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The Midnight Fox

betsy byars

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Tom is horrified when his parents tell him he is to stay on Aunt Millie's farm while they are away on a trip. When he arrives, he finds the farm every bit as strange and uncomfortable as he feared - that is, until the appearance of the black fox.

null pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1968
Literary awards
lewis carroll shelf award, 

This edition

Format
null pages, Paperback
Published
January 1, 2002 by Faber Childrens
ISBN
9780571214792
ASIN
0571214797
Language
English

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About the author

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betsy byars

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Betsy Byars was an American author of children's books. She wrote over sixty books for young people. Her first novel was published in 1962. Her novel Summer of the Swans won the 1971 Newbery Medal. She also received a National Book Award for Young People's Literature for The Night Swimmers and an Edgar Award for Wanted ... Mud Blossom!!

Daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers are also writers.

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Community Reviews

Rating(4 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
33(33%)
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33(33%)
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34(34%)
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100 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Feohtend
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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The Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars. Tom's summer is just beginning. He's looking forward to spending it with his best buddy Petie. As he's relaxing in his room, putting together a model Cessna airplane, his mom comes in and tells him what she thinks will be great news- he's going to spend the next two months on his Aunt Millie's farm! He hates the idea. This is a sweet story of a boy discovering what he is capable of, but also wants to show respect to those he loves. The story is told in the first person, helping the reader really feel connected to our main character, Tom. Tom has an experience that summer that he will never forget.
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TheCat_Fiddle
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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This was a 5-star book for me because of its blend of lyricism and humor. Tom falls in love with the beauty of the black fox, and his summer comes to focus around his sense of connection to her and her cub. At the same time, his friendship with his best friend Petie and his cousin Hazeline add an element of the comic day-to-day. I think I remember reading somewhere that Betsy Byars said this was one of her own favorites among her many books. Mine too.
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MiliChan1909
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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I thought this book was very entertaining as well as hooking because it was just decisions and situations that made readers feel like they were in the book.It also made them think if they were Tom and what decision they should make it kind of also made them feel guilty if they made the wrong decision.I thought that this book was really interesting because it shows how fast things can change and how fast people can change their minds because of one little thing.
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BadAppleWhite
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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I thought this book was just okay. I'm not saying I didn't like it at all. I just didn't love it.
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_hehe_
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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This was a great little story! My son and I both enjoyed it -- and I never thought I would care about the fate of a fox so much!
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Aidenlittlefire
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
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t "Growing Taller in Moral Courage”

tTen-year-old Tom resents being obliged to spend the summer at the farm of his relatives, while his parents bicycle through Europe. As an only child he amuses himself making models and indulging in crazy games of imagination with his bet pal, Petie. Sure that the two months will prove a washout, Tom arrives with quiet dignity and is outwardly obedient, but he harbors privately gloom. He rarely speaks, shows enthusiasm for their attempts to amuse him, or even gratitude for their welcoming efforts—preferring to play the role of the loner.

tA loner, that is, until the day he spots a rare, black fox dancing and leaping in the luxuriant green grass. Instantly the boy is fascinated by her grace and beauty, her kinship with the freedom of wild nature. Seeing her again and finding her secret den become Tom’s personal obsessions. Then—to his secret horror—his uncle announces plans to track her down and shoot her, as she poses a serious threat to Aunt Millie’s poultry,

tLiterary tension builds like an inevitable summer storm, climaxing on dark and stormy night--when Tom defies common sense and respect for his elders and hosts. He refuses to stand by and allow the fox to be taken and killed. Determined to rescue not one but both foxes from certain death, he seizes the opportunity to grow tall in moral courage, by acting on his conscience and then accepting the consequences of his actions. Related as a detailed flashback this story grabs the reader’s attention from the outset; but which of several possible endings will prevail? Can a Fox learn wisdom along with a young boy? An excellent read for kids of all ages.

t (7/15/2010. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
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