The Witches by Roald Dahl

Image taken from geeksofdoom.com

As promised, I have finally gotten around to reviewing more of Roald Dahl's fantastic children's novels. This one is by far one of my absolute favourites from him, and it's the ONLY one where I have liked both the book AND the film...

The story is about a Boy and his Grandmother, who both experience a horrible tragedy when the Boy's parents die in a car accident. To comfort each other, the Grandmother tells the Boy bedtime stories to keep their minds occupied. A qualified "witchophile" (pp.34), she begins to give her grandson helpful hints on how to recognize a "real" witches and how to avoid them. This information will prove to be very useful to the Boy, when he almost meets a sticky end with a witch who tries to entice him to climb down his tree house and talk to him (pp. 41 - 54).

Due to the Grandmother's debilitating health, they spend the holidays in a hotel, where the Boy has a rather sticky encounter with a whole bunch of witches staying in the hotel, the most notorious one of all being their leader, the Grand High Witch (pp. 55 - 116). Unfortunately, the Boy is not so lucky to get away, as the formula the Grand High Witch has invented for the purpose of getting rid of all the children of England has turned him into a mouse. It is up to the Boy, his new-found friend Bruno, and his Grandmother, to save the day, before all the children of England come to the same sticky end...

Unlike the film version, starring Angelica Huston as the Grand High Witch, the book is a little more light-hearted. The film version - in my opinion - is slightly darker in terms of its content. Both are really good though, but I wouldn't recommend the film to any child under 6 years of age (seriously, there are some really creepy bits in it!) However, I would recommend the book to all age groups.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Image taken from the 5th Grade Literacy Circles website.

Matilda Wormwood is a child prodigy, although her parents don't seem to care or notice. Her father runs a dodgy car sale business, while her mother is addicted to bingo. Her brother is hardly ever at home. While all three would prefer to sit in front of the television all night, Matilda prefers to read books. These are the circumstances we find her in as she attends her first day of school, where her teacher, Miss Wormwood, is the first person to notice how special Matilda really is....

OK. So I'm going through yet another childhood phase, but so what? Roald Dahl's books are amazing, as every child who has ever read them can tell you (as well as every adult who remembers growing up reading them). Packed with adventure, humour and fun, his books have entertained children and grown-ups alike. The new editions of his books that are coming out now all boast on the front cover that he is "The World's no. 1 Storyteller", a title that Roald Dahl very much deserves to have. It has now been over a decade since he has passed away, but his memory continues to live on through his books.

The new editions also come with interesting trivia facts about Roald Dahl and his life, giving children the chance to learn more about this great author. They also explain on the back cover that 10% of author royalties from the sales of his books are now being donated to Roald Dahl Charities, which cares for children with "epilepsy, blood disorders and acquired brain injury". So by purchasing the new editions, you are not only revisiting childhood memories, but you are also making a difference in other children's lives.......

..... Not that I'm trying to promote sales in any way..... :-P

Anyway, "Matilda" is one of those books that you MUST read, either BEFORE or AFTER seeing the film version starring Mara Wilson and Danny DeVito. Seriously. You should. It's very good.

More reviews on Roald Dahl's books to follow soon!