naturel to party glam, we have all the best names in cosmetics and skincare.

›Discover Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

  

Up to 50% off Dental Care

Braun Oral-B Professional Care 6000 Rechargeable Toothbrush - Pack of 2
Put a sparkle in your smile with up to 50% off selected Oral-B and Philips rechargeable toothbrushes.

›Up to 50% off power toothbrushes

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates