Alexandria’s Book Review Matilda
A Review by Alexandria Battle By Roald Dahl 240 pages • Ages 8-12 Penguin Group USA (September 2004) Roald Dahl, this month’s author, is famous around the world for his amazing storytelling skills. He was born in Wales in 1916. His mother, whom he idolized, told him and his sisters stories about adventures and mythical creatures when he was a boy, and they sparked his imagination. From his parents he gained many unique passions, and by far the greatest (his ability to write) brings me to one of my favorite books. I found this worn yellow book on one of my bookshelves, and couldn’t believe I hadn’t shared it with North Texas Kids yet. It is by far one of my most treasured, because it taught me early on that it is okay to be very smart—or even to be a genius. And you definitely don’t mess with geniuses.
Matilda is a small child like any other you might imagine in England— except for the tiny detail of her being a genius. Not only was she reading newspapers at three, but a short year later she was reading every book she could get her hands on. Normally parents might be excited by having a child who wanted to learn at such a young age; however, Matilda’s parents, who were themselves very ordinary, despised their daughter and belittled her obvious intelligence. But Matilda the genius was not only able but willing to put them in their place—with a few pranks, of course! Upon entering school, Matilda’s high intelligence is quickly discovered by her teacher, Miss Honey, perhaps the nicest in the world. She
immediately goes to the Headmistress, to convince her to put Matilda in with the top students in the school. But the cruel, widely feared Miss Trunchbull has other ideas. She is convinced that Matilda is nothing but a silly child, and a troublemaker to boot. And once Matilda and the other first years are introduced to the other common cruelties of “The Trunchbull”, it is clear that at last Matilda has found someone she can match wits with. But can she win? The only way you’ll find out is by reading the book and cheering for the genius. I also heartily recommend Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Danny the Champion of the World.
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North Texas Kids • June 2010 • www.NorthTexasKids.com
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