Long Way Home . Michael Morpurgo
SHORT SUMMARY
The story opens with George, a 12 year old orphan boy. He lives at The Home, and every summer,
he is sent to a foster family for several weeks. George has learned to dread the routine. Each time it
was the same: the staring, the questions fired his way, and the way they tiptoed around him like he
was a fascinating attraction. George would have just preferred to stay at The Home rather than
spend his summer with some strangers who made him feel uncomfortable.
However, as he is shipped off to live with a new family for the summer George soon realizes that the
Dyers (that was their name) they were different somehow. He meets Mr and Mrs. Dyer, wins the
affections of talkative Storme, and even befriends the once indifferent Tom. Working with them over
the several days, rescuing cows from the flood, shoveling hay, and even learning how to swim,
George begins to feel more at home with the Dyers. He even began to think of them as family.
Then, one day, as he was hiking up the moor with Storme, Storme slips and sprains her ankle. With
the injury and the sudden fog that had enveloped them, they soon found themselves lost. After
spending half the night trying to keep warm, the rest of the family finally found them, but Storme was
so badly hurt that Mrs. Dyer had to carry her down. Unfortunately, carrying Storme causes Mrs. Dyer
to injure her back to badly that she had to be hospitalized.
Without anyone to care for the children at home and the farm work piling up very quickly, Mr. Dyer is
forced to send George back to the orphanage for the time being. However, Tom and Storme wanted
him back, and George also wanted to stay, so the children had devised a plan so that he could be
adopted for good. However, back at the home, George found himself anxious and unable to get back
into the routine. He no longer belonged there; his heart was with the Dyers. George found himself
counting the days until Tom would write with the good news.
When no letter came, George made up his mind. He was running away, this time to the Dyers and
not away from them. Finally, his journey took him home. He was home at last.
WHAT I THINK OF THE STORY (5 stars for theme, 5 stars for plot)
This story was a very realistic and touching portrayal of a long journey home. Many of us have
travelled this same road before, whether literally, or metaphorically. That is why, I think, that this
story is so relevant and so strongly resonant within my heart. George had lived at "The Home" for
pretty much all his life, and had been to so many other foster families, but none of that had given him
the love, honesty and openness that the Dyers so freely gave. The way that he so quickly warmed up
to the members of the Dyer family really reached the inner depths of my heart. I couldn't help but
wipe away a tear at the last part when George was finally home to stay. I would recommend this
book for any reader, young or old, because the story is something we could all relate to at some point
or another. The feelings of being accepted, being a part of something, and finally feeling like you are
"home", is something that has no age boundary. All that said, check out a copy of Long Way home
by Michael Morpurgo at your library, and I guarantee you you will not be disappointed!
The main charcters are George, Tom and Storme . The book is about George doesn't want to go to
another foster family but Tom doesn't want him . One day they go of to the moor and onto the beach,
but Storme wants to go to the stone circle. After they have swam for a bit, Storme asks if they can go
to the stone circle, Tom says he's not going but George and Storme go on there own. First they were
climbing a sunny hillside then there was mist all around them, they keep on climing and George sees
a stone shape thing Storme runs ahead shouting then she cries, she cries again. George helps her
up they sit together and wonder if Tom has found his way home and found help, he has. Mr and Mrs
Dyer and Tom find Storme and George. Mrs dyer (Storme andTom's mum), carries Storme all the
way home, she hurts her back and has to go to hospital. Mr Dyer can't handle them on his own so
George gets sent home to a child minder .He runs away and finds his way to the farm