Roald Dahl has long been one of my favorite authors. He became famous for his much-lauded books like, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." But I am even fonder of his nonfiction pieces like, "Going Solo" and his macabre adult short stories.
I recently decided to re-read a few of his young adult books and had a chance to fall in love with his writing all over again. Dahl had a gift for telling stories with a good moral lesson without making the reader feel like they were wading through saccharine. I can't say enough about how wonderful his books are. I remember reading them as a kid and just loving every second of it.
If you're new to Dahl or have a son/daughter/niece/nephew whom you think would appreciate his genius, here's a few must reads...
Matilda - A young girl, who loves books, struggles to feel accepted by her family. Then she discovers she has a secret power!
James and the Giant Peach - An orphaned boy, who lives with his evil aunts, climbs into a giant peach and finds a new family in the form of huge, friendly bugs.
The BFG - The Big Friendly Giant is an outcast in the world of giants. He doesn't like to eat little children. Instead he sneaks around at night giving the children wonderful dreams.
Going Solo - Dahl writes about his time as a pilot during World War II. He ends up in plenty of scrapes, including a plane wreck that almost kills him.
The Umbrella Man - These dark, twisted tales are a perfect treat for grown ups who remember loving Dahl as a child and would like a taste of his work for adults.
Photos by moi.
1 comment:
We are tremendous Dahl fans at my house. My daughter found Skin and Other Stories at the library (in the YA section!) when she was only 14 and was newly fascinated, having devoured all the kid books years earlier. I've never read his pilot memoir, though.
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