Matilda

Title: Matilda 
Author: Roald Dahl
ISBN: 

Title: Matilda 
Author: Roald Dahl
ISBN: 9780141301068
Published: Dec 1988
Awards: Awards for Best Read Aloud
Genre: fiction, humor
Characters: Matilda, Mrs Phelps, Miss Honey, Trunchbull
Reading Level: 5th grade
Interest Level: 4th-6th grade
Plot Summary: Matilda is little girl who is a genius. She is able to do large math problems in her head and even taught herself to read. Despite this her parents think Matilda is a burden and prefer to ignore their daughter. They can't understand why Matilda would rather read then watch TV like the rest of the family. Matilda finds solace at the library where the librarian, recognizing Matilda's intelligence, has her reading books that speak to Matilda's imagination and love of literature. Matilda soon attends school and is lucky enough to have the sweet and wonderful Miss Honey for a teacher. What Matilda isn't so lucky to have is the evil and wicked headmistress Trunchbull. Matilda soon discovers that she isn't just smart but her mind give her magical powers.
Review: Matilda is a classic story that has stood the test of time. Dahl has huge appeal to tweens with his witty humor and magical realism. Readers will love Matilda and her intelligence. The cruelty of Trunchbull and Matilda's parents makes the reader want Matilda to triumph even more. It's a wonderful feeling when Matilda is finally adopted by Miss Honey. Even though Dahl does have some adults as vilians he does include characters like Mrs Phelps and Miss Honey in the story who are caring adults who want to help Matilda. While most readers will never experience adults with such cruelty I think it shows that even a small and quiet kid like Matilda can stand up to evil.
Reader's Annotation: Matilda is not just smart, she is a genius. But her parents would rather she watch TV than read a book. But soon Matilda finds that her mind is more powerful than she thought.
Main Themes: family, school, good vs evil, magic
Read Alikes: Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Why for Tweens? Any tween that has ever had a mean teacher will be cheering for Matilda to take down the evil Trunchbull. The books shows how despite being small and young, Matilda is able to make a difference. The book also features great humor and wit that tweens will love.