Woohoo! Kidlit discussion!

I think Witches is probably the most disturbing of Dahl's books, in a lot of ways. Which doesn't mean that his others aren't disturbing (there's a reason Tim Burton is remaking Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in his signature style), but it went far beyond the norm.

In my opinion, the best Roald Dahl book is Matilda. But that may be because, as with all really smart kid characters, I identified with her a lot, and admired her, and wanted to read as much as I could about her. James and the Giant Peach was also a favorite.

The Great Brain was one of the best series ever. My favorite was the one when he was at school, that was brill.

Superfudge and related were hilarious.

I was a big fan of Cam Jansen, too. Though, looking back, I'm not really sure why.

Bizarro title of the day:

"Edward IV., a play in four acts, with swimming instructions."

published 1868 in London. Available in the libraries of Cambridge University if you're close by and want to check.

Roald Dahl freaked me out! I used to think that because I didn't like his stuff I must not have a a very good imagination. I realize now that everything I read (and imagined) was very real to me and most of Dahl's books have some pretty crappy stuff hapening to nice kids and that made me sad. Anyone else have that problem?

Saw Witches the movie in my early teens and I thought it was scary then. I also thought the movie of Harry Potter 2 was rather scary at 23 so I may not be the best judge...

Ordinarily, I find Angelica Huston frightening. Even in movies like The Crossing Guard. Witches was that much scarier.

One of my earliest clear memories is of trying to reach the Cam Jensen books in the school library-- I was a first-grader, and very short, and even with a step-stool I could only just reach the top shelf. I couldn't actually see what I was getting, either, so I read the series all out of order, depending on which one I could actually reach that day.

In my opinion, the best Roald Dahl book is Matilda.

Such a wonderful book. And the film adaptation is lovely, too--the recent bout of gobbling down Dahls has made me appreciate it even more; it's full of echoes of and little nods to not only the novel Matilda but all the Roald Dahliness of all his kid's books and his life. Clearly a labor of love.

I realize now that everything I read (and imagined) was very real to me and most of Dahl's books have some pretty crappy stuff hapening to nice kids and that made me sad. Anyone else have that problem?

I was going to say that his books remind me of Time Bandits for some reason- that seems to be the reason. Not that I don't remember liking his books just the same.

I used to think that because I didn't like his stuff I must not have a a very good imagination. I realize now that everything I read (and imagined) was very real to me and most of Dahl's books have some pretty crappy stuff hapening to nice kids and that made me sad. Anyone else have that problem?

That would have been me.

I always associated Raold Dahl with Shel Silverstein. Maybe because of all the weird stuff that happens to kids.

Horrible things happen to the kids, and horrible things happen to the adults.

Which extends past his kids books. He's a horrible man.