Our Top 5 Roald Dahl Books

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I still remember receiving a copy of Roald Dahl’s ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ for my birthday one year with a Willy Wonka key chain taped to the back. I have no idea what happened to that rubbery character freebie. But I do know that the story was forever etched in my memory. As a chocolate lover, reader, and a fan of the Gene Wilder version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this story will always be a winner in my eyes.

Now, enjoying this story with my own children, (who also happen to enjoy chocolate, books and the movie), we have gone on to enjoy many of Dahl’s other books. We also were very excited to find out how close we lived to some of the places that Roald Dahl ventured as a young boy in Cardiff. So without further ado, here are our top five Roald Dahl Books.

1. Charlie and the chocolate factory

   For all of the reasons above, and more, this is top of the list. We love the story of how Charlie Bucket, against the odds, was able to find a golden ticket and go on the adventure of a lifetime. His kind-hearted character shone through and we really wanted to believe that he would be able to enter the chocolate factory that he so often could smell as he walked past. His sweet character contrasts to the other four children who found the golden tickets: greedy Augustus Gloop, the chewing gum sensation Violet Beauregarde, spoilt Veruca Salt and TV addict Mike Teavee. Having four grandparents and a poor mother and father all cramped together in poverty, was another contrast giving us opportunity to talk about the situation, and how hard that must be. We also read Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator which was not nearly as good, and set very much in its time, with the characters quite literally being out-of-this-world. I think the charm of the original story and its setting in something as glorious as a chocolate factory is memorable for every age. I personally love Willy Wonka’s wit and inventions…

My original copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (with the ‘Free’ tape still stuck on the back, plus a charity shop find of the Great Glass Elevator…

2. Boy: Tales from childhood

I never knew Roald Dahl wrote his autobiography in a way that children could enjoy. The first time I read this was at bedtime with my son who was seven at the time. I was uncomfortable reading about how the cane was administered to the boys as punishment, and the difficult time Dahl had at his schools. But these were opportunities to talk about a particular time in history and what boarding schools were like then. It might be a bit much for younger readers, but my son found it fascinating. Having some understanding of Roald' Dahl’s childhood gave a deeper appreciation of the characters and the stories that he created.

It was the first time we had read something autobiographical, and a highlight for us is living near Llandaff in Cardiff, where we could pass one of the schools Dahl attended. Close to the school is the site that inspired Mrs. Pratchett’s sweetshop in Boy. That was one of the funniest parts of the book and my son delighted in the practical jokes played on the sweet shop owner by Dahl and his friends. Another highlight for my son was the car accident that happened in the story which affected Roald Dahl’s nose - again, it was another opportunity to discuss how pain relief and doctors are very different now compared to then! Out of all the Dahl books, this was the one that I was surprised me the most by how much my son loved it!

Boy: Tales of Childhood is a firm favourite with my own boy!

3. Matilda

Fun and very special fact: The 1996 film Matilda starring Mara Wilson and Danny DeVito is my favourite film of all time. It holds a special place in my heart. When it was released, I was a similar age to the character, I attended an elementary school in the USA, I was a bookworm, and I so wanted magical powers. The nostalgia I feel when watching this film runs deep. This film has been watched more times than I can count between me and my younger sister who also shares a love for it. I’m embarrassed to admit I had never read the book until recently!

There are details that are very different between movie and book - especially as the book was set in the UK! But the wonder is still within every page, and I felt connected to this story before I turned the cover already. The heinous character of the headmistress Miss. Trunchbull, the sweet disposition of Miss. Honey (who was definitely worse off in the book than the film!), and the protagonist herself, Matilda Wormwood, all brought more depth for me, fleshing out details that a film just simply could not contain. I was delighted that my favourite quote from the film was directly in the book, and it is so true for book lovers everywhere:

“So Matilda's strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone."

Bonus fact: I dressed up as Zinnia Wormwood for my sister’s 25th Matilda-themed birthday and had a BLAST! If you haven’t seen the movie, I appreciate this is even more scary to view…

4. Danny The Champion of the world

I vaguely remember reading this as a class in school. This is a wonderful story which shows the courage of Danny, who finds out his father has not returned at night to their humble caravan home, and he bravely goes out in search for him. For my vehicle-loving boy, he was absolutely delighted that young Danny got behind the wheel of a car and actually drove it! Danny’s father is a secret pheasant-poacher who wants to go on the hunt of his life - and Danny is keen to join him. This is their story of how they work together to go on the hunt of their life, and how their family bond brings them together for a wild adventure. It’s a beautiful father and son story, with some obstacles to overcome, and some pretty hilarious points, including what happens when a bunch of pheasants is let loose on Mr. Hazell, the main antagonist of the story!

5. James and the giant peach

Roald Dahl is the master at creating characters you love to hate, and Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker are up there. It is an awful tale that starts out with the death of his parents, then leaving him under the authority of his wicked aunts. They treat him awfully, a similar theme with Matilda and her parents, the Wormwoods. It is worth remembering that real cases of abuse are not imaginary or just for stories. Real people experience real abuse, both young and old, which does make this sober reading for anyone who has experienced or understands the devastating effects of abuse.

But what makes this story so brilliant is how James enters a magical transformation when some magical crocodile tongues he receives from an old man in the garden accidentally spill into the ground of where an old peach tree is. Nothing has grown on this tree, until suddenly, one enormous, juicy-looking peach grows and grows and grows. It becomes a vessel of friendship as James climbs inside it, only to be greeted by insects that can talk to him! This peach then becomes so heavy, it leaves the tree and rolls away from the resident home of the evil aunts. Thus begins the journey of a lifetime on board the peach! (Pauses to think of renaming this ark to The Story Peach… but I digress.)

This is truly a beautiful tale of friendship, adventure, and using their different abilities to keep travelling onward. James, the earthworm, the centipede, Miss. Spider, the ladybird, the Old-Green-Grasshopper, the silkworm and the glowworm, all bring comedy, and reveal a little bit of what it means to be a family. All different, but all essential! Because I have a heart for the USA, I just love that they end up in New York City! My own children hope to venture there one day to see the Statue of Liberty! Maybe we should work on growing and selling peaches to fund such an escapade. Or if anyone happens to have some of those magical crocodile tongues, maybe we can set them loose under the apple tree. Ruth and the Giant Apple… goes to the Big Apple?! I guess we’ll wait and see!

Have you read any books by Roald Dahl? What are your favourites? Let me know!

Publisher: Puffin