Roald Dahl books your child will love!

It would have have been Roald Dahl's 100th birthday this month. A familiar story writer if you grew up reading his books. 

In the eyes of many, Roald Dahl is one great storyteller since history. His stories have been fancifully imagined and ever captivating to the little readers out there. If your kids are between the ages of 6 to 12, his books are likely to work through the heart of theirs. It's a shame that not all his books made it into my childhood reading list. I am however, very much glad that Jazz is taking pleasure in reading almost of all his books.

Jazz may be an avid reader, but she is also one picky reader who selects her books with an interesting synopsis. Once she gets hold of a good read, she is likely to dive into it repeatedly. I find it amusing at how she can read and re-read a book more than once. I guess, good things are meant to be savoured over and over again.

In midst of her huge Roald Dahl collection, I asked her for 4 best titles that will delight any child in devouring from one page to another. Here's what she recommended:

1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

We know right! This has got to top the list. 

Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last! But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. Mr Wonka devises a plan to hide 5 golden tickets beneath the wrappers of his famous chocolate bars. Charlie Bucket can't believe his luck when he finds the very last of Mr Willy Wonka's Golden Tickets inside his chocolate bar. He wins a magical tour around Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory and sees the most amazing creations. One by one, the other four children on the tour cause some major trouble and are carried  away. Charlie is the only child who doesn't cause trouble, and Willy Wonka tells him he won! What did he win? The whole chocolate factory. Mr Wonka wants someone to take over for him when he gets old. 

It's a very sweet and heart-warming book to devour.

After reading this book, you may want to hunt down its movie. There are two adaptions of it, we caught the 2005 released, directed by Tim Burton. A nice and heart-warming watch. So good, that we caught it more than once.

2. Matilda
 

Matilda Wormwood is only five years old, but she is an exceptional genius. Unfortunately her parents failed to notice that. During her toddlerhood, Matilda asks her Dad for a book and is pressured to watch television instead. She discovers the library and reads the classics, not simple children's books. She is however, chastised by her parents for her intelligence. Worse, her horrible headmistress Miss Trunchbull is a bully who makes life difficult for Matilda's teacher, Miss Honey, and her friends. But what Miss Trunchbull doesn't know is that Matilda has a trick or two up her sleeve, she has supernatural powers that can manipulate objects. Matilda uses this to her full advantage both with her parents and Miss Trunchbull. Just as her parents are caught in a cheating business scheme, and about to move, Matilda moves in with Miss Honey, where the two live happily and smartly together.

You will be very amazed at the wits Matilda possesses, as you read along. Matilda won the Children's Book Award shortly after it was published in 1988, and it has continued to delight audiences ever since.

Again, do hunt down its movie after reading. A lovely watch that our family enjoyed tremendously. Released in 1996 and driected by Danny DeVito. There's a musical on it too! We haven't got an opportunity to catch it.  

3. The BFG

The Big Friendly Giant is unlike other giants. For a start, he doesn't like to eat people and it's not long before he becomes orphan Sophie's very best friend. He is one giant who captured dreams and kept them in bottles for children to enjoy while they were asleep. The dream-hunting giant takes orphan Sophie back to his cave in Giant Country, where he lives surrounded by nine other fearsome giants who spend every night guzzling down humans. Sophie learns that the giant is called the Big Friendly Giant (The BFG) because he does not eat humans. Sophie isn't able to go back to the orphanage because the BFG is afraid she'll tell others about the existence of giants and he'll be forced to live in a zoo. 

The two devise a plan to mix up a nightmare for the Queen of England so that they can stop the giants from ever eating another human being.  Or, as the giants call them, human beans. The BFG speaks in quite a turned-around way, but we always understand him. He tells Sophie, "Words...is oh such a twitch-tickling problem to me all my life. So you must simply try to be patient and stop squibbling. As I am telling you before, I know exactly what words I am wanting to say, but somehow or other they is always getting squiff-squiddled around."

The name, Sophie was inspired by Roald Dahl's granddaughter, Sophie Dahl. And as you can read, speaking in proper language is not BFG's forte. So if you are one fussy parent about reading perfect English, this may be a book you want to delay or avoid. Just in case, he begins speaking and writing like one. But it really is one great story! 

And yes, the movie adaption is in the cinemas! Oh wait, is it still showing?

4.  The Witches

The witches is an award-winning story by Roald Dahl about a boy, his grandmother and a hotel full of witches. It's not a fairy tale, but about real witches. 

This is a book about 'real witches', the ones that absolutely loathe children and are always plotting to get rid of them. The Grand High Witch of all the World has gathered together the witches of Inkland for an annual conference at the Hotel Magnificent in Bournemouth. Their agenda is the elimination of all the children in the country and the prospects for their young victims look bleak. But the Grand High Witch and her cronies have reckoned without the spark and ingenuity of a young guest at the hotel and his rather brilliant grandmother.

It does sound a tad creepy, but if my not so brave girl can handle, I'm sure it would delight any child. At least we know, Roald Dahl's stories are always with a beautiful end. "Read how the witches schemed to turn the children into mice, but failed" said Jazz.

Once your child gets onto these books, read on to these other titles by Roald Dahl. Highly recommended by Jazz too. 

• Fantastic Mr. Fox
• George's Marvelous Medicine
• The Twits 

Are any of these your child's favourite too? 

A good storybook helps encompass reading as part of a lifestyle, and a good book is any book your child likes. Reading is probably the best tutor for any child. 

If your child has not started on chapter books, read a chapter a day to your child nightly. It will send your child sweet into dreams. And of course, use that animated voice when reading the BFG. It will be fun!
 

GIVEAWAY 
Books are gifts that you can open again and again. Here's the dessert - We love that children read, we love that children visit the library and we want to advocate the love for reading. We don't have the riches of the World, but we would like to bless 2 little readers with the titles "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory" and "The BFG" with our pocket money. Not from Jazz's collection, as she really treasures them.

To join the giveaway, we will be happy and appreciative that you:
1. Like Mum's calling on Facebook

2. Leave a comment on this Facebook post to tell us which title your child will like, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory OR The BFG

That's it! And of course, we wouldn't mind that you share this post with your friends, because reading is for everyone, and sharing is caring!

Giveaway ends on 10 October, 2359hrs. 

This giveaway has ended, Congrats Chong Swee S. and Jessie L!