Matilda

Title: Matilda

Author: Roald Dahl

Publisher: Puffin books

Number of pages: 240

Type of Book: Fiction

Age: 8+

Available here: http://product.chelisbookazine.com/product/matilda/ or Plot 12 Johnson Street, Off Bode Thomas Road, Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria and http://www.konga.com/matilda-1991425

Price: N1580 and N840

MY SUMMARY (without the ending):

This book is about a 5-year-old but do not be deceived, your 8-year-old may not be able to read it without a dictionary and/or some adult supervision.

Matilda is an absolutely delightful story about a tiny little genius called Matilda. Matilda is a well-behaved, mild-mannered child born to the nastiest set of parents in the world and schooling in a primary school with a most monstrous headmistress. Matilda’s parents are more interested in their work (Matilda’s Father), games (Matilda’s mother) and their son than their little girl. Miss Trunchbull her headmistress, hates little children and is fond of picking them up and throwing them out of windows or locking them in dark cupboards. In the midst of the madness and cruelty that she lives in, Matilda makes new friends and discovers that she has magical powers, which she uses to play (sometimes outrageous) practical jokes on her ‘enemies’: her parents and Miss Trunchbull.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: Humour! The book made me laugh and laugh and laugh. I loved the description of the characters especially Miss Trunchbull and Matilda’s parents. I loved the practical jokes Matilda played on her parents and Trunchbull.

I also loved the fact that this book contains references to so many other good books as well as a mini reading list. I think this is Dahl’s way of trying to get children to read more books. I enjoyed this book as a child and I appreciated it even more as an adult.

DOWN: None

RATING

5 stars

TRIVIA

Hortensia got thrown into ‘The Chokey’ because she put this in Miss Trunchbull’s knickers? Itching powder
What is ‘The Chokey’? A tall and narrow dark cupboard where Miss Trunchbull locked the children up to punish them.
“Looking at her, you got the feeling that this was someone who could bend iron bars and tear telephone directories in half.’ Who was Matilda describing? Miss Trunchbull.
Matilda loved doing this more than anything else? Reading Books
Matilda’s magical powers shot from here? Her eyes
Matilda played tricks on these people because she disliked them as much as she did Miss Trunchbull? Her parents

BONUS:

Matilda knew no parent would ever believe this story: That Miss Trunchbull picked Amada Thripp up by the hair and threw her across the playground.

Read an excerpt here: http://www.npr.org/books/titles/205190773/matilda#excerpt

Visit Matilda here: http://www.roalddahl.com/roald-dahl/stories/1980s/matilda

CHALLENGE

CREATE (WRITE a
Story/Poem OR DRAW)

What do you think would have happened if Matilda hadn’t lost her magical powers? Write a different ending for the book. 150 words OR write a review of the book. 100 words.