book review of matilda

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Kid genius gets revenge on mean adults in fun fantasy.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Children will learn some quick facts (titles, auth

Intelligence can matter more than brutal power, ev

Miss Trunchbull abuses Miss Honey and her students

Miss Trunchbull throws children out of windows, pi

There's a lot of name-calling directed from adults

Parents need to know that Roald Dahl's Matilda is about a brilliant, magical little girl who's miserable at home with her nasty, clueless parents and oppressed at school by her mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. However, Matilda finds a loving, kindred spirit in her teacher, Miss Honey, who values her pupil…

Educational Value

Children will learn some quick facts (titles, author names, and some plot summaries) of great books that Matilda reads, including Burnett's The Secret Garden and Dickens' Great Expectations . They'll also learn what times tables are, and how to spell a few words, such as "what" and "difficulty."

Positive Messages

Intelligence can matter more than brutal power, even when power is wielded by a large adult over a small child.

Positive Role Models

Miss Trunchbull abuses Miss Honey and her students, and Matilda's relationship with her parents is one of mutual dislike. However, Miss Honey is a wonderfully warm and encouraging teacher. She's also very brave in her way, and she has the adult perspective to express how adult cruelty affects children. Matilda is a special young hero, avenging adult crimes with her marvelous brainpower. Of course, this is all in the context of Roald Dahl's fantastical imagination, so the physical abuse is cartoonish, and little children can't really do magic, yet there is much to admire in the genius of Matilda Wormwood.

Violence & Scariness

Miss Trunchbull throws children out of windows, picks them up and swings them around by their hair or ears, and locks a child in a tiny room with spikes protruding from the walls. She also has pushed a young girl's head underwater as punishment. Though no one is really injured in this fantastical novel, some sensitive youngsters may be upset by the Trunchbull's cruelty.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

There's a lot of name-calling directed from adults to kids, or between adults, including "stupid," "glob of glue," "ignorant little twit," "gangster," "useless bunch of midgets," and more.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Roald Dahl 's Matilda is about a brilliant, magical little girl who's miserable at home with her nasty, clueless parents and oppressed at school by her mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. However, Matilda finds a loving, kindred spirit in her teacher, Miss Honey, who values her pupil's amazing brain power. Miss Trunchbull inflicts mental cruelty and physical abuse on the students, including name-calling, tossing children out of windows, locking them in a closet lined with spiky nails, and spinning them around by their hair or ears. These exaggerated acts of malice are part of the fantasy, though, along with Matilda's magical mental tricks. This novel was made into a dark yet delightful 1996 movie , and it's available as an audiobook read beautifully by actress Kate Winslet .

Where to Read

Community reviews.

• Parents say (19)
• Kids say (77)

Based on 19 parent reviews

Kids are smarter than reviewers are giving them credit for...

Let's read matilda little girl has powers, what's the story.

MATILDA is the story of a little girl genius. By age 4, the title character has read all the books in the children's section of her local library, and moved on to Dickens, Austen, and Hemingway. She can also do advanced math in her head and has a sophisticated understanding of the world. Unfortunately her crooked car-dealer father and bingo-holic mother, TV addicts both, don't appreciate her at all. In fact, they "looked upon Matilda ... as nothing more than a scab." Matilda spends most of her time reading and the rest thinking up clever ways to punish them for their atrocious behavior, such as putting superglue into her father's hat brim, and swapping his hair tonic for peroxide. Things change when Matilda starts school. Crunchem Hall Primary School is run by the horrific Miss Trunchbull, "a gigantic holy terror, a fierce tyrannical monster who frightened the life out of pupils and teachers alike." At the same time, Matilda is taken under the wing of her perfectly sweet teacher, Miss Honey, who needs the little girl as much as the student needs her. Getting back at the Trunchbull will be much more difficult, and dangerous, than punishing her parents, so Matilda's magnificent mind starts developing even more unbelievable talents!

Is It Any Good?

This classic book has been delighting kids and their parents since 1988, appealing both to readers' imaginations and to their sense of justice. The good in Matilda are all good, and the wicked get their comeuppance at the hands of giddy, delighted children. Precocious readers, like Matilda, will recognize in this novel's villainous characters some of the same qualities that define the bad children in what is probably author Roald Dahl's most famous work, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . Mean characters exhibit gluttony and greed, watch too much television, and cheat to get what they want. Good characters are lovable, smart, and triumphant. Matilda is a wonderful romp -- a great read-aloud for young children, and a mild challenge for middle graders to read themselves. Either way, it's tons of fun and immensely satisfying.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the idea of revenge in Matilda . Is it right for Matilda to play tricks on her parents and Miss Trunchbull?

Do you think any real person can do magical tricks like Matilda does?

If you had Matilda's powers to move things with your mind, how would you use them?

Book Details

• Author : Roald Dahl
• Illustrator : Quentin Blake
• Genre : Fantasy
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Friendship , Great Girl Role Models
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Penguin Group
• Publication date : May 8, 2005
• Number of pages : 240
• Last updated : June 10, 2015

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by Roald Dahl illustrated by Quentin Blake ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1988

After some autobiographical excursions, Dahl here returns to the sort of whimsically grotesque fantasy that makes grown-ups wince and children beg for more. His heroine is five-year-old Matilda, a genius whose mathematical abilities, as well as her impressive reading list (Hemingway, Steinbeck, etc.), are totally unappreciated by her father—a dishonest used-car salesman—and her mother, a devotee of bingo and TV soaps. Only when the girl enters school does she find an understanding ally, Miss Honey, a paragon of virtue who attempts to defend her pupils against unbelievably cruel headmistress Miss Trunchbull, who hates children in direct proportion to their youth and tortures them accordingly. Just when things seem to be at their worst, Matilda discovers still another gift, telekinesis, enabling her to defeat the horrible Trunchbull and give Miss Honey, and herself, a new start. Dahl's tightly woven plots, his strict sense of absolute justice, and his raunchy "funny bits" make him popular with children who also appreciate the empowerment he grants to his smaller, weaker protagonists. Matilda is the most simplistic of his efforts in this direction, but it does retain the time-honored appeal, abetted by Blake's apt illustrations. It probably should be marked "For Children Only," though. And Dahl slips badly when he says that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien have no "funny bits" in their books.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1988

ISBN: 0142410373

Page Count: 240

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: Oct. 16, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1988

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY

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BOOK REVIEW

by Alice Harman ; illustrated by Quentin Blake

developed by Roald Dahl ; illustrated by Quentin Blake

More About This Book

BOOK TO SCREEN

SEEN & HEARD

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

From the school for good and evil series , vol. 1.

by Soman Chainani ; illustrated by Iacopo Bruno ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2013

Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic.

Chainani works an elaborate sea change akin to Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (1995), though he leaves the waters muddied.

Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. Those who survive to graduate become major or minor characters in fairy tales. When it happens to sweet, Disney princess–like Sophie and  her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they’ve been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. Gradually—too gradually, as the author strings out hundreds of pages of Hogwarts-style pranks, classroom mishaps and competitions both academic and romantic—it becomes clear that the placement wasn’t a mistake at all. Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school. This leads up to a vicious climactic fight that sees Good and Evil repeatedly switching sides. At this point, readers are likely to feel suddenly left behind, as, thanks to summary deus ex machina resolutions, everything turns out swell(ish).

Pub Date: May 14, 2013

ISBN: 978-0-06-210489-2

Page Count: 496

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2013

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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by Christina Soontornvat ; illustrated by Barbara Szepesi Szucs ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019

A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre.

Ice princess Lina must navigate family and school in this early chapter read.

The family picnic is today. This is not a typical gathering, since Lina’s maternal relatives are a royal family of Windtamers who have power over the weather and live in castles floating on clouds. Lina herself is mixed race, with black hair and a tan complexion like her Asian-presenting mother’s; her Groundling father appears to be a white human. While making a grand entrance at the castle of her grandfather, the North Wind, she fails to successfully ride a gust of wind and crashes in front of her entire family. This prompts her stern grandfather to ask that Lina move in with him so he can teach her to control her powers. Desperate to avoid this, Lina and her friend Claudia, who is black, get Lina accepted at the Hilltop Science and Arts Academy. Lina’s parents allow her to go as long as she does lessons with grandpa on Saturdays. However, fitting in at a Groundling school is rough, especially when your powers start freak winter storms! With the story unfurling in diary format, bright-pink–highlighted grayscale illustrations help move the plot along. There are slight gaps in the storytelling and the pacing is occasionally uneven, but Lina is full of spunk and promotes self-acceptance.

Pub Date: June 25, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-338-35393-8

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019

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Review and Summary of Matilda by Roald Dahl

Introduction:.

“Matilda” is a classic children’s book written by Roald Dahl, one of the most celebrated and beloved children’s authors of all time. This review aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the book, its themes, and its literary devices, while also exploring its broader impact on readers. The suggested reading age for “Matilda” is 8 years and older.

Book Summary:

“Matilda” tells the story of a young girl named Matilda Wormwood, who is exceptionally intelligent and has a love for reading. Despite her extraordinary abilities, Matilda faces a challenging life, as her parents and the cruel headmistress of her school, Miss Trunchbull, fail to recognize her potential. The book follows Matilda’s journey as she uses her wit and newfound telekinetic powers to overcome adversity and protect her kind-hearted teacher, Miss Honey. Important themes in the book include the power of knowledge, courage, and justice.

The strengths of “Matilda” lie in its memorable characters, engaging plot, and the use of wit and humor throughout the story. Roald Dahl’s unique writing style keeps readers engaged, while his use of literary devices such as irony, imagery, and foreshadowing adds depth to the narrative. The book is also notable for its exploration of social issues such as child abuse and the importance of education.

One of the weaknesses of the book is its somewhat unrealistic portrayal of Matilda’s telekinetic powers, which may make it harder for some readers to fully relate to the protagonist. However, this element adds a magical touch to the story that can inspire imagination and creativity in young readers.

In relation to the author’s life, “Matilda” was published in 1988, towards the end of Dahl’s career. It is often considered one of his greatest works, as it showcases his ability to create compelling characters and narratives that resonate with readers of all ages.

Evaluation:

“Matilda” is a must-read for children and adults alike, as it offers valuable lessons on courage, resilience, and the importance of standing up for what is right. Fans of other Roald Dahl books, such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “James and the Giant Peach,” will undoubtedly enjoy this heartwarming tale. In comparison to other works in the same genre, “Matilda” stands out due to its unique blend of humor, magic, and real-world issues.

Comprehension and Analysis Questions:

• While practicing her reading
• During a confrontation with Miss Trunchbull
• When she becomes angry at her father
• Miss Trunchbull
• Mrs. Phelps
• Mrs. Wormwood
• The power of knowledge
• The importance of friendship
• The consequences of greed
• The value of family

1. c, 2. a, 3. a

• Roald Dahl – Matilda
• Scholastic – Matilda by Roald Dahl

Awards and accolades:

“Matilda” has won numerous awards, including the Children’s Book Award in 1988. It has also become a best-selling book and has been adapted into a successful movie in 1996 and a popular Broadway musical in 2010.

Functional details about the book:

• ISBN: 978-0142410370
• Number of pages: 240
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• First publish date: October 1, 1988
• Adaptations: Movie (1996), Broadway musical (2010)
• Genre: Children’s fiction, fantasy
• BISAC Categories: Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories, Juvenile Fiction / Fantasy & Magic
• Suggested Reading Age: 8 years and older

Other Reviews:

• Common Sense Media – 5/5 stars
• Goodreads – 4.33/5 stars

Where to buy the book:

Purchase “Matilda” on Bookshop.org

Is this book part of a series?

No, “Matilda” is a standalone book.

About the author:

Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, and screenwriter, who is best known for his captivating children’s stories. Born in Wales in 1916, Dahl’s writing career began in the 1940s with works for adults. He gained widespread fame with his children’s books, which often feature dark humor, fantastical elements, and memorable characters. Some of his other best-selling books include “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach,” and “The BFG.” Dahl has won numerous awards throughout his career and is often regarded as one of the greatest children’s authors of all time. He passed away in 1990.

Final Thoughts and Recommendation:

“Matilda” is a timeless story that will appeal to both children and adults due to its engaging characters, magical elements, and important messages about courage, resilience, and the power of knowledge. It is a must-read for fans of Roald Dahl and those who enjoy imaginative and heartwarming tales.

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Friday 19 March 2010

Review: matilda.

• Children's Book Reviews

Matilda by Roald Dahl – Book Review

Matilda is the world’s most famous bookworm, no thanks to her ghastly parents.

Her father thinks she’s a little scab. Her mother spends all afternoon playing bingo.

And her headmistress, Miss Trunchbull?

She’s the worst of all.

She’s a big bully, who thinks all her pupils are rotten and locks them in the dreaded Chokey.

Despite these beastly grownups trying to push her down, Matilda is an extraordinary girl with a magical mind.

And she’s had enough.

So all the terrible adults had better watch out, because she’s going to teach them a lesson they’ll never forget!

As a child, I was a massive Roald Dahl fan and spent hours with my nose in his books. At school, we had to read his older children’s work on his life, Boy and Going Solo. However, over the years I have noticed that I never actually read a few of his work, namely Danny the Champion of the World, The Witches, and Matilda.

This wasn’t something I really thought about recently until I saw it on Sarah Cox’s book show as one of the guests ‘Bring Your Own Book’ and she made it sound so appealing that I ordered it right away and then read it in a day. Why, oh why, did I ever leave it so long.

The book is for any bookworms no matter your age, it is a book about a bookish child. A child who loves all the classics. It is also a book about nasty people and how through being very clever from reading this little five-and-a-half-year-old Matilda gets her revenge.

The book is truly amazing. It was a beautiful, fun, energetic read and I fell in love with the little girl and want to spare her from these brutes that call themselves adults, including her parents who dislike their own child.

The copy I bought was the 30th-anniversary copy, mainly as I love a hardback book and partly because I loved the cover and the colour – yes I am that easily pleased.

Within the book is artwork by Quentin Blake who illustrated I think all of Roald Dahl’s work. He has a way with his artwork that not only brings the story to life but makes you laugh and connect with the characters too.

Part of me is glad that I never this book as a child as I got to appreciate it as an adult and part of me thinks I missed out on such a fabulous book that would have made me constantly giggle and frown.

Overall, this is a book that still after all these years works in today’s society. It was great fun to read and this edition would make a wonderful gift too.

Book Reviewer – Stacey

Purchase online from:, amazon.co.uk – amazon.com – amazon.in – apple books – blackwells – bookshop.org – waterstones, about the author.

The son of Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and educated at Repton. He was a fighter pilot for the RAF during World War Two, and it was while writing about his experiences during this time that he started his career as an author.

His fabulously popular children’s books are read by children all over the world. Some of his better-known works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, The Witches, and The BFG.

He died in November 1990.

What did you think of Matilda? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

The above links are affiliate links. I receive a very small percentage from each item you purchase via these link, which is at no extra cost to you. If you are thinking about purchasing the book, please think about using one of the links. All money received goes back into the blog and helps to keep it running. Thank you.

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Tags: Amazon Author Blackwells Book Book Blog Book Blogger Book Review Book Reviewer Bookshop Children's ebook Fiction Five Stars hardcover Kindle Paperback Review Roald Dahl Stacey Waterstones

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5 Responses

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I read this back when I was a kid. Great book.

Such a good book! I love the movie too.

I watched the movie, never read the book.

I love this curious child and this author – I love your thoughtful review

definitely one of my fav authors and books!!

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Matilda by Roald Dahl Review

Illustrated by Quentin Blake

Children’s stories should be fun to read. And what could be more fun to read than a story that features a child getting one over on the adults in their life? Especially one written by the master storyteller Roald Dahl . A story so good that it has been turned into a couple of movies and a stage show. What is this story? It’s Matilda of course!

Matilda was first published in 1988 and the last long children’s chapter book written by Dahl before his death in 1990. A fun story that celebrates the power of books, learning, and creativity as well as courage, bravery and doing what’s right. A story that continues to delight audiences still to this day.

Matilda Wormwood is brilliant and extra-ordinary with a quick and nimble mind and an intelligence beyond her years. By the age of three she had taught herself to read. At four she would take herself down to the local library to devour book after book, finishing the children’s section and moving on to more grown up books by authors such as Charles Dickens, Charlotte Brontë, Jane Austen, Rudyard Kipling, Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell and lots of others. Although the reading of books was not encouraged in her house, watching television was king.

But Mr and Mrs Wormwood are not the greatest of parents, they show no interest in their children – especially Matilda, she was viewed as an unwanted annoyance. Mr Wormwood is a dishonest used car salesman and Mrs Wormwood goes out every afternoon to play bingo, leaving Matilda on her own. Mr and Mrs Wormwood are just ignorant and cruel.

When she starts at the local primary school (she started late as her parents forgot to arrange it), she meets the lovely Miss Honey, who sees the potential in Matilda and does everything she can to try and help her. But the school is ruled by the tyrannical headmistress Miss Trunchbull so extra help is not forthcoming for the young Matilda.

Matilda has had enough of the bullying, meanness and dishonest acts by her parents so decides to get her own back on them each time they do something she doesn’t like. This happens in the form of pranks such as superglue inside Mr Wormwoods favourite hat which gets stuck to his head, a talking parrot up the chimney to make her family think that the house is haunted by a ghost and hair dye in her father’s hair wax.

But it’s at school when things really start to happen when Matilda discovers that she can move things with the power of her mind and her eyes! With these new powers she helps her favourite teacher, Miss Honey, solve her financial problems and get revenge on the wicked Miss Trunchball.

Overall, I absolutely loved reading Matilda by Roald Dahl! It is a wonderful story about a brilliantly intelligent little girl who loves to read and learn but also hates injustice and uses her mind and ability to at first get her own back on her parents but then to put them to good use to help someone in a dire situation – which helps improve her own life too!

Matilda is a hilarious and heart-warming book that celebrates the power of books, learning, creativity and good over evil. It also shows how children can stand up for themselves and their friends, and how they can make a difference in the world. This is a story where readers will be rooting for the young Matilda on every page.

The characters are vivid and memorable, especially the villains, who are exaggerated and comical. Miss Trunchball picks up kids by their pigtails, swings them around and throws them like the hammer in her favourite sport. Then there are characters with some excellent names, such as Bruce Bogtrotter. The illustrations by Quentin Blake are also fantastic, they add to the charm and humour of the story and portray perfectly what is happening in the story.

The story is fun to read. It starts Dahl describing how he would write end of term school reports which are hilarious. Kids are described as little blisters and lots more horrible names by the evil Miss Trunchball. But Matilda gets revenge for everybody, and it has a happy ending.

I highly recommend Matilda to anyone who loves reading, it’s wicked fun – Roald Dahl at his best. Matilda is a book that will leaving you laughing and cheering Matilda on. Whilst it has themes of bullying and neglect, it is ultimately a story of courage, resilience, bravery, and the importance of standing up for what is right.

If children’s books should be fun to read, then you can’t go wrong with Matilda.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £12.99 (Hardback) / £7.99 (Paperback) / £3.99 (Kindle)

For more information, visit  www.roalddahl.com . Available to buy from Amazon here .

DISCLOSURE:  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the link.

Click here to read more reviews of books by Roald Dahl

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Review: Matilda – Roald Dahl

When I first decided to work my way through the BBC’s Big Read , I wanted to do a thorough job – thus no half-hearted attempts or unfinished books are permitted. I’m sure that at some point during my childhood I read Matilda, but in the name of being thorough, when placing my most recent order on Amazon, I included Matilda in the line-up.

Without wanting to sound horribly tacky, the first thing that struck me about this book was the similarities between myself and Matilda. I may not have had the ghastly parents, but I did have a love of reading instilled in me from a very young age, much like the protagonist in this novel. Growing up in a small town in Sussex, I remember walking to my local library every Saturday aged seven and stocking up on books for the week; I can still recall the glee I felt when I was told that the borrowing limit had been extended from three books to seven. And while I certainly wasn’t reading Dickens, books absolutely played a big part in my childhood and have continued to do so throughout my adult life.

London’s Evening Standard has recently launched a literacy campaign hoping to ‘get London reading’ on the back of recently published statistics. One in four children under five have a TV in their bedroom, and one in five children leave primary school without being able to read properly. Thus, while this novel was published almost twenty-five years ago, it’s message is as poignant as ever.

The tale is a charming one; Matilda’s parents neither own nor have they read, a single book between them, indeed like much of modern society they spend their time slobbed in front of the TV and have no interest in reading. At school she is befriended by her teacher Miss Honey – the niece of the evil Headmistress Miss Trunchball – who discovers that Matilda has an incredible gift and is far ahead of her years in terms of intelligence.  When Miss Honey tries to notify Matilda’s parents, they remain uninterested, as does Miss Trunchball. And thus forms an unlikely friendship between teacher and pupil, with a very happy ending.

About Matilda

Matilda Wormwood’s father thinks she’s a little scab. Matilda’s mother spends all afternoon playing bingo. And Matilda’s headmistress Miss Trunchbull? Well, she’s the worst of all. She is a big bully, who thinks all her pupils are rotten and locks them in the dreaded Chokey. As for Matilda, she’s an extraordinary little girl with a magical mind – and now she’s had enough. So all these grown-ups had better watch out, because Matilda is going to teach them a lesson they’ll never forget.

About Roald Dahl

The son of Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and educated at Repton. He was a fighter pilot for the RAF during World War Two, and it was while writing about his experiences during this time that he started his career as an author.

His fabulously popular children’s books are read by children all over the world. Some of his better-known works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, The Witches, and The BFG.

He died in November 1990.

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4 comments on “Review: Matilda – Roald Dahl”

Even though I’m a bloke I completely identified with Matilda. This was something Roald Dahl always did brilliantly. His protagonists were always perfect for the young mind reading the book, a bit like how a horoscope can seem to resonate with you.

Hi – glad to hear it – I totally agree and think that Roald Dahl was fantastic at creating characters that readers could idetify with. Thanks for stopping by on my blog – let me know if you have any reading recommendations!

They just put out stamps dedicated to Roald Dahl books in the UK. They’re amazing. I’m kind of obsessed with his book The BFG.

Wow – they sound fab! The BFG is down on my reading list for next month so I’ll let you know what I think – Fantastic Mr Fox was my fae of his when I was younger 🙂

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Book Review

• Fantasy , Humor

Readability Age Range

• Jonathan Cape Ltd. published the book in 1988; this version of the book was published in 2013 by Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group
• Federation of Children’s Book Groups Award, 1988

Year Published

Matilda by Roald Dahl has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine .

Plot Summary

Matilda Wormwood is a brilliant child. At the age of 3, she teaches herself to read using old newspapers and cooking magazines. Her parents, however, pay little attention to her. She also has a brother, but though he is kinder than her parents, the two rarely speak. Her father is a used-car salesman who brags about selling broken-down cars under false pretenses. Matilda’s mother often ignores her and leaves her home alone. One day, while Matilda’s mother is gone, the then 4-year-old walks to the library, looking for a book to read.

The librarian is surprised to see such a small child come in alone, but Matilda is so bright and well mannered that she is allowed to stay. Matilda reads all of the books in the children’s section, and on the librarian’s recommendation, begins reading Dickens, Hemingway, Steinbeck and other well-known authors.

Matilda’s parents do not support her reading habit, repeatedly calling her ignorant and stupid. When Matilda asks to be allowed to eat in her room and read, her father yells at her to eat in front of the TV like the rest of the family. Matilda, frustrated with her father’s constant neglect and verbal abuse, decides to retaliate in a small way every time someone treats her poorly.

Matilda’s first act of revenge is to put superglue around the inside of her father’s favorite hat before he leaves for work. Her father is unable to remove the hat all day and night. Matilda’s mother finally cuts it off with scissors, leaving her father with several bald patches.

About a week later, her father comes home to find Matilda reading in the living room. In a fit of rage, he snatches the library book, rips out its pages and throws it in the wastebasket. In retaliation, Matilda borrows a talking parrot that can say “hello” and “rattle my bones” from a child in her neighborhood, with whom she is a friend. She stuffs the parrot and its cage into the chimney of her house. Her frightened parents hear the voice and think it’s a burglar before concluding the house is haunted.

Her father comes home one day and instructs his son to work out a sum so the boy can begin learning about business and finance. Matilda immediately figures out the answer in her head, but when she tries to tell her father, he yells at her, calling her a liar and cheat. The next morning, Matilda replaces her father’s hair product with her mother’s platinum-blonde hair dye. Matilda’s father, who is very proud of his black hair, is deeply distressed by the new color.

At age 5, Matilda begins school. Her teacher, Miss Honey, immediately recognizes the child’s brilliance and goes to the headmistress to discuss moving Matilda to a higher grade level. Headmistress Trunchbull refuses, having been warned by Matilda’s father that if anything bad happens at school, it is likely caused by Matilda.

Ms. Trunchbull physically and verbally abuses her students, both in her capacity as headmistress and when she teaches classes. But she does so in such outrageous ways that none of the children’s parents believe the stories. Trunchbull grabs one girl by her pigtails and throws her across a field. A little boy who steals a piece of cake is forced to eat an enormous cake so he will get sick.

Trunchbull takes over one class period of each grade in the school every week. When she teaches, she expects there to be a cup and a jug of water on the desk. Matilda’s friend, Lavender, offers to get the water; however, before Trunchbull arrives, Lavender places a newt in the jug. Trunchbull comes in and proceeds to scream insults at and physically abuse students who answer questions incorrectly. She finally pours herself a glass of water, and out comes the newt.

Trunchbull immediately accuses Matilda and threatens to expel her. Matilda, outraged by this false accusation, wishes that the glass would tip over, spilling the newt onto Trunchbull. She stares intently at the glass, and something begins to happen. She is able to push the cup over with her mind. Matilda is shocked. Since she is unable to go to her parents with the information, she confides in Miss Honey.

Miss Honey urges Matilda to be cautious and invites the child to her home so they can discuss Matilda’s unique gift. When Matilda arrives, she is shocked by how bare and small Honey’s home is and begins to ask Honey about her life. As a child, Honey lived in a fine house with her parents. After her mother died, an aunt came to live with Honey and her father. The aunt was abusive, and Honey’s father died under mysterious circumstances.

A presumably fake will was produced that left everything to the aunt. When Honey got a job, the aunt took all of her wages, saying that since raising Honey was expensive, Honey owes her a great deal of money. Honey is left with one pound per week. Through careful planning, Honey was able to move out of her aunt’s house, but one pound per week is barely enough to live on. Honey then reveals that Trunchbull is her aunt.

Matilda formulates a plan to help Honey. She begins to practice using her powers, and once she is strong enough, she sets her plan in motion. When Trunchbull teaches Matilda’s class, Matilda picks up a piece of chalk with her mind and begins to write on the whiteboard. Pretending to be the ghost of Honey’s father, Matilda tells Trunchbull to leave town and give back Honey’s house and wages. Trunchbull faints, and when she awakens, leaves town after giving back Honey’s inheritance and wages.

After Trunchbull leaves, Matilda is moved to a higher grade and her powers stop working. Honey thinks that Matilda’s extraordinary mind needs a challenge. When Matilda was stuck in kindergarten, all of her excess mental energy needed somewhere to go, which resulted in her developing powers. Now that she is being academically challenged, she has less excess mental energy. Matilda is not bothered by the loss of her powers.

Matilda and Honey remain close friends and spend a great deal of time together. One afternoon, Matilda returns home to find her parents frantically packing. They inform her that they are moving to Spain in less than an hour. Distraught, Matilda rushes to Honey’s house. Honey explains that Matilda’s father has been selling stolen cars and is probably on the run from the law. Matilda begs Honey to allow her to stay. Honey agrees that Matilda can live with her, as long as Matilda’s parents agree. They raise no objection, and Matilda and Honey live together quite happily.

Christian Beliefs

Trunchbull is described as walking through a crowd of children like Moses parting the Red Sea. Honey says that if Matilda pushed over the glass with her mind, it would be the greatest miracle performed since the time of Jesus.

Other Belief Systems

Honey warns Matilda to use her powers carefully because they rely on mysterious powers. Honey says that she does not think the powers are evil and that they may be good or divine.

Authority Roles

Matilda’s parents are neglectful and cruel. They often leave Matilda home alone, even as a toddler. They disparage her for reading and verbally abuse her, calling her a twit , cheat , liar , and other insulting words. They are also relatively uneducated and always watch television.

Matilda’s father describes how he cheats his customers by rolling back the mileage on cars’ odometers and putting sawdust in the engines, so that they will run smoothly for about 100 miles before breaking down. He teaches Matilda’s brother about business and finance, but refuses to talk to Matilda about it because she is a girl. He often yells at Matilda.

Matilda’s mother leaves Matilda home alone so she can play bingo. Her mother also says that looks are more important for a girl than education. When Honey talks to Matilda’s parents about her education, they are entirely disinterested and dismissive. When the family moves to Spain, they do not hesitate to leave Matilda with Miss Honey.

Ms. Trunchbull verbally and physically abuses her students. She often punishes students without proof of wrongdoing. It is implied that she beat her niece Honey when they lived together. Trunchbull would push Honey’s head underwater in a bathtub and hold it there. Honey states that Trunchbull cowed and dominated her until she was like a slave. It is suspected that Trunchbull killed her brother-in-law. She also stole Honey’s inheritance and wages. She hates the children at the school and has no real interest in their education.

Honey is kind and caring. She is the only adult, other than the librarian, who cares about Matilda’s well-being and education. After Trunchbull refuses to move Matilda to a higher grade, Honey gives Matilda advanced textbooks to study during class time and instructs her to ask questions at the end of each period.

Though Honey is skeptical about Matilda’s powers at first, she listens and gently asks Matilda if she could knock over the glass again. Honey works hard to support herself and is optimistic despite her difficult situation. She does her best to care for and befriend Matilda, and eventually takes Matilda to live with her.

Profanity & Violence

A– is used once. Heck is used a few times. Oh my gawd appears a few times as well.

Matilda’s parents call each other and their children twit , witch , cheat , liar , ignorant , nasty , freak , wart and stupid . The parents also say “shut up” quite frequently. Trunchbull uses a variety of colorful insults throughout the entirety of the book, such as twerp , foul carbuncle , poisonous pustule , ignorant slug , stupid glob of glue , mangled little wurzel and moth-eaten maggot .

Trunchbull threatens to beat a student’s bottom until she can’t sit down for a month. She also has a tall, narrow cupboard in her office called the Chokey. It has spikes and broken glass all around the sides, and she puts children in it for hours. She throws a student out of a second-floor window for eating candy during a lesson. Trunchbull grabs a girl by her pigtails, swings her around faster and faster, and throws her out of the playground and across the playing fields.

She breaks a large china platter over a student’s head. When a boy answers a math problem incorrectly, Trunchbull holds him aloft by his hair until he says the correct answer. She lifts another student up by his ears, which are said to stretch out significantly. Honey states that she doesn’t believe that her father would have killed himself and implies that Trunchbull murdered him.

Sexual Content

Discussion topics.

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

You can request a review of a title you can’t find at [email protected] .

Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

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The child has one intuitive aim: self development

Book Review: Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda by roald dahl.

Reviewer: Lin Ding aged 7

The main characters in this book are Matilda, Miss Honey and Miss Trunchbull. I liked Matilda because she was very wise and  curious and I liked Miss Honey because she was helpful and kind.

Matilda is a little girl who loves reading. She has superpower eyes. She can use them for lifting and breaking things. She protected the other children in the class from Miss Trunchbull and she helped Miss Honey get her mansion back. At the end she defeated the evil Miss Trunchbull and it is a really happy ending (but you need to read the book to find out what happens).

This book is amazing. There is a lot of fantastic creative imagination. My favourite part was when Matilda poured the water all over Miss Trunchbull to make her swallow the lizard that was in the water. It was super funny. I learnt kindness, bravery and diligence from Matilda.

I strongly recommend this book to all children from ages 7 to 12 I believe they will enjoy the funny story.

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By Roald Dahl

'Matilda' is a children's book by Roald Dahl. It revolves around the story of a 5-year-old girl with advanced intellect and magical powers.

Article written by Neesha Thunga K

B.A. in English Literature, and M.A. in English Language and Literature.

The book is loved by children across the world and is appreciated for the magical tone of its writing. The popularity of ‘ Matilda ‘ has grown over the ages, and the plot of the story grows more and more relevant as time passes.

Spoiler-free Summary of Matilda

Matilda Wormwood is a little girl who is extremely mature for her age. With neglectful parents who do not provide any guidance, she ends up teaching herself how to read. At school, she comes across a wonderful teacher named Miss Honey, who recognizes her potential and tries to get her moved to an advanced class. However, Miss Honey is thwarted in her attempts by the intimidating Miss Trunchbull.

Soon, Matilda discovers that she has magical powers. That is, she can move things with her mind. She also finds out Miss Honey’s deepest secret and is deeply disturbed by it. Matilda, therefore, sets out to act on her newfound knowledge and powers.

Matilda Summary

Spoiler alert: Important details of the novel are revealed below

Matilda is a 5-year-old girl belonging to the Wormwood family. She is nothing like her parents, who are mean and unpleasant. She is also a genius. She has always spoken like an adult and has taught herself to read. Matilda, therefore, spends much of her time reading books in her house while her parents and her brother while their time away in front of the television.

Matilda quickly finishes reading all the books in her house and goes to the local library to find more. The kindly librarian introduces her to classics such as ‘ Tess of the d’Urbervilles ,’ ‘ Great Expectations ‘ by Charles Dickens, and ‘ Jane Eyre .’

Matilda’s father, Mr. Wormwood, is a car salesman. However, he is extremely dishonest and tricks people into buying useless cars. He teaches Michael, Matilda’s brother, the ways of his business. This is when Matilda understands that her father is cheating people. She tries to tell her father that what he is doing is wrong, only to infuriate Mr. Wormwood and be called ignorant and stupid.

Matilda thus retaliates for her parents’ bad behavior in her own way. She pulls a bunch of pranks on them. She gets her dad to glue his hat to his head. She bleaches her father’s hair blonde by swapping out her father’s hair tonic for her mother’s platinum hair dye. She also uses the neighbor’s parrot to deceive her family into thinking that there is a ghost in the dining room. These pranks do not have a lasting impact on her parents, but they teach Matilda to stand up for herself.

Finally, Matilda becomes old enough to go to school. There, she meets a teacher, Miss Honey, who understands her and cares for her. Miss Honey recognizes the potential within Matilda and tries to move her up to an advanced class. Though Matilda can read and write better than any other student in the class, Miss Honey fails in her attempt to move Matilda to a higher grade. The reason is Miss Trunchbull, the headmistress of the school, who believes that Matilda is a naughty child. She thinks that Miss Honey is simply trying to get rid of her. Miss Honey then tries to reason with Matilda’s parents about moving her to an advanced class, but to no avail.

Matilda, however, adjusts to her classmates in Miss Honey’s class very well. She becomes fast friends with another girl named Lavender, who shares her adventurous spirit.

Matilda finds out more about the mean headmistress from her friends, such as Hortensia. The headmistress, referred to as “The Trunchbull”, is mean and abusive. She doles out frightening punishments to students who offend her, including locking them up in the chokey. Matilda witnesses Miss Trunchbull throwing a young girl in pigtails (Amanda Thripp) over the fence of the playground by her hair only because she does not like pigtails. When Miss Trunchbull finds out that a boy named Bruce Bogtrotter stole a piece of cake from the kitchen, she makes Bruce eat an enormous chocolate cake in front of the school as punishment.

Miss Trunchbull takes one of Miss Honey’s classes the following week. Matilda’s friend Lavender volunteers to get a pitcher of water and a glass for Miss Trunchbull before their class begins. As an act of rebellion, she puts a newt into the pitcher, which gets tipped into the glass when Miss Trunchbull tries to drink from it. The headmistress then blames Matilda for the newt, and the injustice of the situation causes Matilda to bubble up with anger. She stares at the glass of water and uses her mind to tip the glass onto the headmistress along with the newt.

Miss Trunchbull leaves the class in a fury, and Matilda informs Miss Honey of her powers. She demonstrates her powers once again, and Miss Honey, amazed, invites her back to her cottage for tea. Matilda discovers that Miss Honey is poor. When she asks her teacher why she cannot afford a nice house and better furniture, Miss Honey replies that a mean aunt has taken away her inheritance and continues to take away her salary. She then reveals that her terrible aunt is Miss Trunchbull.

Matilda is disturbed by this revelation but quickly forms a plan in her mind. She practices her powers for a week and waits for Miss Trunchbull to take her class once again. Miss Trunchbull arrives, and while the headmistress is abusing the students, Matilda lifts a piece of chalk to the board with her magical powers. She writes a message on the blackboard from Miss Honey’s father (Magnus), asking Miss Trunchbull (addressing her as Agatha) to give his house back to his daughter. Miss Trunchbull faints from fright. She leaves the town, never to return.

Miss Honey soon receives the will that her father had left behind, which had hitherto been concealed by Miss Trunchbull. She also receives the deeds to her father’s house and moves into it. Matilda is moved to an advanced class. However, she loses her powers since her mind is challenged with academic work.

One day after school, Matilda returns home to find her family packing to leave for Spain. She asks her father when they plan on returning. Her father tells her that he will never return. Panicking, Matilda runs to Miss Honey and tells her what has happened. Miss Honey informs Matilda that Mr. Wormwood is a crook who deals with criminals and that it is only a matter of time before he runs away. Not wishing to leave Miss Honey, Matilda asks her father if she can stay behind with her. Her father agrees and her family drives away in the car.

What happened to the little girl in ‘ Matilda ‘?

We do not know what happened to the four-year-old girl, Matilda, after the end of the book. However, in October 2018, the original illustrator of the book, Quentin Blake, created illustrations imagining what Matilda would be doing as a grown-up adult. According to him, she might have become several things, including an astrophysicist, an explorer, or the head of the British Library.

Why did the Wormwoods not like Matilda?

Matilda was too different from her parents, Mr. Wormwood and Mrs. Wormwood, for them to understand her. While they liked the simple pleasures in life, such as playing bingo and watching the telly, Matilda did not share these pleasures. As a result, the Wormwoods (including her older brother, Michael,) did not like Matilda.

What is the first object Matilda moves with her eyes?

The first object that Matilda moves with her eyes is the glass holding a newt on Miss Honey’s desk. She is overwhelmed with emotions when Miss Trunchbull yells at her in front of her classmates and ends up tipping the jar over on Miss Trunchbull.

Who killed Miss Honey’s dad?

Miss Honey’s father, Magnus Honey, passed away when Miss Honey was a young girl. The police ruled his death as a case of suicide because of a lack of explanation for his death. However, it is implied in the book that Agatha Trunchbull, Miss Honey’s aunt, killed Magnus Honey and kept all of his inheritance.

What did Miss Trunchbull accuse Matilda of doing? 

Miss Trunchbull accuses Matilda of putting the newt into the jar of water. However, Matilda had nothing to do with the newt in the jar. Through her amazing intelligence, Matilda is able to awaken the powers within her and take revenge.

Why is Lavender guilty?

Lavender feels guilty when Miss Trunchbull accuses Matilda of putting the newt into the glass of water. This is because she was the one who pulled the prank, and she feels guilty that her friend is taking the blame for it. 

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About Neesha Thunga K

Neesha, born to a family of avid readers, has devoted several years to teaching English and writing for various organizations, making an impact on the literary community.

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Book Series Recaps

So what happened in book one.

Review of Matilda

*Our site contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases....hey, we had to upgrade our hosting due to our amazing number of readers...we're just trying to pay for it! ;)*

No spoilers in this review of the Matilda by Roald Dahl .

Special thanks to Sarina Byron, a BSR contributor who wrote this great review! Sarina is a British Author and Contributing Writer living in California. Sarina enjoys bringing forth a different perspective and encouraging a different way of thinking through her writing. Visit her blog to read her reviews, and check the end of the review for a link to her Instagram.

Matilda Wormwood has long fascinated us. Since our first introduction to her in 1988, we have been trying to understand Matilda in multiple ways. Whether by way of the Danny DeVito -directed movie or the Netflix musical , this five-year-old continues to fascinate us for over four decades. One might ask, what makes her special? 

Is it that she can read Dickens and speak with an adult-level vocabulary? Or is it that she has the smarts to punish her neglectful, ignorant, and cruel parents? When I think about Matilda, this is the question that haunts me—What makes Matilda special? 

Keeping her face to the sun

No matter the state of her home or school, Matilda is always cheerful. She was raised within a family that barely bothered to tend to her needs. She learnt to feed and dress herself when she was two years old. No one bothered to teach her the alphabet, and yet she learnt to read. Her determination brought her to the library where she continued to further her education. When she joins Crunchem Hall, her bright future is clouded over by the terrifying Headmistress, Miss Trunchbull. 

Despite all these drawbacks, she finds a way to stay cheerful. Her spirit is undefeated in the face of numerous setbacks. Her hindrances are placed by the very people who are meant to help her. Nevertheless, at no point does one see Matilda despair. Even at five years old, she knows that she alone is enough, and there is always a way. Something about her “keep your face to the sun” attitude makes our heart go out to her. Perhaps we’ll never know if we could have been as strong as Matilda when we were children. But she fortifies our confidence in the strength of the young. In her own words . . . 

“ Children are not so serious as grown-ups and they love to laugh.” 

Never suffering bullies

Matilda’s father makes a minor linguistic error. He tells her, “When a person is bad, that person has to be taught a lesson.” As the masterful Roald Dahl points out, when Mr. Wormwood used person instead of child, he taught Matilda a valuable lesson—punishments are not limited to children. Matilda makes a connection. So far, she understood bullying behavior as incorrect, but now she feels empowers to punish them. 

Deeply insightful, she is instantly able to identify unfair treatment. She can follow the lane of logic, spotting any deviations or roadblocks placed by bullies. Amongst her other enduring legacies, this one jumps out the most. Roald Dahl enriches her character with his dislike for bullies. Using the example of the most innocent creature he can think of, he teaches us to speak up for ourselves, like when Matilda tells The Trunchbull she has indeed read Nicholas Nickleby . Why should someone else feel entitled to wipe out her achievements? Another instance Matilda takes charge is the time she mixes peroxide in her father’s hair oil to punish him for destroying her library book. 

Matilda’s perspective impacts more people than she intends to. Miss Honey had never spoken of her miserable existence until she meets this gifted child. She isn’t fighting fit yet, but she is strong enough to confront how she feels. In Miss Honey’s own words:

“You can’t imagine what it’s like to be completely controlled by a very strong personality. It turns you to jelly.”

Take it from Miss Honey: Never allow anyone to turn you to jelly, no matter who they are. 

Going the whole haul 

When Lavender wonders aloud how The Trunchbull got away with her atrocious behavior, Matilda’s answer drips with deep insight. 

“Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is completely crazy, it’s unbelievable.”

A perfect assessment of the Headmistress’s attitude, this statement is also a fantastic decree to live by. Matilda understands that the more outrageous you are, the more unbelievable your actions appear to people, increasing your chances of success. Perhaps we could all live like that. So many of us would rather give up on our dreams than be ridiculous. Maybe trading in reason and logic for over the top and absurd will deliver us from being disappointed in ourselves. 

Even in denouncing a great terror, Matilda gives us something valuable. 

Going forward is paramount

The thing about life is, as much as we love to look back, we have to keep moving forward. However, we almost always forget that. Looking back is tempting because it makes sense as we neatly arrange things in the order they occurred and insert lessons we learnt. Life though, is not lived in retrospect; it is always lived forward.

“The whole object of life Headmistress is to go forward”

Roald Dahl delivers this fantastic life insight via Miss Honey, reminding us of the power of great writing. What makes books relatable is not perfect grammar or prose-filled sentences but the ability to connect. Roald Dahl has masterfully built the characters and chapters to deliver sagacious lessons. Matilda’s story does so in every chapter, thereby touching our hearts more often than we are prepared for. After all, a book has a larger purpose than the story. 

As I closed Matilda and reflected on what I would include in my review, several simple lessons stood out. There is plenty of expert storytelling and character building to reflect upon, but what we really take away is the relatable parts. Children’s books are often overlooked, but the truth is, the well-written ones connect the most with adults. You see, they’re built to deliver important life lessons in the simplest way possible. Maybe we can all do with a reminder from our early years, or perhaps we can leave the job to Matilda!

Let us know what you think about Matilda and Sarina’s great review in the comments! No spoilers on this page, please!

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Falling in Love with Reading & Roald Dahl’s Matilda | 25 Years of Matilda

Penguin Teen: I think it’s safe to say that Matilda falls head over heels in love with books. She takes a wagon to gather them from the library. She hides away in her room and reads them for hours. She loves the worlds, the knowledge, the writing. What was it like for you to fall in love with books for the first time? Was it similar to Matilda’s experience? Do you remember reading  Matilda  for the first time?

Bianca Schulze:  For me, falling in love with books could be compared with a romantic comedy in which a woman awakens one day only to realize that the boy she’s always considered her best friend is actually the man she wants to marry. Books have always been accessible to me: my mom read to me as a child, my mom read her own books in front of me and would disappear into the pages for hours, and I have had a library card for as long as I can remember—and lots of late fees too. However, it wasn’t until I became a parent that I realized that these objects full of words were a lifelong passion—I had always enjoyed books, but I was now officially “in love” with books.

I never considered myself a bookworm, but reflecting back to my childhood years I have some very fond memories that involve books and that would indicate I was always destined to be a lover of books:

• I used to build homes for Barbie out of Golden Books.
• I would spend entire recess and lunch breaks searching for Waldo in the  Where’s Waldo? books.
• I dreamed of running my own babysitting club just like the characters in Ann M. Martin’s series The Baby-sitters Club .
• I listened to many books on tape— The Wizard of Oz book on tape scared me, but I tortured myself regularly with the flying monkeys and dramatic background music.
• I also, of course, delighted in the wonderfully wicked worlds that Roald Dahl created in his books.

I can whole-heartedly say that my experience of falling in love with books was similar to Matilda’s: Once I realized how much I love to read, I immersed myself in literature—I even went as far as creating this blog! I only wish that I had realized how much I enjoyed the company of books as early as Matilda did—she’s a little genius! Now, perhaps if I had actually read Matilda as a child, it’s possible I would have connected the dots and found my calling as a literature enthusiast much sooner—perhaps I’d even be a published author.

Throughout my childhood, I read many of Dahl’s other books:  James and the Giant Peach , Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator , Fantastic Mr. Fox , The Witches , The Twits (my second favorite) and (my favorite) Revolting Rhymes . Dahl’s talent lies within his power to create poignant satire—his ability to touch the hearts of young readers through absurdity is unmarked. This is why I am so thrilled to introduce Roald Dahl to my seven-year-old with the book loving character Matilda. I will always remember the first time I read Matilda because I’m currently sharing this moment with my daughter who so clearly is already in love with books. I know I am creating a lifelong reader and, with any luck, a reader that will continue to have a wickedly good sense of humor. Thank you Roald Dahl (forever in my reading heart) for your creative writing and thank you Matilda for empowering young girls to be knowledgeable and brave!

About Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Llandaff, South Wales, and went to Repton School in England. His parents were Norwegian, so holidays were spent in Norway. As he explains in Boy, he turned down the idea of university in favor of a job that would take him to “a wonderful faraway place.” In 1933 he joined the Shell Company, which sent him to Mombasa in East Africa. When World War II began in 1939 he became a fighter pilot and in 1942 was made assistant air attaché in Washington, where he started to write short stories. His first major success as a writer for children was in 1964. Thereafter his children’s books brought him increasing popularity, and when he died children mourned the world over.  Matilda  was published just two years before he died. Quentin Blake, the first Children’s Laureate of the United Kingdom, has illustrated most of Roald Dahl’s children’s books.

Book Overview

Matilda is a genius. Unfortunately, her family treats her like a dolt. Her crooked car-salesman father and loud, bingo-obsessed mother think Matilda’s only talent is as a scapegoat for everything that goes wrong in their miserable lives. But it’s not long before the sweet and sensitive child decides to fight back. Faced with practical jokes of sheer brilliance, her parents don’t stand a chance. Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.

Add this book to your collection:   Matilda

Be sure to visit the Official  Matilda  Facebook page to keep up with all things Matilda! To find out more about  Matilda the Musical on Broadway , visit their Facebook page!

For the next stop on the Matilda 25th Anniversary blog tour, head to Live to Read !

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Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

Just saw the musical in New York about a month ago. It was hilarious. Miss Trunchbull was the star of the show for sure. No one can do absurd, sweet and dark all at the same time quite like Dahl.

I’m so envious that you have watched the musical!! I really hope to see it sometime.

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Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

Every so often a very remarkable child comes into the world, a child who is not only kind and lovable, but  who is also incredibly intelligent and clever. Matilda Wormwood is such a child. Matilda was able to read by the time she was three, and when she was five she was ploughing her way through all the books in the library, eagerly exploring the joys of Dickens, Kipling, and Hemingway. Matilda has a problem though; Matilda has the most dreadful parents imaginable, parents who never read a book, and who do not care about their sweet little daughter one little bit.

When Matilda starts to go to school she encounters a new problem. The headmistress of her school, Miss Trunchbull, is the most horrible schoolmistress ever put on the planet. Miss Trunchbull hates children, especially the littlest ones, and Matilda soon discovers that there is no good side to the dreadful bully - Miss Trunchbull is bad all the way through. Thankfully, Matilda has a wonderful, caring and very understanding teacher, Miss Honey, who quickly recognizes that Matilda is a very extraordinary little girl. Miss Honey does all she can to help Matilda, and in return Matilda comes up with a unique and delicious plan to help Miss Honey.

This wonderful tale about a child who triumphs over the cruel and stupid adults in her life will delight children. They will laugh at the wonderful ways in which Matilda vents her frustration, and they will certainly find the happy ending most satisfactory. Roald Dahl’s deliciously funny character descriptions and his obvious disapproval of adults who don’t understand children will strike a chord with young and old readers alike.

Quentin Blake’s funny line drawings perfectly capture Matilda’s innocence and the sheer nastiness of her parents and Miss Trunchbull.

Review Written by Marya Jansen-Gruber

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Book Review: Matilda

Roald Dahl's Matilda, is a good short read. The concept of a heroine rising to action is decently intriguing. However, the book feels very lackluster with its characters being so one dimensional. While the characters are great for its intended audience, creating some depth to characters can always benefit a novel. Overall, the book is great for younger reader and those looking for a short book that has a lot of fun packed into it.