Product Description
THE FIRST AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY OF ROALD DAHL, STORYTELLER IS A MASTERFUL, WITTY AND INCISIVE LOOK AT ONE OF THE GREATEST AUTHORS AND ECCENTRIC CHARACTERS OF THE MODERN AGE.

In his lifetime Roald Dahl pushed children’s literature into uncharted territory, and today his popularity around the globe continues to grow, with millions of his books sold every year. But the man behind the mesmerizing stories has remained largely an enigma. A single-minded adventurer and an eternal child who gave us the iconic Willy Wonka and Matilda Wormwood, Dahl was better known during his lifetime for his blunt opinions on taboo subjects—he was called an anti-Semite, a racist and a misogynist—than for his creative genius. His wild imagination, dark humor and linguistic elegance were less than fully appreciated by critics and readers alike until after his death.

Granted unprecedented access to the Dahl estate’s extraordinary archives—personal correspondence, journals and interviews with family members and famous friends—Donald Sturrock draws on a wealth of previously unpublished materials that informed Dahl’s writing and his life. It was a life filled with incident, drama and adventure: from his harrowing experiences as an RAF fighter pilot and his work in wartime intelligence, to his many romances and turbulent marriage to the actress Patricia Neal, to the mental anguish caused by the death of his young daughter Olivia. Tracing a brilliant yet tempestuous ascent toward notoriety, Sturrock sheds new light on Dahl’s need for controversy, his abrasive manner and his fascination for the gruesome and the macabre.

A remarkable biography of one of the world’s most exceptional writers, Storyteller is an intimate portrait of an intensely private man hindered by physical pain and haunted by family tragedy, and a timely reexamination of Dahl’s long and complex literary career. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The man behind the myth
I hold Roald Dahl personally responsible for my lifelong love affair with books and when I finally held this book in my hands, I was more than a little apprehensive.Did I really want to possibly knock my idol down from his pedestal?

Ultimately, yes.

This tome is a detailed look into the life of a man whose books still enthrall and delight generations of children, even with the creation of the magnificent Harry Potter.Sturrock's writing is remarkably balanced and he doesn't shy away from showing the darker side of Roald Dahl, which, at times, is hard to swallow.I had no idea of the life that Dahl led before he became a children's author.All that I know (pieced together from Boy and Going Solo) is that he was a fighter pilot during WWII and was stationed for some time in Africa.What I did not know is that he was assigned to Washington DC after he was injured during the war.I did not know that the concept of the Gremlins could be applied to him.I did not know that he had been married to Patricia Neal or that he had been friends with FDR or that he had briedly been Hemmingway's assistant to that he had known Ian Fleming.I could on (honestly- there's more) and it's astonishing how little I really knew about the man I have idolised.In spite of the fact that Roald Dahl comes across as a hard and difficult man, there are moments in Sturrock's writing when you truly feel the heart of who he was.His love affair with his 2nd wife Liccy is very touching and the influence that he had on the hearts and minds of his young fans is a beautiful thing.

My one complaint is that in spite of the endless details about his life in Washington and all the people that he knew, in contrast there was very little about his time as the world's most famous children's author.I think the book would have been improved, particularly to those of us who lived and breathed his words as children, if there had been more focus on those times, instead of so much given to his earlier life.Not that those things were not important, because they were.It just felt that the end of the book was rather rushed and not so much time given over to his days as the reigning king of children's literature.

Finishing the book was a bittersweet experience for me, because I came away feeling that if I had known the man, I probably would not have liked him very much, but I continue to be grateful every day for the literature he has given the world.

The hand that holds the pencil
`Storyteller' is about a man who thought invention was more interesting than reality and in making the truth more interesting. Roald Dahl's biography sums up all of his eccentricities, his proclivities and seemingly every aspect of Dahl's personality, most of all his characteristic of the feeling of an outsider. There are astute observations, such as, "his books are a kind of imaginative survival manual for children about how to deal with the adult world around them...freed from parental controls...where everything is possible."
Donald Sturrock had interviewed Dahl for a BBC film, been to his home and was given access to Dahl's papers after his death and interviews with his children and friends. His writingcaptures your interest, incorporating Dahl's past with his books and stories, so that even if you have not read them, they draw you into his world. There are many helpful footnotes, including those that explain Anglicism's such as conkers.
Dahl's cynicism, "life isn't beautiful...it's full of foul things and horrid people" is incorporated along with his extreme generosity, his love of his family and his failings from his birth to his death.

There was so much more to Dahl's life than what is generally known; but even that would make him worthy of note. He brought to life WWII's gremlins, `James and the Giant Peach', `Charley and the Chocolate Factory`, married Patricia Neal and guided her recovery after her stroke, was instrumental in developing a drainage tech valve to help save his son's life, which also helped thousands of other patients, he was a screenwriter for `You Only Live Twice' and also `Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'. Sturrock is successful in bringing out all of this and more; both the personal and professional aspects of Dahl's fascinating existence.

This biography is an excellent example of researchinginto someone's life and explaining it with appeal for the reader, whether they are acquainted with Dahl or not. Probably the highest praise I can give, is that it makes a reader want to pick up everything Dahl ever wrote to continue the story. ... Read more

Product Description
Twenty-five stories spanning Dahl's writing career from 1945-1965, with an introduction by James Cameron. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

One star for Amazon listing
I'm only giving this one star to draw attention to the fact that this edition DOES NOT contain a preface by James Cameron. I could not find it anywhere in the book at all, even though the book is described to have such an introduction on many websites. If someone could enlighten me to why this error exists, I thank them in advance.

The master of the short story
When you mention the name 'Roald Dahl' to most most people they think ofa children's book author. Now where he has indeed written some of the finest and enjoyable children's books of all time- those folks (and you know who you are...) are surely missing out if they have not read his short stories aimed towards the more mature reader. His delicious wit and sense of the macabre has no equal. His stories are executed to perfection and leave the reader feeling surprised, often a little unsettled and invariably more than satisfied.

Roald Dahl for Grownups
This is a great compendium of short stories from the mind of the man who dreamed up Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda, all renowned stories for children.The book pulls together some of the best from several of his collections.

Dahl, who was married for a long time to actress Patricia Neal (The Day the Earth Stood Still), hosted a British television show in 1961 called "Way Out," an anthology show whose episodes are hard to find today.He later hosted another anthology show called "Tales of the Unexpected" (1979-88). Both shows featured a number of Dahl's own stories.Some of Dahl's work has also been adapted to other television programs, notably "Alfred Hitchcock Presents."

The hallmark of Dahl's stories is a good dose of irony, coupled with a macabre sense of humor.Dahl's stories work fantastically well on this level, bringing the reader to laughter in a horrified kind of way.His dialogue is sharp and characters are well drawn and very human, even at their worst.In "Lamb to the Slaughter," for example, a woman kills her cheating husband, then disposes of the murder weapon in a singularly unique way. The reader will feel for her and root for her to get away with it, and she does.Another frequently adapted work, "Man from the South," tells the story of a man who likes to wager with other people's fingers.

For readers who fondly remember Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka from childhood, and who also appreciate poking fun at the dark side of human nature, The Best of Roald Dahl is highly recommended.

For adults or kids, Roald Dahl rocks!
Have loved his kids' books ever since I was a child and am now reading them with my daughter. This one is for grownups only, though! I described this collection to friends by saying "Roald Dahl is the British Flannery O'Connor." If you like dark, funny (sometimes truly twisted) short stories where, in surprise endings, those who scheme and plot always get theirs, you will truly enjoy this book.

The Best of Roald Dahl
As a child, I loved Roald Dahl's books from James and the Giant Peach to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Now that I am a little older, I started to read his mature works. I never go soenthusiastic about reading a book. You get it all with Roald Dahl, humor, suspence, brutality, and horrific stories all end with a surprising twist that you will never suspect. The best reading in years. Highly Recommended. My favorite is The Great Switcheroo. He is definatly one of the greatest writers of our time. ... Read more

Product Description
Roald Dahl's inimitable style and humor shine in this collection of poems about mischievous and mysterious animals. From Stingaling the scorpion to Crocky-Wock the crocodile, Dahl's animals are nothing short of ridiculous. A clever pig with an unmentionable plan to save his own bacon and an anteater with an unusually large appetite are among the characters created by Dahl in these timeless rhymes. This new, larger edition is perfect for reading aloud and makes Quentin Blake's celebrated illustrations even more enjoyable.

"Will elicit a loud 'Yuck.'In other words, children will love them." (Children's Book Review Service) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Dirty Beasts
Dahl and Blake are top notch in this 1983 collection of short stories. However, reading this book as an adult, I was surprised at the overt racism in one of the poems. The Flying Cow features a "horrid man who traveled from Afghanistan" and then calls him a "silly foreign freak" as the cow poops on his head. Unbelievable!

Beastly fun
This book was a favorite of my children, and is now conquering the hearts of the next generation growing up now. It is hilarious. Roald Dahl is a master.

Cool!
In this book, A clever pig is trying to save his bacon with an anteater.... Just read the book!

A favorite
From a six year olds' point of view.
"It is fun to read and funny.I love the part of the boy with the talking tummy."

I thought some of the Rhymes might be a little to grody for a little girl, but that is the essence of this little book.She takes delight in reading it aloud to her friends at school.And she never tires of it.She is a Roald Dahl fan andI am over the moon about it.I think Dahl and his books are a great alternative or addition to Junie B. Jones and Magic Tree House.But I think ultimately he will outlast many of these other books. He is a classic.

Goodness Gracious Me
A classic piece of Dahl lunacy. Whether you are 5 or 50 this Roald Dahl classic will have you squirming and tittering. Quentin Blake's wonderful illustrations capture Dahl's beasts and bring them hairily to life. ... Read more

Product Description
Who better to investigate the literary spirit world than that supreme connoisseur of the unexpected, Roald Dahl? Of the many permutations of the macabre or bizarre, Dahl was always especially fascinated by the classic ghost story. As he realtes in the erudite introduction to this volume, he read some 749 supernatural tales at the British Museum Library before selecting the 14 that comprise this anthology. "Spookiness is, after all, the real purpose of the ghost story," Dahl writes. "It should give you the creeps and disturb your thoughts." For this superbly disquieting collection, Dahl offers favorite tales by such masterful storytellers as E. F. Benson, J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Rosemary Timperley, and Edith Wharton.
Amazon.com Review
Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was a prickly, colorful character whowrote maliciously funny short stories for adults (TheBest of Roald Dahl) as well as better-known works for children(James and the Giant Peach). As he relatesin the introduction, he started the research for this book by making acall to the celebrated ghost-story anthologist/writer, Lady CynthiaAsquith. He then went to the British Museum Library, and read a total of 749 tales before selecting 14 for this anthology. Hiscriterion: "Spookiness is, after all, the real purpose of the ghoststory. It should give you the creeps and disturb your thoughts."Included here are not only acknowledged classics by Robert Aickman,Edith Wharton, J. S. Le Fanu, andF. Marion Crawford, butalso tales by lesser-known writers such as L. P. Hartley, RosemaryTimperley, Jonas Lie, Mary Treadgold, and A. M. Burrage. TheWashington Post writes, "Dahl's taste, it will surpriseno one, is impeccable." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Dahl read hundreds of stories to pick these!!!
These stories are wonderful and often CHILLING!!!! More than once all the hair on my head stood up! Turn everything off before you start to read them. I got this volume at the library, have to admit, and am so glad I found it.Would make an excellent present for anyone who loves ghost stories.

Also, the volumes of ghost stories by Kathryn Tucker Windham are worth getting. There may be audios on the computer of her reading some.I haven't looked yet.Cheers!

Not the 14 Greatest Ghost Stories in the World, but Some Good Ones
This book was published in 1983 and contained 14 short stories by 12 writers. Eight of the authors were from Great Britain, 2 from the U.S. and one each from Ireland and Norway. Four of the writers were women.

According to Dahl, the book collected 14 of the 24 tales that he'd proposed in 1958 as the basis for an unrealized TV program in the U.S. that would've dramatized ghost stories. For this anthology, 10 of these stories were omitted: "The Open Door" by Margaret Oliphant, "The Hanging of Alfred Wadham" by E. F. Benson, "Spinsters' Rest" by Clemence Dane, "The Four-Fifteen Express" by Amelia Edwards, "God Grante That She Lie Stille" by Cynthia Asquith, works by Charles Dickens and John Collier that Dahl didn't identify, and three authors/works that were left unnamed.

The oldest writers in the book were Sheridan LeFanu (1814-73), the Norwegian Jonas Lie (1833-1908), and F. Marion Crawford (1854-1909). The youngest were Mary Treadhold (1910-2005), Robert Aickman (1914-81) and Rosemary Timperley (1920-88). The others included Edith Wharton, E. F. Benson, A. M. Burrage and L. P. Hartley. Eight of the stories were written between the 1920s and 50s. Four others ranged from the mid-1800s to the turn of the century.

The tales were mostly more or less traditional ghost tales (LeFanu, Crawford, Wharton, Benson, Burrage), or later literate writers carrying on the tradition and avoiding the crude and pulpish (Hartley, Aickman, Timperley). Most enjoyed were the stories by Aickman in which a newly married couple entered a strange town, by Burrage about a haunted estate, by Hartley about a man trailed by his double, and by Timperley about a child pursued by a spirit. The pieces by Lie, Middleton, Asquith and Treadgold were not, in my opinion, among the 14 greatest ghost stories ever written. I enjoyed reading the anthology, but many larger collections are available.

Pleasant Surprise
It is just like me to set myself up for a surprise.I did not read the description of the product when I bought it.I simply looked at the title and said to myself "I'm in."Once I read the introduction, I was so pleased and intrigued by the collection of stories.I am not really that into scary tales, but this collection is scary, touching and unnerving all in one package.I am already making a reading waiting list of all of my friends to whom I have raved about this book.Such a pleasant surprise!

Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories
Roald Dahl has put together fourteen of his favorite ghost stories by authors such as E. F. Benson, Rosemary Timperley, and Edith Wharton. I definitely suggest this book for people that around thirteen years old because some of the content may not be appropriate for ages fewer than thirteen. Every one of the stories sucks you in immediately although the scares may not happen towards the end. But all of the stories have a little spook in the starting. Many of the stories involve invisible friends and child friendly stories. They will most definitely give make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and a chill run down your spine. They are good read to a group or by you either way they are definitely a late night page-turner. Although none of the stories are by Roald Dahl he definitely chose some of the scariest stories that could fit into this 235-page book with 14 stories. My favorite stories in the book are: In the tube since it was very descriptive and showed a lot of emotion, and Ringing the Changes one of the spookiest stories in my opinion takes place on this couples honey moon in a small town called Holihaven, when they arrive there are church bells that are continuously ringing for almost the entire story! The genre of course is short story's, fiction even though I would call it horror. I don't want to give away the story but you may find some unnerving cliffhangers in this book! This book relates to some of the books I've read such as the Hardy boys series because at the end of every chapter there is a cliffhanger that urges you to continue reading onto the next chapter. All of these authors have their own individual styles of writing and bring in a new plot every time to each story. Some stories you might also enjoy if you enjoyed this book are: The Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine, The Hardy boy's series (more mystery) by Franklin W. Dixon.

Roald Dahl's sexist introduction
I think that Roald Dahl was half-kidding when he made outrageous overgeneralizations about women writers not being able to write great plays or short stories.I like that Roald Dahl was not always politically correct about sexist comments (and I am a woman).At least he was honest about what he liked and didn't like.

Roald Dahl explores the differences between the sexes in his writing all the time and it is obvious to me that he loved women (his mother did stick him in a horrible boarding school when he was 8 years old though!)Read the Henry Sugar short story collection for more background on why Mr. Dahl was the way he was.He was last of the Imperialist, white collar, British generation,; patriarchal drones sent overseas to run things in Africa, etc.Of course, imperialism was, uh, pretty bad for the most part I'm just saying that Dahl was a bit of a product of his environment.Hey, he invented a shunt to drain water on the brain after his son was hit by a taxicab.The man was a genius with an eventful life.By the way, back to imperialism, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a great book about the mixed bag of imperialism's effects.

Oh, and this is a superb anthology. ... Read more

Product Description
Mr. and Mrs. Twit hate everything, including theirtrained monkeys, the Muggle-Wumps, who now want revenge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (144)

Expect the unexpected
I love the outrageousness of Roald Dahl's books.He refuses to follow the predictable formulas of children literature, and each turn of the page brings something surprising, strange or head-scratching.

"The Twits" is no exception. Dahl start us off with two utterly dislikeable main characters who play mean tricks on each other and are cruel to animals. Should we laugh - or be disgusted? Sometimes it's hard to know. The second half of the book involves an elaborate over-the-top plot by the animals to get revenge on the Twits.

It's a crazy and strange book - and a lot of fun.

Horrible Book For Children
No wounder why we have so many shallow people in this world, and bullies in schools. They were probably reading garbage like this. This book tells kids that ugly people are all mean, and beautiful people look like that because they are nice which is far from the truth. There is to much violence that it is on the verge of sadism. Whatever happened to books that inspire kids to forgive people who do them wrong. I'm glad I didn't read this book in my school, but I'm upset my child read this garbage. Something is definetly not right with the school system, and Mr Dahl if this is your idea of a childrens book. I can't believe that parents would even think this book is great. All I can do now is explain to my kid why this book is total, and complete garbage.

a book review

The Twits by Roal Dahl is about a woman and a man.They always get in fights and they play pranks on each other.

The setting of this story is in the country with only a few houses.

The woman's name is Mrs. Twit and the man's name is Mr. Twit.The book doesn't give their first name.

Like I said it is mainly about two people who play pranks on each other.

My favorite part is when Mr. Twit added a piece of wood to Mrs. Twit's cane and told her that she had a rare disease called, The Shrinks.He said the only way to get rid of it is to tie her feet to the ground and connect her hands to a bunch of balloons, so that's just what she did.Whenever she did it Mr. Twit cut the lines that connected her feet to the ground,She went up, up, and away into the sky.

I like this book very much because it is very funny.I think the author wrote this book to entertain people.I recommend this book to all boys or girls and 4th and 5th graders.

Simply, A Riot!!
I read this to my 4 year old son and my 5 1/2 year old daughter who both adored this book and belly laughed the entire way through each of the chapters. I have started introducing chapter books for some time trying to increase listening skills and really holding their interest.This book did exactly that.The Twits play their mean clever tricks on one another for the entire book and one is just a bit funnier than the next but what comes around goes around as you will find out.I read a negative review on this book and I disagree.You can't shelter your child from everything, and in some cases I believe it is not to the child's benefit to shelter them- instead I believe if they are raised with love and respect for others, they will really be able to enjoy this intelligently written, hilarious, not to be taken seriously, book. If an adult is buying this book to read to a child, you will find it just as enjoyable and amusing as the child will. Fun for all.

sad reflection on Dahl's life at the time?
Who wants their child to read a book about a hateful couple who spend the entire duration of the book fighting back and forth?I, for one, do not.Knowing that Dahl divorced shortly after this book was written makes me wonder if this was possibly a reflection of his feelings at the time. ... Read more

Product Description
Meet a hero, a wise old grandmother, and the mostgruesome, grotesque gang of witches imaginable!Amazon.com Review
This Roald Dahl classic tells the scary, funny and imaginativetale of a seven-year-old boy who has a run-in with some real-lifewitches! "In fairy tales witches always wear silly black hats andblack cloaks and they ride on broomsticks.But this is not a fairytale. This is about REAL WITCHES. REAL WITCHES dress in ordinaryclothes and look very much like ordinary women. They live in ordinaryhouses and they work in ordinary jobs. That is why they are so hard tocatch."Witches, as our hero learns, hate children. With the help ofa friend and his somewhat-magical grandmother, our hero tries toexpose the witches before they dispose of him. Ages 7-12. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (275)

Great Bedtime Story for Young Kids
I have always been a Roald Dahl fan so I bought this book for my kids. They are ages 3 and 4, so this book may be a bit long for them, but in the spirit of Halloween, I thought it was a great way to start a new routine: reading a chapter a night.

I haven't read this book since I was in elementary school, so I am having fun re-learning about REAL WITCHES. So far, each chapter has ended perfectly for a bedtime story, with the child saying good night to his grandmother and going to bed.

I gave this book 4 stars only because the illustrations could be less crude. Otherwise, this is a great book and my kids are having a ton of fun searching for REAL WITCHES - they even pulled my hair and made me take my shoes off to show them my toes.

Fun but Slightly Creepy
A young boy and his spunky grandmother go on vacation and discover that all the witches in England are attending a convention at their hotel. Craziness ensues when the boy comes face to face with the real-life witches.

It's hard not to love Roald Dahl. He was one of my favorite authors growing up. He is witty and tells a fun story. The Witches is no exception. Dahl has a clever imagination and children love him because he is endears children and elderly people, who are often looked over members of society. The Witches is an amusing and fun read. It also contains a sweet story of love between grandson and his grandmother.

Roald Dahl may be pro-children and elderly, but he is somewhat anti-adult. Other than the grandmother, adults in The Witches are portrayed as evil, fat and stupid, ridiculous or dead. There are also some pretty graphic ideas presented- e.g. witches killing children by turning them into creatures and smashing them. I don't remember this greatly affecting me as a child, but I found it a little disturbing now.

AWESOME!!!!! By Ashley Plat (
When you turn the first page of this book, you are already convinced that it's the best!This is probably the greatest fantasy fiction book I've ever read in my whole life- and I read a lot of them. Roald Dahl did such a great job writing this book, I couldn't stop reading it!If you are a big time fantasy fiction reader like me, go immediately to the bookstore NOW and buy your self this book, it's a classic!
The main character of this book (name unknown) is a boy who nearly died in a car crash when he was little.He had lost both his parents in this accident and was to live with his amazing story- teller grandmother in Norway. She tells him many stories about witches and children who were eaten up by them, but before he knew it, he was face to face with the Grand High Witch who was the leader of all the witches in the whole world. The boy sneaks into the witches meeting located inside his building and finds out about their next evil plan, a formula that turns children into mice.The witches would hide their evil formula in chocolate bars to disguise it and sell to children.Now the heroic boy will have to save all of the children of the world by outsmarting the witches and getting them to drink the formula instead, and turn them into mice.On the way, the boy goes through the challenge of becoming a mouse himself but by accident and reveals his new small, hairy self.
One theme in The Witches that I would like to talk about was the humor Roald Dahl included. He makes up these hilarious short songs in his books along with made up words he uses in almost every sentence, which is something very unique to books, and I really love it in this type of book.One of my favorite things is when authors crack me up, and this book definitely did the job.
I truly enjoyed this book and I hope everybody does too when they read it.Who cares if the witches have no toes or are bald or have blue saliva, it's a great book!

The Witches
If you want a book that dosen't waste your time, that is actually interesting, and keeps you guessing, then i highly recommended The Witches by Ronald Dahl. He is one of my favorite writers of all times! Its a book with so many hooks you cant put it down, time flew when i read this! Great book for children, i laugh a lot in my head!


This book is a great novel about some fantasy creatures, who hate every thing about children, mostly there smell. The witches are try- ing to overpower the world of kids. But a boy takes on the challenge, it seems like he if very frighten of those beast! It seems like he wants to destroy them and there hideous bodies for all the scams they set up in are life to kill, we the kids. He goes to a famous hotel, where his grandma grew up, for summer vacation. His grandma gets him two mice, but the manager said he had to keep them in the cage. So he sneaks into a empty ball room down stairs, and plays with the animals behind a screen. But then all the witches held a meeting there, and he... read it to find out!

AWESOME! THIS WILL BLOW YOUR MIND!by:Payton Joreden Ding Dong Shanana Boncoco Bo Bo Shadoop Frindsy Ellapo Kehh Teh (d31)
When you turn the first page of this book, you are already convinced that it's the best!This is probably the greatest fantasy fiction book I've ever read in my whole life- and I read a lot of them. Roald Dahl did such a great job writing this book, I couldn't stop reading it!If you are a big time fantasy fiction reader like me, go immediately to the bookstore NOW and buy your self this book, it's a classic!
The main character of this book (name unknown) is a boy who nearly died in a car crash when he was little.He had lost both his parents in this accident and was to live with his amazing story- teller grandmother in Norway. She tells him many stories about witches and children who were eaten up by them, but before he knew it, he was face to face with the Grand High Witch who was the leader of all the witches in the whole world. The boy sneaks into the witches meeting located inside his building and finds out about their next evil plan, a formula that turns children into mice.The witches would hide their evil formula in chocolate bars to disguise it and sell to children.Now the heroic boy will have to save all of the children of the world by outsmarting the witches and getting them to drink the formula instead, and turn them into mice.On the way, the boy goes through the challenge of becoming a mouse himself but by accident and reveals his new small, hairy self.
One theme in The Witches that I would like to talk about was the humor Roald Dahl included. He makes up these hilarious short songs in his books along with made up words he uses in almost every sentence, which is something very unique to books, and I really love it in this type of book.One of my favorite things is when authors crack me up, and this book definitely did the job.
I truly enjoyed this book and I hope everybody does too when they read it.Who cares if the witches have no toes or are bald or have blue saliva, it's a great book!
... Read more

Product Description
Did you think Cinderella married the prince and lived happily ever after, or that the three little pigs outsmarted the wolf? Think again! Master storyteller Roald Dahl adds his own darkly comic twists to six favorite tales, complete with rambunctious rhymes and hilarious surprise endings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

endless possibilities
This is a fabulous book.Not only are six classic tales retold with delightfully gruesome details (more in keeping with the originals), but a creative teacher and/or student can go nuts with this book.I have used this book extensively with middle school aged students, both native speakers and ESL.The rhymes are engaging and catchy.Even struggling and insecure students shine when they read the lines.I have also had students use Dahl's script to create mini screenplays and short theatrical productions or used them as springboards for creative writing assignments.These rhymes have helped dozens of students gain confidence and fluency in speaking, acting, and writing.I am thrilled with this book, and I wish there were more like it.

Revoltingly Funny
Another gem from Raold Dahl.A delightfully nasty take on favorite fairy tales.Red Riding hood with a taste for fur and pig skin! Makes the Stinky Cheese Man look wimpy!Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended! (for readers about 13+ y.o.)
My dad used to read Roald Dahl books with me when I was a little tyke, and this particular little devil DEFINITELY lives up to its title, so if you're one of those parents who wraps their kid in cottonwool you'll want to pass it up. That being said, I am excessively fond of this book as it gives several traditional fairy tales a deliciously nasty twist that are unforgettable. Language use is about PG-13. If you and your kid are sensible/mature enough to have a sense of humor, you'll enjoy it immensely. My dad has since passed away but one of my many fond memories is that we both got a kick out of this clever little book.

Roald Dahl at his best!
This clever little book is a delight for both children and adults.Dahl takes the oh-so-familiar nursery rhymes you're used to - Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Goldilocks, Jack and the Beanstalk, etc. - and turns them upside down and inside out.

Using his brilliant imagination Dahl makes these ordinary little tales come alive in a way only he could - with clever twists and a modern take on the events that transpire in these tales.

I do have a word of caution, however: They are titled Revolting Rhymes for a reason and are not for the faint of heart!If you are looking for a charming little story where all of the characters live happily ever after, then you've come to the wrong place.These little poems are graphic and grotesque and well, revolting! I wouldn't recommend them for very young children (probably ages 8 and up would be more apt to enjoy this book).

For the reviewers who got all upset because of the nature of this book, I would say first of all, you must not be very familiar with Dahl's work! Secondly, what were you really expecting when you bought a book called "Revolting Rhymes"?! These aren't Beatrix Potter-esque stories! Think Shel Silverstein if you're not familiar with Dahl.(And if you don't know who Silverstein is and the only Potter you've heard of is of the Harry variety, then shame on you!).But, I digress as usual.Anyway, consider yourself duly warned. Enjoy!

What a Twist!
Dr Seuss is nothing in comparison to Roald Dahl in REVOLTING RHYMES. I actually had fun reading this book so did the kids I read it to. There are a few words I have to explain but it didn't take out the fun of the book. This book plays around with a few of the very known fairy tales known by kids and swing it around in an interesting parody.

The list of the fairy tales with a twist that are being fetaured in this book:

1. Cinderella
2. Jack & the Beanstalk
3. Snow Queen & the seven dwarfs
4. Goldilocks & the three bears
5. Little Red Riding Hood & the Wolf
6. The Three Little Pigs

The characters are hilarious and you will enjoy the different look of the old age fairy tales that you knew. So spread the word, buy a copy for yourself, read it to the children. Anyway, you won't regret this particular book. ... Read more

Product Description
Who but Roald Dahl could think up such mouthwatering and deliciously disgusting foods as Lickable Wallpaper, Stink Bugs Eggs, and Eatable Pillows?Now theres a practical guide to making these and other delicacies featured in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,James and the Giant Peach, and Dahl's other books, with easy, step-by-step recipes that range from the delectable to the truly revolting. Quentin Blake's illustrations combine with full-color photographs of the luscious results to perfectly capture Roald Dahls wicked sense of fun."Deliciously playful.Dahl, one suspects, would have been tickled." -- Publishers WeeklyThe late Roald Dahl was one of the most beloved storytellers of all time. Quentin Blake has illustrated more than a dozen books by Roald Dahl.Amazon.com Review
Feeling hungry? How about some Snozzcumbers for a snack, or aFresh Mudburger for dinner? Or perhaps you're in the mood for StinkBugs' Eggs. Fans of Roald Dahl will recognize his peculiar culinaryinventions from his many books--now, these dubious delights arecollected all together in Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes, acompendium of dishes that sound worse than they really are.Stink Bug Eggs, for example, are really deviled eggs with some foodcoloring and a special, added ingredient (parmesan cheese orasafetida) to make them particularly aromatic. Mr. Twit's Beard Foodconsists of mashed potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms, and cocktailfranks cunningly arranged. Each recipe is simple to make, many aredelightfully disgusting to contemplate, but all are easy on thepalate. Roald Dahl himself would have been delighted to eat theseravishingly revolting recipes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Fun and inspirational!
We got this cookbook for our 7 year old daughter for Christmas because she is a huge fan of Roald Dahl's books.She instantly went crazy for this cookbook, and even her 3 year old brother is fascinated by it.The recipes are so much fun, and the pictures are a wonderful combination of food photos and illustrations.We've already enjoyed the book so much that our daughter has decided to have a Roald Dahl party for her birthday in March, featuring snacks and foods from the cookbook.We are even planning on making goody-bags for the guests with several yummy treats inside.I'm so glad we found this cookbook and can enjoy it as a family!

Try the bird pie!
My family and I have had loads of fun making Roald Dahl's recipes. We are eager to try all of them and think it is an ingenious accompaniment to Roald Dahl's wonderful books. It is wonderful because it has everything from the snozzcumbers from The BFG to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's lickable wallpaper. It is a great shame that Roald Dahl is not here today to be able to cook from this book.

Delicous recipes it is!
Roald dahl has finally made a little much of a cookbook. Try some of his awesome recipes and taste it. It's awfully delicous!!!

Scrumdiddlyumptious
A total blast. My friends loved the candy coated pencils best. Great for sucking during class. A fun book. With easy to follow instructions. Even my 9 year old sister loves it. YUMMY!

Willy Wonka never had it this good !
Roald Dahl, the famous story teller. Who hasn't read his all time classic: "Charlie and the Choclate Factory" and its follow up "Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator" and drool over the many different types of candy featured in these books? From Hot Ice Cream You Can Eat On Cold Days, Candy Pencils You Can Eat In Class and Marshmallow Pillows, this book features all the wonderful treats that were described in Roald Dahl's books.

Over fifteen different recipes, this books teaches you how to make these wonderful dishes. Step by step, making these treats couldn't be easier !

Illustrated by Quentin Blake with his lively pictures, once you have made the foodstuff, sit back, relax and enjoy the treats with your favourite Roald Dahl book. ... Read more

Product Description
Where did Roald Dahl get all of his wonderful ideas for stories? From his own life, of course! As full of excitement and the unexpected as his world-famous, bestselling books, Roald DahlÂ’s tales of his own childhood are completely fascinating and fiendishly funny. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Boy....By Roald Dahl
Book cover was very grimy.I was not pleased when I touched it and it had to be cleaned up before I would put it on my classroom shelf.

The Joys Of Childhood (Sans Schmaltz)
Originally published in the nineteen eighties, "Boy" and "Going Solo" were, sadly, Roald Dahl's only forays into autobiography.

"Boy" chronicles Dahl's early childhood as the son of Norwegian émigrés to England. It is by turns hysterically funny, touching, charming and always deeply entertaining. His account of a prank which incorporates a dead mouse, a gobstopper jar and a cantankerous sweet-shop owner had me in conniptions of laughter on public transport (as did another which incorporated Goat faeces disguised as Tobacco and an irritating uncle with a penchant for smoking a pipe). His descriptions of the barbarity he suffered during the course of a public school education in Interbellum England will no doubt shock many adults and children today - suffice it to say, the ominous maxim "spare the rod and spoil the child" was clearly a philosophy which was adhered too quite literally - but it is a uniquely fascinating insight into a vanished time and methodology.

"Going Solo" chronicles Dahl's burgeoning career as a Shell attaché in Dar Es Salaam, the outbreak of war, his enlistment in the RAF (and subsequent combat in the Aegean) and is as fascinating a tale as you could hope to read; It is at once a snapshot of the last days of the British Empire, a scathing indictment of Military Intelligence (the lapses in judgement that find Dahl and a handful of barely trained fighter pilots left to fend for themselves and "hold the line" against overwhelming and vastly more experienced Luftwaffe forces during the allied retreat from Greece are shocking), and a deftly touching coming of age tale; and while there are as many laughs to be found as in the previous volume, Dahl does not spare his readers the horrors of war or attempt to condescend to them. The parents of more sensitive children should perhaps bear this in mind before purchasing.

A fascinating volume which combines the formative experiences of a man who managed to squeeze the experience of several lifetimes into his allotted 'four score and ten' years, I recommend "Boy" and "Going Solo" unreservedly for children everywhere from ages eight to eighty five.

Our Favorite Roald Dahl
For reading with an 8 year old boy, you can't do better.Roald Dahl replays his childhood with enthusiasm, excitement and joy.It's a funny, sad and an incredibly accurate description of being a young boy.

Fantastic
I think this book was a very nice description of a man's life. There's always something happening, and that contributes to the fact that this book is never boring. That's why I like this book. Roald Dahl is right when he says that it's not an autobiography. I don't know what makes it different, but there is something, that's for sure.
The way he describes his family is very nice. You can almost sense the love between all of them. That's another positive thing about the book.
I also learned allot about how life was like in ` the old days `. Among many other things, I was quite surprised by the way the kids were treated at school.
I liked this book very much, and I would recommend it to others. Both kids and grown- ups.

Boy...
I like this story very much. When I started, I thought it was very boring because he started with history about his Father and his Grandfather. That was a boring chapter. But when he was telling about the sweetshop and the mouse it was very funny.
Not every chapter was nice, some of them were very boring and with difficult words. There are almost 2 pages of description about his schooluniform, that was very long and complicated and very very boring because I didn't understand what he was talking about. But that's funny too because Roald hates the uniform: "`I'll look like a complete idiot,' I said. My mother went out of the room and left me to it. With immense reluctance, I began to dress myself." (Page 136)
But I had the Dutch version at home and all the chapters I didn't understand I could read in Dutch, so that's a lot easier.
This book is absolutely not far fetched, it's very realistic, it's just in the past and there are things like hitting with a cane to punish that we don't know.
But it's nice to read how different school was from now. Because you don't have an idea. When you read the book sometimes you really think: Wow!!! Like having prep, you may not talk, you have to work and when you say something they hit you! When we have to work we can talk! That's really different.
He was a little boy who was never at home and he wrote a lot with his mother.
"When I recovered and went home, I was given this vast collection of my letters, all so neatly bound with green tape, more than six hundred of them together, dating from 1925 to 1945, each one in its original envelope with the old stamps still on them. I am awfully lucky to have something like this to refer to in my old age." (Page 82)
The idea that you are reading an autobiography of the author himself is very strange. I never did that before, but it is very nice. ... Read more

Product Description
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

The only hardcover edition of Roald Dahl’s stories for adults, the Collected Stories amply showcases his singular gifts as a fabulist and a born storyteller.

Later known for his immortal children’s books, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and The BFG, Dahl also had a genius for adult short fiction, which he wrote throughout his life. Whether fictionalizing his dramatic exploits as a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II or concocting the ingeniously plotted fables that were dramatized on television as Tales of the Unexpected, Dahl was brilliant at provoking in his readers the overwhelming desire to know what happens next—and at satisfying that desire in ways that feel both surprising and inevitable.

Filled with devilish plot twists, his tales display a tantalizing blend of macabre humor and the absurdly grotesque. From “The Landlady,” about an unusual boardinghouse that features a small but very permanent clientele, to “Pig,” a brutally funny look at vegetarianism, to “Man from the South,” in which a fanatical gambler does his betting with hammer, nails, and a butcher’s knife, Dahl’s creations amuse and shock us in equal measure, gleefully reminding us of what might lurk beneath the surface of the ordinary. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

It's all here!Wickedness and wit!
Having extensively read Roald Dahl's books for children in my childhood, imagine my excitement when I received the Collected Short Stories (all 762 glorious pages)from my husband for my 30th birthday!I've read many of the collected stories in smaller published collections, in books which, when leant to friends, would mysteriously dissappear...most likely into the annals of their own favorite book collections!Well, EVERY story is right here, in this delightfully thick and wonderfully wicked compendium.Highly recommended.

Everyman's library short stories
Roald Dahl is one of the best writers ever. This is one of his best. Though most known for his children's stories, his adult literature is transcendant.

Dahl Is Still The Best
Dahl's stories were always unique. I first read most of these in '60's and '70's and find them as fascinating today as I did then. The early ones that I had not read have still not been read as I've concentrated on the favorites.

The Everyman's Roald Dahl review!!!
Once again! the Everyman's Library has outdone any other publisher's job of creating a thorough and precise piece of book history.This is the third book I have purchased and read through Everyman's Library and I sincerely feel their books are the only ones I will buy when creating my own hardcover collection.The quality of paper, the texture of the outer red cover, the beauty of the chronological timeline of events in the author's life, they not only think of it all, but go so far beyond what is called for in a $20 book.If I were a tree that died in the name of paper, I would only hope my flesh would go towards another Everyman's success.
On to Roald Dahl.Best writer Ever.Best collection Ever.Best stories I have Ever read.Best organization of stories contained within a single volume.This book is Paper Gold.My favorite writer and my favorite book publish company smooshed into a magnificent creation that is the perfect size for the average human; hand and lap!!!Touch the hard cover.Feel it upon your cheek.Smell the pages...In the name of all that is holy!

Dahl makes you laugh and...
forces you to look in the mirror. I was introduced to Dahl by my 8th grade English teacher who saw something very dark inside of me (yes, another plug for better teacher pay!). "Pig" gave me nightmares, "Skin" made me wonder about the greed of human beings. What's missing are the "My Uncle Oswald" stories, but this collection is absolutely priceless! ... Read more

Product Description
Luckily for Sophie, the BFG is nothing like hisneighbors, whose favorite pastime is guzzling littlechildren.Amazon.com Review
Evidently not even Roald Dahl could resist the acronym crazeof the early eighties. BFG? Bellowing ferret-faced golfer?Backstabbing fairy godmother? Oh, oh ... Big Friendly Giant! This BFGdoesn't seem all that F at first as he creeps down a London street,snatches little Sophie out of her bed, and bounds away with her togiant land. And he's not really all that B when compared with hisevil, carnivorous brethren, who bully him for being such an oddballrunt. After all, he eats only disgusting snozzcumbers, and while theother Gs are snacking on little boys and girls, he's blowing happydreams in through their windows. What kind of way is that for a G tobehave?

The BFG is one of Dahl's most lovable charactercreations. Whether galloping off with Sophie nestled into the softskin of his ear to capture dreams as though they were exoticbutterflies; speaking his delightful, jumbled, squib-fangled patois;or whizzpopping for the Queen, he leaves an indelible impression ofbigheartedness. (Ages 9 to 12) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (347)

NJB Thoughts on BFG
The BFG.
By Roald Dhal


The BFG is an awesome book. The BFG (short for "Big Friendly Giant") is no ordinary bone crunching giant. He is to far nice and jumbly.In the book The BFG saves a little girl named Sophie. The BFG saved her from all the mean giants that eat little kids like Sophie. The BFG takes her to his cave and hides her there. At first Sophie is scared when she meets The BFG. Then she finds out that he is nice and asks The BFG to help her get home but he says no it's to dangerous. But Sophie says I need to get home. There are many mean giants in The BFG, there's The Fleshlumpeater, The Bonecruncher, The Manhugger, The Childchewer, The Meatdripper, The Gizzardgulper, The Maidmasher, The Bloodbottler, and The Butcher Boy.

Roald Dhal is a great author of children's books. Roald Dahl was born on September 13, 1916, in Llandaff, South Wales, to Norwegian parents. In 1943 Dahl wrote his first children's book, The Gremlins. 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 Big Friendly Giant. I would recommend any of the Roald Dhal books. They are really fun and entertaining to read and I especially liked the BFG.

Gotta love the BFG
We first read the BFG 15 years ago when my oldest was small.We lost the original copy in a flood years ago.We just replaced it and reread it.It's like watching Monty Python; once you read it you never talk quite the same way again.The Big Friendly Giant does good and always puts the needs of others first.Uncommon virtues today.So watch for whizzpoppers and enjoy.

It's A Pretty Good Book
This review is written by my daughter:

It's a good book.I don't know Daddy, you write it.That wasn't part of the review!I'm serious Dad! Please! Just write it for me! I don't want to write this review. I don't know what to write.To everybody who is reading this review, my dad is typing it, and I want him to stop.Stop for serious, Dad.You can write it Dad. I want you to delete this review and you can start it again.I want you to delete what you just wrote because I want you to write it. Dad, I have a paper airplane with an edge and I'm going to poke your eye out if you don't delete this. With a sharp edge.With a pointy edge. Okay, Dad, I'm going to do it.

Good story but plot holes much?
Number one: I read this when I was six, so forgive me if I get some things wrong.
Okay, so the main character is an orphan called Sophie. She can't sleep one night, so she happens to look out the window. She happens to see a giant. He happens to turn around and see her. As a result, she knows too much. She's in bed, and next thing she knows, the giant has abducted her. Lucky for her she was taken by a nice giant, who is known as "Big Friendly Giant" or BFG for short. Unlucky for her she now has to live in Giant Country, and is constantly in danger of a human-eating giant finding her.
Here we come to plot holes. First, I noticed that the BFG mentions being hungry just before Sophie finds out the truth about him. This doesn't make any sense, considering the next happenings. Second, the reason he took Sophie was to make sure she didn't tell anyone, yet at the end, the pair are living happily in London, and everyone knows. Third, if everyone knows, what exactly happened with the orphanage? Did anyone even notice Sophie was gone?
However, none of these hindered my enjoyment of the book, and most kids of six wouldn't notice-I only noticed these as a teenager!-so I recommend the book. I loved all the Roald Dahl chapter books when I was five, "The Witches" being the first chapter book I read by myself, and I recommend them all.

A golden phizzwizard of a story
On the face of it, "The BFG" seems just plain wrong as a children's book.Its story revolves around giants who steal children out of their beds in the night and eat them. Oh, that's just PERFECT for a bedtime story!

And as a parent, do you really want a book in which the title character delights in flatulence?

Indeed, the scary parts of the story may have led to my 7-year-old son having some nightmares. But both he and sister still loved the book!And as for the flatulence - "whizzpopping," in the giant's parlance -- of course, my kids thought that was FUNNY!

"The BFG" is the story of a Big Friendly Giant ("The BFG") and a little girl named Sophie. The BFG introduces Sophie to the strange world of giants, and together they set out to stop the nine child-eating giants.

The book has a little too much talk - and too little action - in the first half.But still there's something charming about the relationship between the BFG and Sophie. And, as a read-aloud book, it was delightful to read the giant's peculiar vocabulary. Human beings are "human beans," dreams are "bogthumpers," "grobswitchers" or "trogglehumpers," and he eats snozzcumbers while drinking frobscottle. (Run that sentence through your spell checker!)

The giant and Sophie are very likable main charactersand the story takes some wondrous turns. They go to the land of dreams, for instance, and capture dreams and nightmares to put in jars.There's plenty of silliness, and then an exciting rush to a conclusion that kept us all going.

"The BFG" is the fourth Roald Dahl book I've read to my kids. Each one leaves me shaking my head - sometimes in wonderment, sometimes in puzzlement.But they've never failed to surprise!
... Read more

Product Description
Mr. Fox is surrounded, and he’s going to have tocome up with a truly fantastic plan to dig himselfout of trouble this time.Amazon.com Review
In the tradition of The Adventures of Peter Rabbit,this is a "garden tale" of farmer versus vermin, or viceversa. The farmers in this case are a vaguely criminal team of threestooges: "Boggis and Bunce and Bean / One fat, one short, onelean. / These horrible crooks / So different in looks / Werenonetheless equally mean." Whatever their prowess as poultryfarmers, within these pages their sole objective is the exterminationof our hero--the noble, the clever, the Fantastic Mr. Fox. Ourloyalties are defined from the start; after all, how could you cheerfor a man named Bunce who eats his doughnuts stuffed with mashed gooselivers? As one might expect, the farmers in this story come outsmelling like ... well, what farmers occasionally do smell like.

This early Roald Dahl adventure is great for reading aloud to three-to seven-year-olds, who will be delighted to hear that Mr. Fox keepshis family one step ahead of the obsessed farmers. When they try todig him out, he digs faster; when they lay siege to his den, hetunnels to where the farmers least expect him--their own larders! Inthe end, Mr. Fox not only survives, but also helps the whole communityof burrowing creatures live happily ever after. With his usualflourish, Dahl evokes a magical animal world that, as children, wealways knew existed, had we only known where or how to look forit. (Great read aloud for any age; written at a 9- to 12-year-oldreading level) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (104)

A good, easy read with an ending that doesn't satisfy or seem complete
While the book is written well, the plot clear and the pages a breeze to read, the ending is a bit weak.Dahl ends the tale rather abruptly, without really a climax or a denouement, leaving you with somewhat of a "that's it?" feeling.It's nevertheless an interesting story, but certainly not one of Dahl's best."The Enormous Crocodile" (The Enormous Crocodile) is better and funnier.

Favorite of daughters
I personally have not read this book, however; I did enjoy the movie. My daughter, 9, loves this book and has reread it several times.

Mr. Fox, you fantastic socialist!
I read this book as a child and have recently read it again some 20 years later and I have never realized the subversive themes implied in the text.Roald Dahl often wrote disgusting and morbid stories to get his readers to wince at the descriptions, Fantastic Mr. Fox is surprisingly light on the disgusting after the third chapter. Instead Dahl invents a hero who steals from the "rich" "crooks" of Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. He ends his great adventure with a large feast where he shares his food with all of the other ecological refugees caused by the insatiable rage of the farmers.

The major theme of the work, as it appears obvious to me, is that socialism is good and capitalism is inherently bad.I know other apologists of capitalism will say I am reading too much into it.I would say they aren't reading enough into it, which is OK. The capitalists are all ill-formed rich farmers who have perverted appetites and lack all sorts of moderation.

If, as a parent, you wish to raise your child with the idea that taking from the haves and sharing with the have-nots is a good thing, then I highly recommend this book.Fox is a fantastic model of sharing and values.This little book offers a lot to a young reader, especially a good story.But I don't think they will understand the themes until later.

Beautiful book
My 13 years old son was interested to read this book after he saw movie.
I red this book too. This is perfect, easy reading, and interesting story very for childs and non english speakers to improve language :)

The first book I ever read
The clever and cunning Mr. Fox needs all his wits to stay ahead of the determined gun-slinging farmers, and I cheered for him the whole way through the book. Whilst Dahl is not the first to write a novel based on animals, and the farmers are the bad guys, he does however set a positive message for young readers by encouraging them to group together, and find a more comfortable environment to co-exist with each other, as demonstrated by Mr. Fox's collaboration with the other digging animals like the badger.

I am proud to say that I commenced full reading on a Roald Dahl classic! I was about 9-years old at the time, but this is where it began for me!

Nicholas R.W. Henning - Australian Author
... Read more

Product Description
For most kids, "The Trunchbull" is pure terror, butfor Matilda, she’s a sitting duck.Amazon.com Review
The success of the recent movie version should encourage kidsto read the hilarious, thought-provoking original novel.Matilda is agenius who not only has to deal with loud, obnoxious, idiot parentswho scapegoat her for everything but with "the Trunchbull"! "TheTrunchbull" is actually Miss Trunchbull the ex-Olympic hammer-thrower,Head Mistress of Matilda's school who has terrorized generations ofstudents and teachers. When "the Trunchbull" goes after Miss Honey,the one teacher, the one person, who supports and believes in Matilda,our heroine decides it's time to fight back. Her parents and "theTrunchbull" don't stand a chance! Ages 7-12. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (380)

I fall for Matilda every time
I confess -- I love the book "Matilda."

A total fantasy novel lies behind the mask of a British school tale.

Roald Dahl crossed the line into the utterly unbelievable by making his villains so incredibly bad.It's preposterous, and funny.So while this is a book that prominently features bullying, intimidation, horrible insults, and violent mistreatment of children, it isn't scary at all -- instead, it is funny.

It's the vocabulary words and the quality of the writing that get me. Superb.

As a read-aloud mom, who can read it and share the laughs with my family, I love this book.Still, I have to caution parents to pre-read it before you give it to your children. There is over-the-top anger, name-calling, and violence directed at kids -- and the kids take revenge in dangerous and harmful ways.We treat this the same way we treat Tom and Jerry or Sylvester and Tweety bird -- total fantasy.Don't behave like that.Isn't it funny?

Parents are the best judges.Give it a try.

Parent notes: truly awful name-calling, raging adults, parental abandonment, revenge against adults, mixing chemicals for revenge, lots of Forbidden Words, and a nice message in there about practice gets you to your goal.

This book has been listed under Kindle, but no download available!
This book has been listed under the "kindle version," but there is no option to purchase! This is a popular summer reading requirement...Amazon needs to get on the ball!

A book for bookworms
** spoiler alert ** A book I liked because the main character is a bookworm who can move objects with her mind. I was also a bookworm, but am still working on the mind-control thing.

Matilda is different
I have read a couple of Roald Dahl's books in the last couple of days.These include Matilda, but also James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory .I feel that these are some of the better know works by the beloved children's author.I have been recommended other works by him, but these three have been sitting around my house before I picked them up.

A theme Dahl likes is to have some outside agent create something special about the main child characters of his books.Charlie gets a golden ticket;James spills a bag of magic at the base of a peach tree.Matilda, already a precocious child, develops telekinesis.

A difference is what the protagonists do with the intervention.James and Charlie to me are ciphers.They just pass through the amazing events that happen to them without effecting any real change.They stand as blank slates for the child reader to project the self onto.Matilda is different.She's different from her peers in school, but also from the other Dahl characters.She takes the gift that Dahl gives her and makes it into something that changes her world.Matilda has an agency that other Dahl characters lack, and for me this makes her a far more relatable and sympathetic character.She creates her own happily ever after, and isn't just handed it.

Although, as a critique, Matilda inhabits the same black and white world that is fairly limited in the possibilities of what can happen.Characters are eitherwholly good or wholly bad, and nothing else.I realize the audience requirements expected at the time of writing supported a world like that, but more recent YA fiction allows for complex characters that have depth.

Matilda
Matilda, by Roald Dahl

"Matilda" may be my ultimate favorite of Roald Dahl's books, but that's probably because I'm a voracious reader, just like the title character.

Matilda is an oddity in her household - she prefers books to television - but aside from that, her parents don't really like her. They treat her nastily, and as a child, she doesn't have many options for revenge. But as with all Dahl books, she takes matters into her own hands, using her amazing intelligence to pull some creative pranks on her parents.

But Matilda's brain power really comes in when she wants to rescue Miss Honey, her school teacher, from a truly despicable situation. If you haven't read the book I won't spoil it. It's a very fun and creative story.

The illustrations by Quentin Blake are the icing on the cake for me in "Matilda;" normally I don't look much at pictures, but I rather like all of the illustrator's images. They add to Dahl's already excellent book.

5/5. ... Read more

Product Description
George’s grouchy grandma needs a taste of herown medicine, and George knows just the rightingredients to put into it! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (87)

Not Dahl's usual caliber story.
I don't think I would recommend this book to the youngsters for which it was written. George spends the day making a concoction of every conceivable substance in his home, intending to feed it to his grandmother and make her explode. The consequences are not as disastrous as they would be if one performed this stunt in real life, and are in fact rather, well, marvelous. My fear would be that kids would definitely try this at home, resulting in deceased pets, local wildlife, and possibly grandmothers.

Childhood guilty pleasure
I love Roald Dahl. I always felt guilty reading this book because George essentially tortures and kills his grandmother, and I have two very nice grandmothers. But in all fairness, George's granny is a bitch.

A marvelously fun children's story
I somehow missed this short novel from Roald Dahl when I was younger. Now that I've read it, I can say yet again that Roald Dahl is a master of children's literature. His whimsical wordplay and fantastical elements always make for excellent read-alouds, and "George's Marvelous Medicine" is just plain fun (Sidenote: I just finished reading this aloud to a 12-year-old boy, and his face lit up with a smile many many times as we read it, so this book will appeal to kids of many ages!). The illustrations by Quentin Blake aptly reflect the playful nature of the story and text. While this is not my favorite from Roald Dahl (I think "Matilda" wins that prize), "George's Marvelous Medicine" is just a fun and funny read. I highly recommend this, for children and adults alike.

Devilish Fun for Tweeners!
Some books are good reads for children as well as adults. This particular book isn't one of them.

There were a number of things I didn't like about it. My most harsh criticism would be that I found it boring and predicable. ((And I won't even mention the that the idea of using household toxins as a "medicine" for grandma got my mom antennae twitching. Can't help it, it's an occupational mom-hazard.))

But this is just how the book struck me as an adult. And I'd be remiss not to mention that my 10 year-old daughter thought was great. She thought the drawings were very funny, and she got caught up in the story so that we read the all of "George's Marvelous Medicine" in one day.

So THE SKINNY is that this is an amusing book for young folk, but not so much for adults-- at least not this one. The writing is good. The book is an excellent Read-aloud. The reading level is 4.0.

Pam T~
mom and reviewer
booksforkids-reviews

What a mystery!!
Would you like to read George's Marvelous Medicne by Roald Dahl? It is a mysterious story and takes place at a farm house. George's grandma is grouch and George wanted to make her nice. So he cooks up a potion with lots of unusual stuff. My favorite character is George because he is smart and like to mess up things. He is not like other boys because he has mean Grandma. I like mystery story so I choose this book. If you like mystery, you will love this book. By a third grader, Fresno. ... Read more

Product Description
Dahl is a master at introducing readers to a new sense of what lurks beneath the ordinary. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

Great Tales from The One and Only Dahl
This is in case you are interested.All or mosttly all of the tales in
this book are also in the book: Collected Stories by Dahl.A plus in the
collected stories is that there also ones not in, Tales of the Unexpected.

Great Style, Easy To Read
This may seem like literary fiction and Roald Dahl's style is extremely polished, but it's not difficult to read at all. Like O Henry, Dahl's short stories have gripping plots and a twist at the end. The author seems to be fond of betting. Quite a few of the stories revolve around bizarre bets.

My favourite tale is Lamb to the Slaughter - a murder story and how the frail and semingly harmless victim concealed the murder weapon. Most of the stories live up to their claim of being unexpected, but not everyone is great.

Slyly shocking, yet refined
An intoxicating blend of literary and genre fiction from Roald Dahl.I'll be buying volume 2 on the strength of volume one.I read "Man From The South" nearly twenty years ago and have never forgotten it.Imagine a master storyteller relating a hair raising tale in very calm and matter of fact tones and you get a good idea of Dahl's "voice".The most fantastic premise seems plausible when Dahl is relating the details."Georgy Porgy" is phenomenal, as is "The Sound Machine"."William and Mary" is another eye opener (read it, then excuse my pun).If you think Dahl is a "children's author", think again.Highly recommended.

An Amazing Author not to be Underestimated
If you like short stories you should love Roald Dahl's "Tales of the Unexpected" I bought this book having already read some of his short stories years ago and read the entire book the next day because I just couldn't put it down. Every story end with a shocking and original twist.

Short, but sweet. Or should it be morbidly funny?
This collection of short stories is an impressive showcase of Roald Dahl's writing talent as well as his vast knowledge of various subjects.

Drawing upon his own experiences in life, and peppered with Dahl's trademark humour, "Tales Of The Unexpected" often managed to provoke a knowing smile, some unsavoury thoughts, and if you allow your imagination to run a bit wild, possibly spine-chilling conclusions to some of the stories.

However, several pieces in "Tales Of The Unexpected" have rather abrupt endings, and because of that, a few left me with a big question mark after reading. Like, "Huh?"

Had these been written by someone else, I would have assumed that the author was simply too lazy to carry on writing. But somehow the master of macabre got away with the open-ended treatment of his tales, at times even compensating the inconclusive ending with immaculate pace and a surprising twist.

In cruel terms, you can say he got away with murder. Just like Mary Maloney in "Lamb to the Slaughter".
... Read more

Product Description
When James drops magic crystals by the peachtree, the toy peach starts growing, and before long,it’s as big as a house, with a secret entranceway.Amazon.com Review
When poor James Henry Trotter loses his parents in a horrible rhinoceros accident, he is forced to live with his two wicked aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. After three years he becomes "the saddest and loneliest boy you could find." Then one day, a wizened old man in a dark-green suit gives James a bag of magic crystals that promise to reverse his misery forever. When James accidentally spills the crystals on his aunts' withered peach tree, he sets the adventure in motion. From the old tree a single peach grows, and grows, and grows some more, until finally James climbs inside the giant fruit and rolls away from his despicable aunts to a whole new life. James befriends an assortment of hilarious characters, including Grasshopper, Earthworm, Miss Spider, and Centipede--each with his or her own song to sing. Roald Dahl's rich imagery and amusing characters ensure that parents will not tire of reading this classic aloud, which they will no doubt be called to do over and over again! With the addition of witty black and white pencil drawings by Lane Smith (of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs fame), upon which the animation for the Disney movie was based, this classic, now in paperback, is bursting with renewed vigor. We'll just come right out and say it: James and the Giant Peach is one of the finest children's books ever written. (Ages 9 to 12) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (230)

a perfect deus ex machina
I never read Dahl while I was a child, and now I'm not sure why not.

I did like the book, as it is inventive and well told. What is best is the manner and speed of the parent's dispatch and the character's relegation to the bad place. (If you read any children's fiction, you know that this has to happen sooner or later. All positive parental figures in children's literature come from outside the home.)

James goes on an adventure, earns a sense of himself and is emancipated from the oppression of his aunts. The conflict is not too scary but instead allows for a sense of wonder in the child reader.

His emancipation is through the means of magic handed to him, a perfect deus ex machina. Dahl plays with the conventions of the literature, but his work does not come across as formulaic, instead is something new. I am on my way to get another book of his off my shelf.

One of my Favorites!!
It's to be another Roald Dahl classic this week, Esteemed Reader. Whoo hoo! As you know, Roald Dahl is my favorite author and James and the Giant Peach is one of my all-time favorite stories. It's the sort of book that will convince even the Mike TV's of the world to pause their video games and not unpause them until the book is finished. In my quest to better understand middle grade fiction (thus improving my ninja skills), I try to read as widely as possible. But I also find it useful to go back and reread the books I loved as a child with adult eyes.


James and the Giant Peach is a prime example of one of the things I love most about middle grade fiction: stories for kids can go anywhere and kids, unlike many adults, are willing to accompany the author to the previously unfathomed depths of human imagination. Who else but children could understand and love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Stephen King and William S. Burrows and many other adult writers have written a lot of out there stuff, but none of them touches the absolute insanity of James and the Giant Peach.

So here's the plot and I swear I'm not making this up (I wish I had, though): James Henry Trotter is a nice boy sent to live with his wicked and abusive aunts after his parents are killed by an escaped rhinoceros. So far, it's a pretty standard set up, right (except the part about the rhino)? But wait! One day when James is in the garden he meets a wizard who just happens to be in the neighborhood. Okay, a little strange, but after all, this is children's fiction. The wizard gives James some magic crystals (awfully nice of him), which James accidentally spills near a peach tree. The crystals enchant the tree so that it grows a peach the size of a large house.

Rob, I hear you saying, that's not so very weird. True, but there is more story to come! James tunnels inside the giant peach all the way to its pit where he finds a wooden door. Inside the giant peach are giant insects who are all very happy to see James and are eager to take a voyage with him. Is that weird enough for you? No? Well the insects chew through the stem of the peach and then they and James ride it down a hill, squashing James' wicked aunts, into the ocean, where they sail off into the horizon.

What's stranger than a human boy and his giant insect pals sailing the ocean inside a giant peach? I'm so glad you asked! Because what happens next is sharks attack the peach, eating away at its tasty flesh to eventually get at James and the bugs. But not to worry. Among the giant bugs is a giant silkworm and a giant spider and they spin long strands of web and silk that James is able to use to lasso seagulls. So the answer to the original query what is stranger than a human boy and his giant insect palls sailing the ocean inside a giant peach is a human boy and his giant insect pals flying to New York in a giant peach by way of hundreds of lassoed seagulls.

Now then, I want you to imagine an adult story in which the plot I have just described to you would fit in. Say we change James to an adult. Say we even end the story by revealing that it was all a dream, something Dahl is too classy to ever do. I can't think of an adult author who could pull this plot off. But a middle grade author? No problem. That's what I love most about kids. When I was a kid and I read this book, I didn't find it the least bit strange that there were giant bugs living inside the giant peach. Kids just sort of go with the flow when it comes to stories, so a writer has a great deal more leeway with the suspension of disbelief.

James and the Giant Peach is a stupendous feat of imagining, and it's worth reading just for that. But as with all great stories, there's a little more to this one. Note how sad James is while living with his aunts, who call him terrible names and mistreat and abuse him. Note how he has no ideas for getting himself out of a bad spot because he has no sense of self worth. Next, note how the giant bugs praise James for everything he does and how supportive they are of him. In that environment, James flourishes and hatches all sorts of brilliant ideas, such as flying his giant peach to New York. There's something to that, I think, and it may be a large part of why James and the Giant Peach has survived years and years of readers and is likely to be read for years to come.

James and the Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl

As is common in many of Roald Dahl's books, James is a child stuck in a horrible situation. Orphaned, he's living with two nasty aunts who use him as manual labor and don't ever let him have fun.

But someone is looking out for James, and a mysterious little man gives him a bag of green magic crystals...only...he drops them. But his chance at happiness isn't lost, because the crystals are dropped beneath a peach tree. The tree, formerly barren, suddenly produces a peach that grows larger by the minute, until it's the size of a house. Inside the peach are a variety of common garden insects, such as a centipede and a grasshopper, each as large as a human because they too ingested some of the magic crystals.

James and his new friends take a magical journey on the gigantic peach, as journey only the imagination of Roald Dahl could produce. I'll never look at rainbows or hail the same way again, or seagulls!

4/5.

Every child should experience this book
This is a glorious little tale about the giddiness of being a child.Yes, it is shockingly dark in the beginning, how poor James leads such a miserable existence, but once the peculiar things start to happen, Dahl takes readers on a joyful romp around the world.

There is one chapter that doesn't fit the tone at all, in which James basically interviews all of his mutated insect/arachnid/other companions about how valuable they are to humanity, and it comes across feeling like an editorially-mandated After School Special ("Hey kids! Be nice to bugs!").I like to think that perhaps Dahl was mocking the inability of grown-ups to write for children without trying to bonk them on the heads with a lesson, but it's not artfully accomplished.The book is much stronger when the tone is cheeky and ludicrous, like when the gigantic Centipede composes enthusiastic limericks about the way an enormous peach squashed some of the villains of the story, or when Dahl rewards readers with the most spectacular role reversal of all for a lonely boy who has been denied the opportunity just to play with other children.

This book was first read to me in my kindergarten class, and I find that I love it more each time I read it for myself.If you care about children, you will share this book with them.

childhood favorite
I was thrilled to own a copy of one of my favorite childhood books.The illustrations of this publication year can't be beat!The book arrived in a timely manner and in decent condition.The only thing that was missing was the book jacket...I wish that would have been stated in the book description. ... Read more

Product Description
The Enormous Crocodile is a horrid greedy grumptious brute who loves to guzzle up little boys and girls. But the other animals have had enough of his cunning tricks, so they scheme to get the better of this foul fiend, once and for all!Amazon.com Review
With his "secret plans and clever tricks," the Enormous Crocodile desires to lunch not with but on a nice, juicy child. His croc companion, the Notsobig One, is the first to try to talk him out of his scheme, claiming children are no good to eat. "'Tough and chewy!' cried the Enormous Crocodile. 'Nasty and bitter! What awful tommyrot you talk! They are juicy and yummy!'" One jungle critter after another--from Trunky the elephant to Muggle-Wump the monkey to the Roly-Poly Bird--tries to prevent the Enormous Crocodile from carrying out his dastardly deed, but on he waddles toward the village. Unfortunately for him, the animals have a few secret plans and clever tricks up their furry sleeves, too!

This new storybook format of a fabulous Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake classic is destined to delight a whole new generation of young readers. The first collaborative effort of this picture-perfect creative match, The Enormous Crocodile's uniquely Dahl-esque dialogue and laugh-out-loud illustrations marked the beginning of a beautiful partnership. Some of their other creations include The Magic Finger and The BFG. Dahl is a master at giving readers a delectably sweet taste of vengeance. (Ages 6 to 10) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

the enormous crodocile
I purchased this book for my grandson who will be 5 years old in November.He adored the book and we have read it 3 or 4 times already.The artwork was outstanding with typical Roald Dahl language that children find endearing.My son was a huge Roald Dahl fan, and still is, so I purchased the book sight unseen and we have not been disappointed.

Fun Nighttime Reading With the Dahl Twist
We all know Dahl has a bit of a mean streak, and his humor is sometimes pointed even if children don't always get it.But this illustrated edition modulates those Dahl tendencies with delightfully comic illustrations, which go a long way to putting in context Dahl's dialogue and subject matter.My eight-old and I read this over a few days, and we both enjoyed every minute.

Fun and Exciting
We loved this book.My seven year thought it was super.What's not to like?An enourmous crocodile who wants to eat a juicy little child and is then thwarted by the other animals in the jungle.

It was hilarious the tricks the crocodile tried to get a child to eat and my son and I laughed when, time and again, he failed.

Roald Dahl book
I love Roald Dahl so I was very pleased to find this book.I read it to my seven-year-old since it is a picture book.He didn't love it and neither did I.It just seemed a little, I don't know, mean or cruel.And I do get Roald Dahl, really I do.I just didn't like this one so much.I think the Minpins is a much better choice for a grade-school aged child picture book from Dahl.

Delightful and a real child pleaser
Dahl's "The Enormous Crocdile" is a favourite of our 3.5 and 6.5 year olds, but it is the whimsical dead-on illustrations of Quentin Blake that make this edition outstanding.

The story follows the course of an enormous crocodile who wants to eat a little child for lunch, and leaves his muddy river to do so. On his way he encounters a hippopotamus, a monkey, a bird of paradise, and finally an elephant who all are horrified by his "plans and clever tricks" that he has in mind to eat up several juicy children.

The crocodile makes his way to a town, and deploys his methods, some of which are indeed clever. It is here where Quentin Blake's strengths come in, as the disguises are both simultaneously all-crocodile, and all disguise: only an outstanding artist like Blake could have pulled it off. My children squealed with delight.

Of course, Dahl's sense of humour is of times a bit dark, but make no mistake, the crocodile gets his just deserts even though there are thrills a-plenty on the way.

Delightful, but probably best saved until a child is over three years old and recognizes the fun and whimsy implied in the enormous crocodile's horrid mission. ... Read more

Product Description
To the Gregg family, hunting is just plain fun. To the girl who lives next door, it’s just plain terrible. She tries to be polite. She tries to talk them out of it, but the Greggs go too far, and the little girl turns her Magic Finger on them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

Y3 book review
The magic finger is an amazing book written by Roald dahl.

this book is about a girlwho has some frends, but this girl had a magic finger !when the girl gets angry she zaps people and they turn into an animal.One morning her frends went intothe woods and came out with a dead deer the girlwas so angry she zaped her frends!and suddenly they turnedinto birds so did there mum when she did not do anithing ,3 days later they had made a nest...


I think the 1st part was the best beause Roald dahl put magic words into the book.

I recommend this book to primary shcool children.

This is what is wrong with America!!
This makes me sick. I have grown up hunting my entire life. How do all of you Liberals think we survived before Grocery stores?? WE HUNTED!! I love how people can write a book bashing something they have no idea about. I hope all of you who think this book sends a positive message get your head on straight.....

Great
My daughter read this book, Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Twits, in a half hour to forty-five minutes each and was laughing all the time. I thought that was great.

The Magic Finger by Bon Qui Qui
A young eight-year-old girl, the protagonist and narrator in The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl wants her friends Phillip and William Greg to stop hunting poor animals. She tries to stop them from hunting in the most polite manor, but they just snicker at her. She tries to avoid it, but one day the Gregs have gone too far. She uses the power of the "magic finger" on them, and something happens that she regrets. Will the Greg family be o.k.? Will they ever be normal again? I think this kids book could have used more challenging vocabulary, but sends a very important message. I would recommend this book for children ages 7-10.

Horrible message and much too intense subject for kids
My son had to read this book for school and had I realized the content before we read it together I would not have let him read it. It is sickening and I am hoping to get it pulled out of my childs school. I have never hunted in my life nor do I intend to but this book was disturbing and much too deep of subject matter for my 6 year old son. ... Read more

Product Description
ÒSpotty PowderÓ Ñ the missing chapter from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Ñ available for the first time!

In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie Bucket loves chocolate. And Mr. Willy Wonka, the most wondrous inventor in the world, is opening the gates of his amazing chocolate factory. Charlie just needs one golden ticket, and Mr. WonkaÕs delicious treats could all be his. . . . But whatÕs missing? Who is Miranda Piker? And did Mr. Wonka really invent a Òspotty powderÓ that would keep kids out of school? Find out in the top-secret chapter that was taken out of the original book! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not what I expected...
I thought this book would have more to it with the missing chapter - but that is just what it is.The rest of the book is about Roald Dahl's life - interesting, but being a second grade teacher - the kids aren't too interested in that.

The Missing Golden Ticket and Other Splendiferous Secrets
//The Missing Golden Ticket and Other Splendiferous Secrets// is a rather peculiar book. This is hardly surprising as it was written by the inexhaustibly creative author Roald Dahl. Universally renowned for //Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory//, Dahl was almost, if not quite, a polymath.He lists his numerous interests and expertise, among them Beethoven's music, the color yellow, medical inventions, and racing greyhounds.

He died almost twenty years ago, but his sense of fun still resonates with children and adults.Here he reveals all sorts of information about characters he invented that never found their way into his books. He delights in his childhood escapades when he spent the summers with his Norwegian grandparents. He offers advice on writing a diary, shares his fascination for the different months of the year, and tells about his hands-on love of nature. Drawing in readers, he mischievously tells all sorts of "previously guarded information" about his writing.As ever, Quentin Blake's illustrations fittingly complement the words.

Reviewed by Jane Manaster ... Read more