The Complete Adventures of Charlie and Willy Wonka (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory / Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator)
by Roald Dahl
Middle grade · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 740L · 334 pages · 3
Why we'd hand it over
Dahl's masterpiece works at every level: the fantasy captures kids' imaginations, the social satire lands for rereading adults, and Charlie's decency feels radical in a culture of entitlement.