Matilda
by Roald Dahl
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 820L · 2022
Why we'd hand it over
The gold standard for gifted kids and any child who feels underestimated; Dahl's dark humor makes abuse survivable rather than sanitizing it, and Matilda's quiet competence is more powerful than any superhero arc.
What parents said
Matilda (Kate Winslet's narration is incredible)
Since he's a strong reader, eventually he'll find what we would call 'the magic book,' the one that gets him hooked as a lifelong reader.