Roald Dahl: A Hero
I did The Coffee Book Tag a few days ago and there was an answer to one of the questions that lingered in my mind. The question asked: 'What is your favorite children's book?' and of course, without hesitation, I answered Roald Dahl's books, (you don't expect me to pick just one, do you?!) but while I was writing the reason to my answer, I thought, huh... I've always been an avid fan of this author, so why haven't I ever talked about him or his books?Hence the birth of this blogpost :P Before I go any further, here are a few things you need to know about Dahl:
- Roald Dahl was born on 13th September 1916 in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales.
- Dahl's famous for his books: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG, James and The Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox and more!
- He wrote all of his children's stories in a small hut at the bottom of his garden.
- Fantastic Mr Fox was partly inspired by a tree that grew outside Roald Dahl's home in the village of Great Missenden.
- He always wrote in pencil on yellow paper. (How quirky is that?!)
- It has been said that Roald Dahl created more than 250 new words. Many of them appeared in The BFG.
- Roald Dahl co-wrote the script for classic children's film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
- According to his teachers, Roald Dahl wasn't a very good writer.
- Roald dahl loves chocolate.
- He died on 23 November 1990 at the age of 74.
via: http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/, http://primaryfacts.com/
Matilda
Okay now let's talk books! The first book I read by Roald Dahl was Matilda, a story about a gifted little girl who is surrounded by some of the nastiest people on earth. She then discovers she has magical powers If I remember correctly, it was compulsory for primary school students to pick up this book during their second (or was it third?) year. Honestly I couldn't get to it the first time, but seeing that I wasn't the only troubled reader, my teachers made us watch the film instead before going back to the back. I loooooved the film, so I jumped straight to the book to recapture those scenes in my head as I read. This book is perfect for readers like us. Matilda is a bright bookworm who's innovative and inspiring in many different ways.
The BFG
I'm pretty sure y'all have heard about this book, because it's being turned into a movie!!! Aaahhhh I CANNOT wait to see my childhood imaginations come to life. The trailer looks stunning and the animation is simply exquisite! Basically, this book talks about the adventures of a girl and a giant. Not a bone-crunching nasty giant, but a Big Friendly Giant. I remember picking this one up and being quite hesitant about it. An ugly giant befriending a little English girl? How peculiar! But I picked it up anyways and LOVED IT. Goodness, I can gush about it all night. It's a truly magical read, and one of Roald Dahl's personal best in my opinion. Dahl's personality is all over this one - wacky words, nasty villains, dreams encased in little glass jars ~
The Witches
Ahhh I remember curling up on my sofa with red flecks all over my body and a dangerously high body temperature. Yep, I was sick in bed with the measles when I picked this up. And boy did it roil my guts! Yuck! The Witches follows a little boy and his grandmother as they live in a world where Witches roam freely - but these witches aren't your average wort-faced hags, they're actually quite normal. Beautiful, dare I say.... On the outside, that is. I was about 11 when I read this book and it was considerably quite creepy... there are illustrations in these books, you see. The pictures you'll be witnessing won't be very pretty. BUT there was a lot of tension! And mishaps and mayhems! And mice! Who doesn't love clever ole' mice?
Fantastic Mr. Fox
I picked this up on a whim and flew through it in a few hours. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I loved every single moment of Mr. Fox's devious plans and tricks. Oh, and they actually have stop-motion film of this book directed by the famous Wes Anderson. I still have yet to give it a try, but I will soon! This book follows Mr. Fox and his family as they find a way out of the disaster that is the three farmers - Boggis, Bunce and Bean. These three have been tracking down the little pest that's been sneaking their chickens out of their coop, and will not stop until they have Mr. Fox's fur up on their wall. A witty, one of a kind story. I highly recommend!
James and The Giant Peach
Another one of Dahl's that was compulsory for my English class. Same story with Matilda - a bit hard for me to get into but the film got me HOOKED! Honestly everything about this book was just... weird. But I liked it. A lot. I'm not sure why? I've lost count on how many times I re-read and re-watched the book and film. Nostalgia hits me every time!
So this is my short list of (Dahl) favorites. His books always manage to make me smile and laugh. They never fail to reminisce my childhood days where I'd imagine I was perched on top of the world's giant peach, or when I have super magic powers to levitate and move things without touching them. Dahl's books were always there for me when I needed a friend. I'll always treasure his stories. I had a collection of his books when I was younger but I've given them to my 9 year old cousin who's just getting into reading and claims to be a HUGE fan of his books. Spreading the word about his tales never fail to make me happy. In short, Dahl's my hero.
Soooo these are some of my faves that I thought I'd share with y'all. Were you an avid fan of Dahl's growing up? If so, what was your favorite book by him? :)