Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
by Roald Dahl
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 740L · 191 pages · 1992
Why we'd hand it over
Dahl's masterpiece—darkly funny, morally coherent, and genuinely strange in a way that keeps kids thinking long after; the consequences for each child are memorable precisely because they're absurd, not cruel.
What parents said
Matilda (Kate Winslet's narration is incredible)
She loves charlotte's web (deals with death in a healthy way), Stuart little, Matilda, Charlie and the chocolate factory. We just finished treasure island and she said it's her favorite.