Independent reading level: Grades 4-6
Awards:
Wins New England Round Table of Children’s Librarians Award 1972
Wins Surrey School award 1973
Wins Millennium Children’s Book Award and Blue Peter Book Award 2000

I grew up with the Gene Wilder movie by the same name, still love it to this day. I remember reading Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator when I was young, but do not recall whether I'd read this first, or read it as a follow-up to the movie. I've seen the re-make, and was really interested to discover that many of the things that were different in that movie, compared to the original, were actually in the book.

Anyway, about the book—I really enjoyed reading it. My eleven-year-old daughter read it before me, and she liked it a lot too. The characters and situations are often over the top, which certainly adds to the fantastic feel that the factory and Wonka's inventions provide. It makes me sad to see how many people claim that Wonks is a slaver, considering that if you actually read the book, it's clear that the Oompa Loompas were living terrible lives when he found them. They are fed and housed and seem to be genuinely happy. Anything past that is something we read into the story, as we have no way of knowing if they even want to leave this massive factory complex, nor what would happen if they did.

That's my take on it, at least—I prefer to enjoy the story for what it is, not think about what kind of OSHA violations Wonka would have to deal with if the story took place in real life. I recommend it to kids who are up for a dark-yet-fun read. ( )

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a classic children’s novel by Roald Dahl that tells the story of a poor boy named Charlie who wins a golden ticket to visit the amazing chocolate factory of Willy Wonka, a mysterious and eccentric chocolatiee. ( )

One of my New Years Resolutions was the read more "classics" this year, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one of the first I was able to pick up. I was so lucky that I found this book at a local charity book sale! It was screaming my name the minute I saw it on the table and it's been screaming my name while it's been sitting on my bookshelf (well...desk. My bookshelves are rather full. I need to get reading faster and more to clear some room...).

I've seen both of the movies (Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp) so I knew what was coming. It was going to be a book full of shenanigans with some humor and lessons sprinkled throughout. And boy, did it not disappoint! I have to say, Roald Dahl is one amazing author and I really want to read more by him now. This classic is so full of childish nonsense and valuable lessons all at the same time. It's mesmerizing what this man could do with his words.

The book has some deep, dark material that comes off as playful. Charlie and his family weren't well off and Roald make that very, very clear. Yet the prose he puts this narrative in makes it seem... fun? Silly? I can't even pick the right word. As an adult, I am in awe of how this family survived but I could easily see a child laughing their way through. A child would truly have no idea what the horror of starving is like, yet it is described so amazingly in this book...

Seriously, I'm in awe. I am in complete and utter awe over this man's writing. He's a literary genius, to say the least.

There are parts as an adult that I can pick apart, but I don't think this book was intended to be some literary work that needs to be examined like Shakespeare. This book shows the good and the bad of being a kid - don't be stubborn, don't be a brat, don't watch television all day, don't go ahead without listening - stuff that we all learn as a kid. Charlie is the "perfect" child who listens and does what he is supposed to, and in the end he wins. Is this how life works? Nope. Is it still important to teach? Heck yes!

Wonka is such a wild and interesting character too. He's a very old adult but doesn't act like it who employs Oompa Loompa and pays them in cacoa beans. He has a giant workshop but no workers and wants to give a child his only life's work. Yes, that makes so much sense... Not. But it's believable in this book, because he's so wild and zany... I'd love to see a perfect adaption of this book - word for word, picture for picture, etc.

The language, dark humour and sarcasm in this book also make it absolutely hilarious. Snozzberries gets me every time! And Wonka's absolutely amazing sarcasm against the children... Well, it's mean but it's funny. So funny. I found myself giggling at how ridiculous some of the comments were, yet I still loved it all the same.

Either way, this book is amazing! I wish I would have read it as a kid but reading it as an adult was so much funnier! Amazingly enough, this book only took me two days to finish.

Five out of five stars!

I need some more Roald Dahl in my life! ( )

More of an adult type story......oomoa loompas were harsh lol ( )