The 10 year old chose The Giraffe, And The Pelly and Me, which I have to admit surprised me. I think this was because it is one of his lesser known stories and tends to get a little overlooked. The ladder-less window cleaning company (consisting of a giraffe, pelican, monkey and boy) are hired by a duke to clean his windows and interrupt a robbery.
It is a short, funny story with some interesting characters (great for reading aloud, if you like doing lots of different voices) and has a neat, well structured story with the right amount of adventure, peril and happy ending! A real winner - especially as a read-aloud to younger children just starting on chapter books.
The 8 year old chose Danny The Champion of the World - one of my favourites too. One evening Danny wakes to find himself alone in the caravan he shares with his father and inadvertently discovers his father's deepest darkest secret. This is a story full of adventure and mystery and love! A deserved classic.
I wanted to nominate my own favourite too. My initial thought was Charlie and The Chocolate Factory - probably his most famous novel and loved by millions. Charlie bucket finds a golden ticket admitting him, along with 4 other children, to the most famous chocolate factory in the world. What follows is a sumptuous feast for the imagination as well as a tale with a moral. I love reading this book aloud for the sheer pleasure of the songs, made up words and word play contained within. The imagination that created these characters and the wondrous Wonka chocolate factory is truly something to be admired.
So I love Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, but I couldn't let this opportunity pass without mentioning Matilda. It is the character of Matilda Wormwood that I love, more than the story. She is such a fantastic role model for girls - a strong, intelligent girl with a love of reading! I will let a couple of quotes from the book speak for themselves:
Through Matilda Dahl does a fantastic job of extolling the benefits and joys of reading.
And finally, I wanted to give a mention to Dahl's memoirs Boy and Going Solo. These are some of the most entertaining autobiographies I have ever read and an excellent introduction to autobiographical writing for children. Dahl describes his own life in ways that are as zany and entertaining as any of his fiction - well worth a read.
What are your favourite Roald Dahl books?
