The Top Five Roald Dahl Novels, by Matthew MacNish

The wagon outside the cottage where he wrote Danny, the Champion of the World

Today I would like to celebrate the world's greatest children's author (note: this is my personal opinion, and is not meant to disparage Judy Blume, who is obviously amazing, but did not much appeal to me as a boy, because her books were for girls, ew).

Roald Dahl is perhaps the most well known author of middle grade titles in the world. Or at least he was before there was such a thing as middle grade and young adult, and books were either children's books or something else. I don't say this to take anything away from any other authors, and I'm sure my love for his books is influenced by the fact that I was born at the height of his success, but even if you don't consider him the best EVAH, surely you have enjoyed at least one of his tales (and if not, you might want to get on that, like STAT).

Anyway, regardless of where he ranks on the Matthew-MacNish-greatest-children's-authors-in-history-scaleTM, today I would like to share with you my top five favorite Roald Dahl novels, in order, from nearly favorite to very favorite!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Such a wonderful, magical book. From Willy Wonka to the Oompa Loompas, to the eponymous chocolate factory, there is so much imagination in this book. I love it with all my heart. However, while I'm well aware that many people might list this as their favorite Dahl novel, for me it is only my nearly-favorite. Only because there are so many other wonderful ones! Like: 

The BFG

As an adult with the humor bone of a twelve-year-old boy, I can never help but think of the title of this book standing for something very silly. However, while this book is full of fun and silliness, it's actually quite adorable. It also doesn't hurt that it is actually an expansion of a part of my very favorite Dahl book, shown below.

Matilda

Oh Matilda, you precocious little genius you! Matilda is probably my favorite Dahl protagonist. The ways in which she stands up to her situation are so adorable, but also so inspiring. I mean it's all fantasy, of course, but it's also so real. This book also gets a bonus for having one of the best two movie adaptations of a Dahl book (see the next entry for the other one).

James and the Giant Peach

Other than Gremlins, this is Roald Dahl's first book. It's a story about a small boy who escapes his cruel aunts inside a giant peach filled with giant insects (it's not that simple, obviously, but we're in a hurry here) and then sails it across the Atlantic, by luring a flock of seagulls into towing it. I mean, it all makes perfect sense, right? As wild and ridiculous as it sounds, this is one of the greatest children's stories ever written, and it also has a most excellent film adaptation.

Danny, the Champion of the World

I don't know if I can put my finger on exactly what it is about this book. Perhaps it was the fact that I was about Danny's age when I read it. Perhaps it was the fact that I lost my mother not long after. Perhaps it was the fact that fathers and sons are ... well, fathers and sons. I don't know exactly, but this is my all time favorite Roald Dahl novel, and it's a somewhat less well known one than most, so if you have not read it, I highly recommend you remedy that.

Roald Dahl in 1954

Books, Boys, and Gordon Korman

As I've said here before, it's not always easy to find books that interest both my boys. Now that they're getting older (Happy eleventh birthday, Noah!), they're developing their own tastes, and my recommendations don't always fly. That's why it's been so fun to discover together Gordon Korman's books.


Gordon Korman has written dozens of books over the last three decades, everything from the young adult books A SEMESTER IN THE LIFE OF A GARBAGE CAN (one of my favorite titles ever) and the more recent SCHOOLED and EVEREST to the middle-grade books THE SIXTH-GRADE NICKNAME GAME and 39 CLUES. 
   
Gordon writes in a variety of styles and with a never-ending collection of memorable characters and produces books for every kind of kid. Here are the books we've enjoyed the last few months:


SWINDLE and ZOOBREAK:
Best friends Ben and Griffin right the wrongs in their community by concocting elaborate plans involving stolen baseball cards, animal heists, and villains with perfect nicknames.



THE TOILET PAPER TIGERS and THE CHICKEN DOESN'T SKATE:
I don't have one sporty bone in my body, and yet I've still been able to enjoy these books that include a small-town underdog baseball team headed up by a brilliant-but-clueless scientist and his savvy, blackmailing New York granddaughter and a science-experiment chicken that becomes a hockey-team mascot.
 

It's great to know we have so many more Korman titles to choose from in the months and years ahead!


What contemporary titles do your boys or male students gravitate toward?

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

This post originally ran at Caroline by line December 2011.
My boys are at an age when my suggestions for read alouds aren't always greeted with enthusiasm. There are times I'm able to win them over by reading a few chapters, but more often than not, they'll turn down my titles and suggest something of their own.  At eight and ten, I can hardly blame them for developing their own tastes -- it's a good thing! But it does make me a little sad when they show little to no interest in titles I've enjoyed in the past or new books I would like to read.  Enter THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET. I bought a copy of HUGO while teaching in Louisiana (thank you, Scholastic Book Orders!) but had never gotten around to reading it. When I learned there would soon be a movie based on the book (now nominated for a gazillion Oscars), I decided to give the story a try with my boys. I'm so glad I did.  

 We raced through HUGO in a couple of days. Both boys finished before I did then indulged me in reading the ending again. The combination of pictures and words and the mysterious nature of the storyline really held their attention. 

 Last week I took them to see the movie. It did not disappoint. The natural lighting used to mimic the style of early film, the Paris-as-cogworks opening image -- it was wonderful. All three of us loved the experience and the way the story unfolded on the screen. It was interesting to see what changes were made in the book's translation into a visual story:

• stronger development of the villainous station master
• the addition of several dream sequences
• The absence of the character, Etienne

For those of you who have both read the book and seen the movie, I'd love to hear your impressions. 

The Rose Boys on Life as an Author's Kid

My boys, Noah, 10, and Caleb, 8, weigh in on what it’s like to live with a writer in the family. I'll be honest: not all their answers are flattering and have shown me a few things I'd like to do better in the mom department. But a couple made me smile. Without further ado, I give you the Rose Boys.

What’s one good thing about having a mom who’s an author?

N: You like books.

C: You get money so we can do special things, like buy our dog, Boo.

What’s one bad thing about having a mom who’s an author?

N: Sometimes, when no one else is at home and I want to do something with you, I can’t because you’re writing your story.

C: You go on your blog and don’t do stuff with us. Not always, but it seems like it.

Describe May B. in one sentence:

N: May B. is scared when the Oblingers don’t come back, so she basically hides in the house.

C: It’s a survival story.

Finish this sentence: At first I thought May B. would be ______ . Now I think _______.

N: Boring. Now I think it’s good.

C: Good and it was good. I knew Mom would be a good author.

Why should boys read this book?

N: More girls should read it, but boys should read it too because she’s not really girly and she doesn’t play with girl toys like My Little Pony.

C: I think girls would read it more. Boys won’t read it because a girl’s in the story. I think it’s good. I don’t care there’s a girl in the story.

Thank you, boys, for sharing your experience with Project Mayhem!