Monday 2 December 2013

Classic Children's/YA: Faye from A Daydreamer's Thoughts

Really pleased to welcome Faye from A Daydreamer's Thoughts to talk about one of the all-time great children's authors today!



Number of books: Stand-alone

Availability: Still widely available as print book, ebook, and audiobook.

The Premise: Matilda is an extraordinary young child who taught herself to read all by herself, can multiply large numbers in her head, and is simply incredibly smart. The problem is that her family do not see her intelligence or her worth at all and prefer to ignore her completely then to recognise her and the brilliant person she is. So when she finally has her first day of school and meets someone who takes a lot of notice of her, it’s hard for her not to want to get to know Miss Honey more. And thus begins an intriguing journey that will change Matilda and Miss Honey’s lives forever.

Why I Really Like It: This book is so unique and amazing and it is hard to find such brilliant writing anymore. Roald Dahl was a very talented writer who really managed to pull the reader in, while also reminding them very often that they are a third party to the story. His books read well out loud as the style is very much centered around the narrator – who sometimes interrupts the story to make his own comments. I adore this about the book and the rest of Roald Dahl’s works. These stories transcend time and I believe they will continue to be classics for many years to come. I grew up reading Roald Dahl and am just incredibly glad that upon re-reading him now that I am older, still really enjoyed his work. If you have yet to read any Roald Dahl, I can only insist that you do your best to rectify this as I really feel that his books have something for adults and children (and teenagers!) alike. But, to put it incredibly briefly, the main reason that I truly love Matilda is because it makes you believe in the good of people and just a little briefly in magic. It is simply, a heart-warming tale.

Who It Will Appeal To: I really want to say EVERYONE for this, but instead I will say that this book will appeal to those that love stories that are well narrated, are fun, emotional, and full of magic. It’s a children’s book and I believe that anyone aged six and up could appreciate this novel for the amazingness that it is.

Others By The Same Author: James and the Giant Peach, BFG, The Twits, The Witches, George’s Marvellous Medicine, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Danny The Champion of the World, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and many, many more.


Faye can be found at A Daydreamer's ThoughtsTwitter, Facebook and on Youtube as part of the Bookish Brits.

1 comment:

  1. This is definitely my favourite Roald Dahl book! It's one I like to return to :)

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