book report on matilda by roald dahl

Matilda, by Roald Dahl | Book Review

Book Review of Matilda The Children’s Book Review

Written by Roald Dahl

Illustrated by Sarah Walsh

Ages 6-9 | 192 Pages

Publisher: ‎ Viking Books for Young Readers | ISBN-13: ‎ 9781984836106

Matilda  was the last long kids’ book that Roald Dahl wrote before he passed away in 1990. When Dahl first wrote the book, she was a wicked child and very different from how she is now known to readers worldwide.

Matilda is a very kind-hearted character—she’s a gifted, intelligent, book-loving five-year-old who taught herself to read. She has read every children’s book in the library and a few for adults. Matilda can even do advanced math in her head. Her father (a rotten car salesman) and her mother (obsessed with playing bingo) are completely clueless and treat her almost as terribly as the nasty Miss Trunchbull, the child-hating, ex-Olympic hammer-throwing headmistress at school.

When Matilda meets Miss Honey, a warm-hearted and sweet teacher, she finds her inner strength and uses her newly-discovered exceptional talent to fight back and set more than a few things right in her world. Matilda’s character is certainly one to get behind—she’s empowering, knowledgeable, and brave—and the entire story is freckled with funny bits and peppered with plenty of practical jokes.

This edition contains complete and unabridged text and includes brand-new color illustrations by Sarah Walsh. The artwork brings loads of energy and charisma to the carefully curated cast that Dahl created.

When you read Roald Dahl’s  Matilda,  you’ll be snickering from start to end.

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About the author.

Roald Dahl  (1916-1990) was born in Wales to Norwegian parents. He spent his childhood in England and, at age eighteen, went to work for the Shell Oil Company in Africa. When World War II broke out, he joined the Royal Air Force and became a fighter pilot. At the age of twenty-six, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he began to write. His first short story, which recounted his adventures in the war, was bought by The Saturday Evening Post, and so began a long and illustrious career.

After establishing himself as a writer for adults, Roald Dahl began writing children’s stories in 1960 while living in England with his family. His first stories were written as entertainment for his own children, to whom many of his books are dedicated.

Roald Dahl is now considered one of the most beloved storytellers of our time. Although he passed away in 1990, his popularity continues to increase as his fantastic novels, including James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delight an ever-growing legion of fans.

Learn more about Roald Dahl on the official Roald Dahl website:  www.roalddahl.com .

About the Illustrator

Sarah Walsh is an internationally published illustrator whose project range spans from picture books, apparel, home decor, and greeting cards, to name a few. Her work has also been featured on Creative Pep Talk, Buzzfeed, and The Jealous Curator. Sarah has been a working artist since 2001, starting as a designer/illustrator hybrid at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City. In 2013 she branched off solo style into the freelance world after connecting with an art agent named Lilla Rogers. Bright color, fashion, mid-century design, the ’80s, fantasy, hand lettering, world culture, and folk art are some of the elements that inform her work. Sarah’s been fortunate enough to collaborate with clients like Chronicle, Blue Q, Nosy Crow, The Guardian, & Frankie Magazine.

Writing and illustrating a children’s book or working with a fashion designer to create an haute couture clothing line are two of her dream projects! When Sarah isn’t busy doing client work, she fills her sketchbook with personal paintings or creates products such as art prints, enamel pins & pillows for Tigersheep Friends, with her husband Colin Walsh, a fellow illustrator.

You can find her work at Sarahwalshmakesthings.com .

Matilda , written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Sarah Walsh, was reviewed by Bianca Schulze. Discover more books like  Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice by following our reviews and articles tagged with Classics , Illustrated Chapter Books , and Roald Dahl .

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Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

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Matilda by Roald Dahl - review

The exceptional Matilda is about a smart, easily infuriated little girl who is misunderstood by her parents and loathed by the school's headmistress. On the other hand her kind and generous teacher, Miss Honey, thinks she is a brilliant academic genius. Matilda has a number of excellent schemes in her head to teach her nasty parents and headmistress a lesson.

Whilst Matilda is the novel's central character many readers will be drawn to the larger-than-life, extrovert, humourous and strangely likeable headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. Her unique reprimands to the children, with phrases such as 'blithering idiot' and 'stagnant cesspool' will leave you in stitches.

The novel is littered with excellent examples of Dahl's use of creative imagination to keep the reader's attention alive such as when Matilda uses her magical eyes to write a truthful message to the headmistress on the blackboard.

On a disappointing note for me, Quentin Blake's doodle-like illustrations failed to match Dahl's impressive and brilliant character descriptions.

Despite this Matilda is a fantastic and entertaining novel and I recommend it to children aged 7 – 12 and a must read for lovers of Roald Dahl . Four out of five stars!

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by Roald Dahl

• Matilda Summary

Matilda Wormwood is a young girl who is extraordinarily brilliant. At a young age, she can solve complex math problems in her head and read books meant for adults. Unfortunately, though, Matilda has grown up with parents who do not give her the attention and love she deserves. Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood and their son, Michael, are quite different from Matilda, preferring to watch television than read books. They do not understand her, and often treat her badly.

Rather than feel hopeless, Matilda plays tricks on her family to get back at them for the way they treat her, replacing her father's hair tonic with platinum hair dye and using a parrot to convince them that their house is haunted. These tricks give Matilda some agency, and distract her parents from mistreating her.

Matilda starts school late for a girl her age, and is placed in the lowest form in Crunchem Hall Primary School. Matilda's teacher, Miss Honey , is a wonderful, sweet woman, and she immediately recognizes Matilda's intelligence and seeks to move her into the highest form, where she can maximize her potential. Unfortunately, though, Crunchem Hall is run by a terrible woman named Miss Trunchbull . She is massive and muscular, having been a former Olympic athlete for Britain. She absolutely loathes children and treats the students horribly, keeping them in line with terrible punishments such as the "Chokey," a thin closet with walls made of nails where students have to stand straight up for hours when they misbehave.

Miss Trunchbull will not move Matilda to the highest form, so Miss Honey keeps her in her class, giving her advanced books to study while the rest of the class learns basic lessons. She does her best to nurture Matilda's mind and allow her to learn new things. Meanwhile, Matilda quickly befriends the other students in school and learns about the ways they resist Miss Trunchbull's terror. The peak of Miss Trunchbull's horrible antics is reached when she calls a school-wide assembly, and makes a boy named Bruce Bogtrotter eat an entire giant chocolate cake on his own in front of everyone as punishment for stealing a slice of hers. To her surprise he does it without getting sick or quitting, a small victory for the students against her.

Miss Trunchbull comes into Miss Honey's class for one period each Thursday to take over, and she terrorizes the students with difficult math and spelling questions and punishes them with physical abuse when they cannot answer. Matilda's friend Lavender , seeking to get revenge on Miss Trunchbull, sticks a large newt in her drinking glass, sending Miss Trunchbull into a frenzy. Miss Trunchbull blames Matilda for placing the newt there, even though she did not do it, and Matilda gets so angry that a peculiar sensation of power comes over her and she manages to knock the water glass over with her mind, pouring the newt onto Miss Trunchbull's bosom.

Matilda is awed and frightened by her newfound power, and when she demonstrates it for Miss Honey, the teacher invites her back to her cottage to talk. Matilda is mystified when she sees Miss Honey's cottage, a tiny, sparse place hardly fit for living. Miss Honey reveals her life story to Matilda: her parents died when she was young, leaving her in the care of her cruel aunt, who has bullied her and forced her to work ever since. This terrible aunt takes nearly every cent of Miss Honey's salary, so she cannot afford to live anywhere but this tiny shack. At last, Miss Honey reveals who this aunt actually is: Miss Trunchbull.

Matilda comes up with a plan to get back at Miss Trunchbull and help Miss Honey. She hones her power until she can make objects move in the air at her will, and then the following week when Miss Trunchbull comes in to teach their class, she has the chalk move on its own and write an ominous message to Miss Trunchbull. Miss Trunchbull believes that the message has come from Magnus , Miss Honey's deceased father. Panicked, she disappears, moving out of his house and leaving Crunchem Hall.

When Magnus's will mysteriously appears, it is revealed that his house belonged to Miss Honey all along, as do his life savings. She moves in immediately, and Matilda is a frequent visitor. Under the new head teacher, Matilda is moved up to the highest form, where she finds that because her mind is challenged with hard work, she has lost the ability of telekinesis. She discusses this with Miss Honey but decides she does not mind that it is gone.

When she returns home that day she sees her parents and brother in a frenzy, packing up to move to Spain because her father has finally been caught for being involved with criminals who sell stolen cars. Miss Honey offers to adopt Matilda so she can stay and live with her, and Matilda's parents, who never truly cared about her, agree to the plan.

Matilda Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Matilda is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Compare and contrast the characters of Matilda and Ms Honey.Under what circumstances do they grow up?How do they each respond to their circumstances? What is the significant of the two of them becoming a family at the end of the novel?Provide detaild from

This is only a short answer space. I can make a general comment.Miss Honey is Matilda’s school teacher and the first person to appreciate and foster Matilda’s extraordinary intelligence. She attempts to bring Matilda’s gift to the attention to...

who is matilda? describe her with 5 words

Matilda is the titular character and the protagonist of Roald Dahl’s Matilda. Unlike her other family members, who are selfish and dull, Matilda is a precocious child with a love of books and a high aptitude for mathematics.

-intelligent

What is the purpose of paragraphs 1-5

Can you quote the whole sentence that you mean?

Study Guide for Matilda

Matilda study guide contains a biography of Roald Dahl, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Matilda
• Character List

Essays for Matilda

Matilda essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Matilda by Roald Dahl.

• Language, Power, and Gender: The Power Dynamics of Language and Social Class in Three Children’s Books

Lesson Plan for Matilda

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Matilda
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Matilda Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Matilda

• Introduction
• Writing the novel
• Dahl's inspiration

• Children's Book Reviews

Matilda by Roald Dahl – Book Review

Matilda is the world’s most famous bookworm, no thanks to her ghastly parents.

Her father thinks she’s a little scab. Her mother spends all afternoon playing bingo.

And her headmistress, Miss Trunchbull?

She’s the worst of all.

She’s a big bully, who thinks all her pupils are rotten and locks them in the dreaded Chokey.

Despite these beastly grownups trying to push her down, Matilda is an extraordinary girl with a magical mind.

And she’s had enough.

So all the terrible adults had better watch out, because she’s going to teach them a lesson they’ll never forget!

As a child, I was a massive Roald Dahl fan and spent hours with my nose in his books. At school, we had to read his older children’s work on his life, Boy and Going Solo. However, over the years I have noticed that I never actually read a few of his work, namely Danny the Champion of the World, The Witches, and Matilda.

This wasn’t something I really thought about recently until I saw it on Sarah Cox’s book show as one of the guests ‘Bring Your Own Book’ and she made it sound so appealing that I ordered it right away and then read it in a day. Why, oh why, did I ever leave it so long.

The book is for any bookworms no matter your age, it is a book about a bookish child. A child who loves all the classics. It is also a book about nasty people and how through being very clever from reading this little five-and-a-half-year-old Matilda gets her revenge.

The book is truly amazing. It was a beautiful, fun, energetic read and I fell in love with the little girl and want to spare her from these brutes that call themselves adults, including her parents who dislike their own child.

The copy I bought was the 30th-anniversary copy, mainly as I love a hardback book and partly because I loved the cover and the colour – yes I am that easily pleased.

Within the book is artwork by Quentin Blake who illustrated I think all of Roald Dahl’s work. He has a way with his artwork that not only brings the story to life but makes you laugh and connect with the characters too.

Part of me is glad that I never this book as a child as I got to appreciate it as an adult and part of me thinks I missed out on such a fabulous book that would have made me constantly giggle and frown.

Overall, this is a book that still after all these years works in today’s society. It was great fun to read and this edition would make a wonderful gift too.

Book Reviewer – Stacey

Purchase online from:, amazon.co.uk – amazon.com – amazon.in – apple books – blackwells – bookshop.org – waterstones, about the author.

The son of Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and educated at Repton. He was a fighter pilot for the RAF during World War Two, and it was while writing about his experiences during this time that he started his career as an author.

His fabulously popular children’s books are read by children all over the world. Some of his better-known works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, The Witches, and The BFG.

He died in November 1990.

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I read this back when I was a kid. Great book.

Such a good book! I love the movie too.

I watched the movie, never read the book.

I love this curious child and this author – I love your thoughtful review

definitely one of my fav authors and books!!

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Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Roald Dahl's Matilda . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Matilda: Introduction

Matilda: plot summary, matilda: detailed summary & analysis, matilda: themes, matilda: quotes, matilda: characters, matilda: symbols, matilda: theme wheel, brief biography of roald dahl.

Historical Context of Matilda

Other books related to matilda.

• Full Title: Matilda
• When Written: 1987
• Where Written: England
• When Published: 1988
• Literary Period: Postmodernism
• Genre: Children’s Novel; Fantasy
• Setting: An English village
• Climax: Matilda uses her secret power to make the Trunchbull believe that Miss Honey’s father’s ghost wants Mrs. Trunchbull to return the family home and fortune to Miss Honey.
• Antagonist: Mrs. Trunchbull and Matilda’s Parents
• Point of View: Third Person

Extra Credit for Matilda

Great Welshmen. Dahl and poet Dylan Thomas (whose poem “In Country Sleep” appears in Matilda ) are sometimes considered the best-known Welsh writers. Though the men never met, they were born only 40 miles and two years apart. Thomas died at age 39 (having already achieved fame and recognition for his poetry and radio work) not long after Dahl’s career took off, and Dahl developed a great love for Thomas’s poetry—one of Thomas’s poems was read at Dahl’s funeral.

Fixed It! Dahl wrote Matilda twice—and the first time, he wrote Matilda as the villain. He’s quoted in interviews as saying that he knew after finishing the first draft that he’d gotten Matilda wrong. The rewrite paid off: Matilda won the Federation of Children’s Book Group Award in 1988.

69 pages • 2 hours read

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Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-6

Chapters 7-14

Chapters 15-21

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

Roald Dahl’s 1998 children’s fantasy Matilda tells the darkly humorous story of a brilliant and kindly little girl who reads grown-up books, plays pranks on her emotionally abusive parents, and uses her telekinetic ability in her battles with a tyrannical school principal.

Dahl is widely considered one the greatest children’s storytellers. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide; they include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Many of Dahl’s tales, including Matilda, have been made into feature films. The 2007 Penguin edition includes illustrations by Quentin Blake; its ebook version forms the basis for this study guide.

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Plot Summary

Often left alone at home by her neglectful, self-involved parents, Matilda Wormwood teaches herself to read at age three; by age five, she’s read all the children’s books at the local library and more than a dozen adult classics like Great Expectations and The Grapes of Wrath. Matilda also has a knack for math and can do arithmetic in her head.

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Her parents have no interest in books and think Matilda’s wasting her time. Her father, Harry Wormwood, dresses garishly and sells run-down used cars faked-up as nearly new; he proudly teaches his young son, Michael, the fine points of cheating customers. Matilda’s mother spends afternoons playing Bingo and evenings watching TV. Both parents are self-important and small-minded; they regard their daughter as an annoyance, and they treat her rudely.

Matilda decides to get even with them. She puts superglue into her father’s porkpie hat, and it takes him a day to get it removed, along with a lot of his hair. She borrows a neighbor’s parrot and positions the caged bird in the chimney; when the parrot speaks during dinner, it terrifies her parents, who believe it’s a burglar or a ghost. She switches her mother’s platinum hair dye with her father’s hair lotion, causing him to convert his hair from black to ashy white.

Matilda enters Crunchem Hall Primary School , where her teacher is the kind and lovely Miss Honey , who quickly recognizes Matilda’s genius and gives her advanced schoolwork. She tries to convince Matilda’s parents to take seriously their child’s brilliance, but the Wormwoods dismiss the idea.

The headmistress, Miss Trunchbull is powerfully built and mean to the children, whom she despises. A former Olympic hammer thrower, Trunchbull has a knack for lifting up children who annoy her and throwing them through windows or over fences. One boy is caught stealing her lunchtime dessert; she calls an assembly, where she forces the boy to eat an entire giant chocolate cake. The boy succeeds, which frustrates Trunchbull.

The tyrannical woman hates Matilda on sight. When the girl’s pal, Lavender, sneaks a newt into Trunchbull’s water glass, the startled headmistress accuses Matilda of the deed. Furious, Matilda’s eyes somehow send energy toward the glass and tip it over, newt and all, onto Trunchbull.

Matilda confesses to Miss Honey that she made the glass fall; to prove it, she concentrates and makes the glass tip over again. Amazed, Miss Honey agrees to work secretly with Matilda to understand her new power.

They walk to the teacher’s tiny countryside cottage , which has no running water and no furniture. Miss Honey explains that when she was a little girl named Jenny, her mother died young, and her father, Magnus, brought in Jenny’s aunt Agatha to help raise the child at Jenny and Magnus’s beautiful house. The aunt, though, was cruel; she murdered Jenny’s father and framed it as suicide, then enslaved the girl for housework. Jenny later attended a nearby teacher’s college, and she got hired at Crunchem Hall, but the aunt still forced her to sign over her salary. Miss Honey escaped by moving to the cottage, which the owner rents to her for pennies a week. Her aunt Agatha is Headmistress Trunchbull, who still lives in Jenny’s old house as though it is rightfully hers; she forged the deed.

Matilda decides to help Miss Honey. Each day after school for a week, she practices making one of her father’s cigars levitate and move about. At school, when Trunchbull teaches Miss Honey’s Thursday class, Matilda telekinetically makes a piece of chalk write on the board, saying that it’s Magnus, who has come back to warn Agatha to give Jenny her house and salary and leave town—or he’ll get her like she got him. Trunchbull faints and must be carried to the sick-room.

The next day, Trunchbull’s assistant, Mr. Trilby, goes to Trunchbull’s house to find it unlocked. He enters to see that everything is in place except that it is vacant. Miss Honey then gets a letter from a law firm that says her father’s will has suddenly appeared. It gives the estate to her, including the family house where Trunchbull lived.

Miss Honey moves into her old house. Matilda visits her every afternoon. Miss Honey gets the girl transferred to the top grade, where she’s an excellent student.

Matilda’s father gets into trouble with the law for his crooked business operations, and the Wormwoods pack hurriedly to escape to Spain. Matilda doesn’t want to go; she hurries with Miss Honey to her house, where the teacher offers to care for the girl while the rest of the Wormwoods escape. Harry and his wife shrug and accept the deal. They pile into a car with their son and drive away. Matilda jumps into Miss Honey’s arms, and they hug. 

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Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda  is a brilliant child with a magical mind. But her parents have decided she's just a nuisance who wastes too much time on reading and stories. And her headmistress, Miss Trunchbull? She’s the worst of all.

By the time she was three , Matilda had taught herself to read by studying newspapers and magazines that lay around the house. At the age of four , she could read fast and well and she naturally began hankering after books. The only book in the whole of this enlightened household was something called Easy Cooking belonging to her mother, and when she had read this from cover to cover and had learnt all the recipes by heart, she decided she wanted something more interesting.

‘Daddy,’ she said, ‘do you think you could buy me a book?’

‘A BOOK?’ he said. ‘What d’you want a flaming book for?’

‘To read, Daddy.’

‘What’s wrong with the telly, for heaven’s sake? We’ve got a lovely telly with a twelve-inch screen and now you come asking for a book! You’re getting spoiled, my girl!’

Nearly every weekday afternoon Matilda was left alone in the house. Her brother (five years older than her) went to school. Her father went to work and her mother went out playing bingo in a town eight miles away. Mrs Wormwood was hooked on bingo and played it five afternoons a week. On the afternoon of the day when her father had refused to buy her a book, Matilda set out all by herself to walk to the public library in the village. When she arrived, she introduced herself to the librarian, Mrs Phelps. She asked if she might sit awhile and read a book. Mrs Phelps, slightly taken aback at the arrival of such a tiny girl unaccompanied by an adult, nevertheless told her she was very welcome.

‘Where are the children’s books, please?’ Matilda asked.

‘They’re over there on those lower shelves,’ Mrs Phelps told her. ‘Would you like me to help you find a nice one with lots of pictures in it?’

‘No, thank you,’ Matilda said. ‘I’m sure I can manage.’

From then on, every afternoon, as soon as her mother had left for bingo, Matilda would toddle down to the library. The walk took only ten minutes and this allowed her two glorious hours sitting quietly by herself in a cosy corner devouring one book after another. When she had read every single children’s book in the place, she started wandering round in search of something else.

Mrs Phelps, who had been watching her with fascination for the past few weeks, now got up from her desk and went over to her. ‘Can I help you, Matilda?’ she asked.

‘I’m wondering what to read next,’ Matilda said. ‘I’ve finished all the children’s books.’

‘You mean you’ve looked at the pictures?’

‘Yes, but I’ve read the books as well.’

Mrs Phelps looked down at Matilda from her great height and Matilda looked right back up at her.

‘I thought some were very poor,’ Matilda said, ‘but others were lovely. I liked The Secret Garden best of all. It was full of mystery. The mystery of the room behind the closed door and the mystery of the garden behind the big wall.’

Mrs Phelps was stunned. ‘Exactly how old are you, Matilda?’ she asked.

‘Four years and three months,’ Matilda said.

Mrs Phelps was more stunned than ever, but she had the sense not to show it. ‘What sort of a book would you like to read next?’ she asked.

Matilda said, ‘I would like a really good one that GROWN-UPS read. A famous one. I don’t know any names.’

Mrs Phelps looked along the shelves, taking her time. She didn’t quite know what to bring out. How , she asked herself, does one choose a famous grown-up book for a four-year-old girl? Her first thought was to pick a young teenager’s romance of the kind that is written for fifteen-year-olds, but for some reason she found herself instinctively walking past that particular shelf.

‘Try this,’ she said at last. ‘It’s very famous and very good. If it’s too long for you, just let me know and I’ll find something shorter and a bit easier.’

‘ Great Expectations ,’ Matilda read, ‘by Charles Dickens . I’d love to try it.’

What am I thinking? Mrs Phelps asked herself, but to Matilda she said, ‘Of course you may try it.’

Over the next few afternoons Mrs Phelps could hardly take her eyes from the small girl sitting for hour after hour in the big armchair at the far end of the room with the book on her lap. It was necessary to rest it on the lap because it was too heavy for her to hold up, which meant she had to sit leaning forward in order to read. And a strange sight it was, this tiny dark-haired person sitting there with her feet nowhere near touching the floor, totally absorbed in the wonderful adventures of Pip and old Miss Havisham and her cobwebbed house and by the spell of magic that Dickens the great storyteller had woven with his words. The only movement from the reader was the lifting of the hand every now and then to turn over a page, and Mrs Phelps always felt sad when the time came for her to cross the floor and say, ‘It’s ten to five, Matilda.’

During the first week of Matilda’s visits Mrs Phelps had said to her, ‘Does your mother walk you down here every day and then take you home?’

‘My mother goes to Aylesbury every afternoon to play bingo,’ Matilda had said. ‘She doesn’t know I come here.’

‘But that’s surely not right,’ Mrs Phelps said. ‘I think you’d better ask her.’

‘I’d rather not,’ Matilda said. ‘She doesn’t encourage reading books. Nor does my father.’

‘But what do they expect you to do every afternoon in an empty house?’

‘Just mooch around and watch the telly.’

‘She doesn’t really care what I do,’ Matilda said a little sadly.

Mrs Phelps was concerned about the child’s safety on the walk through the fairly busy village High Street and the crossing of the road, but she decided not to interfere.

Within a week, Matilda had finished Great Expectations , which in that edition contained four hundred and eleven pages. ‘I loved it,’ she said to Mrs Phelps. ‘Has Mr Dickens written any others?’

‘A great number,’ said the astounded Mrs Phelps. ‘Shall I choose you another?’

Over the next six months, under Mrs Phelps’ watchful and compassionate eye, Matilda read the following books:

NICHOLAS NICKLEBY by Charles Dickens OLIVER TWIST by Charles Dickens JANE EYRE by Charlotte Brontë PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES by Thomas Hardy GONE TO EARTH by Mary Webb KIM by Rudyard Kipling THE INVISIBLE MAN by H. G. Wells THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA by Ernest Hemingway THE SOUND AND THE FURY by William Faulkner THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck THE GOOD COMPANIONS by J. B. Priestley BRIGHTON ROCK by Graham Greene ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell

It was a formidable list and by now Mrs Phelps was filled with WONDER and EXCITEMENT, but it was probably a good thing that she did not allow herself to be completely carried away by it all. Almost anyone else witnessing the achievements of this small child would have been tempted to make a great fuss and shout the news all over the village and beyond, but not so Mrs Phelps. She was someone who minded her own business and had long since discovered it was seldom worthwhile to interfere with other people’s children.

‘Mr Hemingway says a lot of things I don’t understand,’ Matilda said to her. ‘Especially about men and women. But I loved it all the same. The way he tells it I feel I am right there on the spot watching it all happen.’

‘A fine writer will always make you feel that,’ Mrs Phelps said. ‘And don’t worry about the bits you can’t understand. Sit back and allow the words to wash around you, like music.’

‘I will, I will.’

‘Did you know,’ Mrs Phelps said, ‘that public libraries like this allow you to borrow books and take them home?’

‘I didn’t know that,’ Matilda said. ‘Could I do it?’

‘Of course,’ Mrs Phelps said. ‘When you have chosen the book you want, bring it to me so I can make a note of it and it’s yours for two weeks. You can take more than one if you wish.’

From then on, Matilda would visit the library only once a week in order to take out new books and return the old ones. Her own small bedroom now became her reading room and there she would sit and read most afternoons, often with a mug of hot chocolate beside her. She was not quite tall enough to reach things around the kitchen, but she kept a small box in the outhouse which she brought in and stood on in order to get whatever she wanted. Mostly it was hot chocolate she made, warming the milk in a saucepan on the stove before mixing it. Occasionally she made Bovril or Ovaltine. It was pleasant to take a hot drink up to her room and have it beside her as she sat in her silent room reading in the empty house in the afternoons. The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went to nineteenth-century estates with Jane Austen . She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to California with John Steinbeck . She travelled ALL OVER THE WORLD while sitting in her little room in an English village.

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Book of the Week - Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda brings a hopeful and comforting message - you are not alone.  

Matilda is a brilliant child with a magical mind. But her parents have decided she's just a nuisance who wastes too much time on reading and stories. And, her headmistress Miss Trunchbull is a terrible bully, who thinks children are rotten and awful and should be locked up. Now it's time for Matilda to find the power to change her story, and show them just how extraordinary children can be . . .

How Much Do You Know About International Children’s Book Day? Quiz

Celebrate International Children’s Book Day with our delightful and educational quiz. Children’s literature has a special place in our hearts, shaping young minds and sparking imaginations. Our International Children’s Book Day Quiz is designed to test your knowledge of beloved children’s books, famous authors, and memorable characters that have enchanted readers for generations. Dive into questions about classic fairy tales, modern masterpieces, and the timeless stories that continue to inspire children and adults alike. Whether you're a parent, educator, or simply a book lover, this quiz offers a fun way to explore the rich world of children’s literature. Learn fascinating facts about Read more the history of children’s books, discover interesting trivia about your favorite stories, and celebrate the authors who have made significant contributions to the genre. By taking this quiz, you'll deepen your appreciation for the stories that have shaped your childhood and continue to influence new generations.

International Children’s Book Day Questions and Answers

Who wrote "the cat in the hat".

J.K. Rowling

Rate this question:

In which book would you find the characters of Pooh, Piglet, and Eeyore?

Winnie-the-Pooh

Alice in Wonderland

Charlotte's Web

What is the name of the fairy in "Peter Pan"?

Tinker Bell

Who is the author of "Matilda"?

Beatrix Potter

Which book features a journey to the Chocolate Factory?

James and the Giant Peach

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Who illustrated the original "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"?

Ernest Shepard

John Tenniel

Quentin Blake

Maurice Sendak

Which character says "Some pig" in "Charlotte's Web"?

What is the main character’s name in "where the wild things are", who wrote "the tale of peter rabbit".

Lewis Carroll

Which series features the character Hermione Granger?

Percy Jackson

The Chronicles of Narnia

Harry Potter

The Hunger Games

Quiz Review Timeline +

Our quizzes are rigorously reviewed, monitored and continuously updated by our expert board to maintain accuracy, relevance, and timeliness.

• Current Version
• May 21, 2024 Quiz Edited by ProProfs Editorial Team
• May 17, 2024 Quiz Created by Hansika

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Wait! Here's an interesting quiz for you.

Historical Context

By roald dahl.

'Matilda' is one of Roald Dahl's most popular children's novels in the contemporary period. It was published in 1988 to great critical acclaim.

Article written by Neesha Thunga K

B.A. in English Literature, and M.A. in English Language and Literature.

‘ Matilda ‘ has remained an evergreen phenomenon, with a film adaptation being released in 1996. ‘ Matilda ‘ has also been converted into an audiobook and a musical version by Netflix as well.

Publication History

‘ Matilda ‘ is Roald Dahl’s last long children’s book. According to Dahl’s daughter, Dahl wrote the book to preserve and promote the fascination for reading within children. This was when televisions were becoming popular in the United Kingdom, which is why Dahl wrote a book about a genius child, Matilda Wormwood, who loves reading. 

The story of ‘ Matilda ‘  was published on October 1, 1988, by Jonathan Cape in London. The novel is Roald Dahl’s 27th published book and originally had 232 pages and illustrations by Quentin Blake.

It rose to fame and broke sales records mere months after its publication . Within six months of its release, ‘ Matilda ‘ had sold more than half a million copies. 

After its publication, ‘ Matilda ‘ won the Children’s Book Award from the Federation of Children’s Book Groups in the United Kingdom. In 1998, ‘ Matilda ‘ was voted the “Nation’s Favourite Children’s Book” in a BBC Bookworm Poll. In 2012, ‘ Matilda ‘ made it to number 30 in a survey published by School Library Journal as an all-time children’s novel. Time Magazine also included ‘ Matilda ‘ in the 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time. Worldwide sales of the novel have reached almost 17 million and since 2016, ‘ Matilda ‘ has remained the best-selling novel by Roald Dahl.

The book has been released as an audiobook with the narration provided by the actress Kate Winslet and has been converted into a hugely successful film as well. The film, released in 1996, was directed by Danny DeVito and starred Mara Wilson. A musical version starring Alisha Weir as Matilda has been released in 2023.

Roald Dahl Personal Context

Roald Dahl wrote his first story for children, ‘ The Gremlins ,’ for Walt Disney In 1942. The story was not successful, so Dahl went back to writing mysterious and macabre stories for adults. However, Dahl revisited the world of children’s literature once again in 1961. Over his career, he wrote 19 children’s books , of which ‘ Matilda ‘ is the last long novel. 

The first children’s book he wrote was ‘ James and the Giant Peach ‘ which was published in 1961 to great acclaim. Dahl has commented that the origins of his children’s novels lie within the bedtime stories that he narrated to his children. Over the years, Dahl published several other children’s books including  ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ‘ in 1964, ‘ Fantastic Mr. Fox’  in 1970, and  ‘The BFG ‘ in 1982.

‘ Matilda ‘ was admittedly extremely difficult for Roald Dahl to write. The original version of the story featured a villainous Matilda who was wicked and used her powers for evil. However, Dahl decided that the story was not right, and he rewrote the entire novel . Dahl recounts this in a letter written to his daughter:

The reason I haven’t written you for a long time is that I have been giving every moment to getting a new children’s book finished. And now at last I have finished it, and I know jolly well that I am going to have to spend the next three months rewriting the second half. The first half is great, about a small girl who can move things with her eyes and about a terrible headmistress who lifts small children up by their hair and hangs them out of upstairs windows by one ear. But I’ve got now to think of a really decent second half. The present one will all be scrapped. Three months work gone out the window, but that’s the way it is.

Dahl died shortly after the publication of  ‘Matilda’  in 1990. 

Real-Life Inspirations

Matilda’s father, Mr. Wormwood, was inspired by a real-life character from the home village of Roald Dahl, which was an English village called Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire. The library that Matilda visits between the ages of 4 and 5 was also inspired by the library in Great Missenden in England.

It has been speculated that Roald Dahl’s grandchildren were the inspiration behind Matilda. However, this has not been confirmed by the author or his family.

Political and Cultural Influences

Although ‘ Matilda ‘ is a light-hearted children’s novel, its plot has been influenced by the general political and cultural climate of the 1980s. Television was an established form of entertainment by the time ‘ Matilda ‘ was published, although Roald Dahl depicts it as a form of evil in the novel.

It was during the 1980s that the second-wave feminist movement brought about several changes as well. This is reflected within the novel in several ways. For instance, the female protagonist is extremely independent and can take care of herself without the help of her parents, even at a young age. The feminist movement is also alluded to when Matilda and Miss Jennifer Honey discuss the fact that Miss Honey would be more independent if she was able to gain control over her income. 

Miss Trunchbull, the mean headmistress of Crunchem, speaks regretfully about the recent ban on corporal punishment for children. This reflects the ban on corporal punishment in English public schools in the United Kingdom that was effected in the year 1986. 

Dahl also refers to the ‘ Star Wars’  franchise by mentioning stormtroopers in the novel. 

Literary Context

Roald Dahl was greatly influenced by Lewis Carroll’s ‘ Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’  and ‘ Through the Looking Glass ‘. His children’s literature was also influenced by Norwegian folk and fairy tales, which he heard from his mother, who was a Norwegian immigrant.  ‘

‘ Matilda’  also alludes to several popular authors and their works, such as ‘ Great Expectations ‘ and  ‘Nicholas Nickleby’  by Charles Dickens, ‘ Tess of the d’Urbervilles ‘ by Thomas Hardy,  ‘The Old Man and the Sea’  by Ernest Hemingway,  ‘The Grapes of Wrath’  by John Steinbeck, ‘ The Sound and the Fury’  by William Faulkner,  ‘Animal Farm’  by George Orwell,  ‘Secret Garden’  by Frances Hodgson Burnett,  ‘The Good Companions ‘ by J.B Priestley, ‘ Mary Webb Kim’  by Rudyard Kipling and so on. These books transform the tiny girl, Matilda, into new worlds, all from a little room in the public library.

Is ‘ Matilda ‘ a real story?

No, ‘ Matilda ‘ is not a real story. It is a fictitious story written by Roald Dahl about a young, genius girl with magical powers.

Why is ‘ Matilda ‘ a banned book?

Some libraries and school administrators find that the contents of Matilda can be quite harmful to children. This is because they believe that the representation of Matilda’s neglectful and abusive parents, as well as the representation of the abusive Miss Trunchbull, the principal of the school, can be damaging.

What age is ‘ Matilda ‘ suitable for?

‘ Matilda ‘ by Roald Dahl is suitable for children ages 6 and up. Younger children might find it difficult to follow the events of the story. They may also get frightened by the mean and abusive adults in the story.

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About Neesha Thunga K

Neesha, born to a family of avid readers, has devoted several years to teaching English and writing for various organizations, making an impact on the literary community.

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Biography.com

15 Best Roald Dahl Books for Kids and Adults Alike

Posted: May 20, 2024 | Last updated: May 20, 2024

It goes without saying that Roald Dahl’s impressive repertoire of children’s books are classics. Road Dahl books are arguably some of the most widely recognized by both children and adults alike.

The beloved author is back in the headlines recently for controversial reasons, though. Some of his books, including iconic titles like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “James and the Giant Peach,” are being rewritten by Puffin Books.

This action has been met with much criticism from other beloved children’s book authors including Judy Blume . “I think if Roald Dahl was around, you would be hearing what he thinks about that. Whatever he is, whatever he’s accused of being, there’s a lot of truth there,” she said . “But the books are the books. Kids still love the books, and they love them the way he wrote them. So I don’t believe in that.”

Regardless of your take on the current controversy, one thing is for sure: Roald Dahl wrote classics that have shaped the childhoods of countless readers. We rounded up the best of the best Roald Dahl books you should absolutely have on your bookshelf.

1) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Probably the most famous of the Roald Dahl books, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is a story that spans multiple generations.

Originally written back in 1964, the story of the honest Charlie Bucket and the four other mischievous children who get to visit Willy Wonka’s factory still resonates with audiences today — because of the timeless tome, yes, but also due to its several film adaptations, including the most recent one starring Johnny Depp.

More: Roald Dahl Wrote 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' During the 'Most Difficult Years of His Life'

Is there anything more magical than the classic tale of “Matilda?” An Amazon Teacher’s Pick, this story describes the life of a sweet, exceptional young girl with parents who don’t understand her. It’s available in many formats, including an audiobook read by Kate Winslet. It’s the perfect complement to the new musical that’s currently streaming on Netflix.

3) The Witches

The first time you met the witches serves as a core memory for many millennials. This classic novel by Roald Dahl speaks to children (and children-at-heart) from any generation. Not your average fairy tale, this one is a bit scary and focuses on the story of The Grand High Witch, her coven, and what they do to children who don’t behave.

4) James and the Giant Peach

Poor James — his parents are tragically eaten by a rhinoceros and he’s forced to move in with his two horrible aunts, Spiker and Sponge. It’s no fun at all there, until one day, when he drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree. Strange things happen and life starts to take an exciting turn for young James. This “peachy” scented edition makes the adventure even more fun.

5) The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Another classic Roald Dahl book, “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” (now also a charming Wes Anderson claymation film by the same name) tells the story of Mr. Fox himself. The sly main character has been stealing from the three meanest farmers around. They’re on a mission to catch him, but Mr. Fox is determined to win at any cost. He has a fantastic plan to get away with it, too.

6) The Twits

The Twits is Roald Dahl’s story about a gross couple. No, literally: They’re smelly, nasty, and downright mean. They love to play jokes on each other and also treat their caged monkeys, the Muggle-Womps, poorly. But the Muggle-Womps have had enough and are ready to strike back against the Twits.

7) Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

If you loved “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” you’ll love this follow-up Roald Dahl book.

“Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator” picks up where the first book left off. It details the story of Charlie’s adventure with his family and Willy Wonka, who are all traveling inside the Great Glass Elevator, a thousand feet above the chocolate factory. They can see the whole world below them — but they're not alone.

Another beloved classic book from Roald Dahl, “The BFG” is also a fan-favorite film . It’s the heart-warming tale of Sophie who is snatched from her orphanage bed by the BFG, short for Big Friendly Giant. Sophie is initially afraid that the BFG will eat her, but she ends up joining forces to battle some less gentle giants who threaten the children of Earth.

9) Danny the Champion of the World

Another unique child experience masterfully described by Roald Dahl, Danny is one of a kind. He lives in a van, is the youngest master car mechanic around, and his best friend is his dad. One night though, Danny discovers a shocking secret that his father never told him and everything seems to change.

10) The Magic Finger

“The Magic Finger” depicts the story of the Gregg family who loves to hunt. Their next-door neighbor, a special little girl, does not like it at all. When she gets angry, she can’t help herself when she turns her magic finger on the Gregg family. Before they know it, they’re transformed in a big way.

11) Going Solo

This Roald Dahl book is actually an autobiographical account of the life of the writer himself before he became the author that we know and love today.

It details his exploits as a World War II pilot, including the daring deeds and fantastic adventures you might not know about this beloved author.

12) Skin and Other Stories

One of Roald Dahl’s lesser-known books, “Skin and Other Stories” is still one worth having on your bookshelf. It’s a collection of eleven short stories that ask provocative questions. How would you get rid of a murder weapon? Where would you hide a diamond? Roald Dahl gives his spin on these mysterious topics (and more!) in this interesting book.

13) George's Marvelous Medicine

Another classic often shared in elementary schools, teachers and children alike love “George’s Marvelous Medicine.”

George is with his grandma — who is a horribly grouchy grandma. He takes it upon himself to make a special medicine for her to cure her of this grouchiness. Similar to most Roald Dahl books, hilarity ensues, and the outcome isn’t exactly what George initially expected.

14) The Enormous Crocodile

Another great use of character development by Road Dahl, this book tells the story of The Enormous Crocodile. He is incredibly hungry and equally greedy. Of course, he loves to eat children, too. He thinks he can’t be stopped, but other animals in the jungle have something to say about that. Soon the Enormous Crocodile learns a lesson he won’t forget.

15) Roald Dahl 15-Book Box Set

Want to grab all of the essential Roald Dahl books at once? Look no further. This great set of Roald Dahl classics includes many on our list, like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Twits,” and more of the best Roald Dahl books that deserve a spot on your shelf.

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