Who Was Roald Dahl?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by True Kelley, Who H.Q., Stephen Marchesi (Illustrator)

Just in time for Roahl Dahl Month!

Roald Dahl is one of the most famous children's book authors ever. Now in this Who Was . . . ? biography, children will learn of his real-life adventures. A flying ace for the British Air Force, he was married to an Academy Award-winning actress. He also wrote books and screenplays for adults. Entertaining and readable, this biography has 80 black-and-white illustrations.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Middle Grade

112 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2012

Reviews

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Project Learning English by myself through children's books.
Page 96: "Roald Dahl wanted the money that he made to go to good causes. While he was alive, he was generous toward many hospitals, charities, and individuals.

After he died, Liccy '(his second wife)' started the Roald Dahl Foundation to continue giving to worthy causes. It has now become Roald Dahl's Marvellous Children's Charity.

Because so many people in Roald's family suffered brain injuries, the charity gives grants in neurology, the study of the brain.

Roald believed that reading was very important. He supported causes that helped kids read and write...

Today, ten percent of the author royalties made from Roald Dahl's works go to charities."

[Mischenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. So many facts and I learned so much about him I didn't know. Even though this is a middle grade book, I'd recommend it to any Roald Dahl fan!

[PorshaJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Mischenko for turning me onto this book/series. I enjoyed this quick read and learned quite a bit about Roald Dahl. Now I want to read the rest of his works. A very quick read with cute drawings.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Was Roald Dahl? by True Kelley is one of the super great ones of the series! It tells a lot of the inside scoop of this extraordinary man. I learned so much from this book! Wow! His war record, personal life, and so much more I don't want to give away! A must read for anyone that loves his books or him. A man of many mysteries. Loved this book.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super interesting! My Parents got this book after reading the BFG book (and seeing the movie). I'm a big Roald Dahl fan - so it was wonderful learning more about his unusual life! Very inspirational for kids who want to be authors, too...

[Rita Araújo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." - Roald Dahl

[Johnny G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It takes a unique imagination to write children's books, and that is certainly what Roald Dahl had. However, this book was more than just about the man who wrote so many popular titles - it was about a family man who had up and down personality swings and a tough family life. I now know that most of his ideas for his stories came from real-life situations. Glad my Book Club partner and I chose this one!

[Mariah Roze · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currently trying to read every book by Roald Dahl for 2017. When I saw that there was a "Who Was…" about him I had to read it.

Even though I have read Roald's two autobiographies I still learned a little bit of new information.

Roald Dahl flew ace for the British Air Force. He was married to an actress (new information to me). He also wrote books and screenplays for adults and did so much more! You will have to read to find out :)

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly fascinating and packed with a lot of facts for a shorter biography. Roald Dahl must have experienced about everything a person could experience in life. This will definitely inspire the reader to go on a tear reading his books.

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a few interesting facts.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roald Dahl had a tragic life, and it wasn't until later in life, he began writing children's stories. His stories are legendary, and very imaginative.

[Grace Grabham · Rating 5 out of 5]

November
Who Was Roald Dahl?
True Kelley

Roald Dahl flew a fighter plane in the military, but that's not what you would know him for today. Roald Dahl was an author who wrote your favorite children's books such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and The BFG. Dahl was born in 1916 in Wales, and his mother is the one who inspired him to write fantasy books like these. When he was very young, Dahl's mother created stories of magical creatures and read them to her son. This happened up until he went to school. When Dahl and his friends stuck a rat in a candy jar at a candy shop, they were hit and his mom took him out of that school. This happened until he had been in three schools in total, each one more strict than the last. Every day at school, Dahl wrote to his mother. This went on every day for 40 years until she passed away. Dahl grew older and was inspired to start writing. First, he tried to write for adults, but that didn't work out very well. Only a few of his adult books are well known around the world. Next, he tried writing children's books. This worked out very well for him, so he continued to write these books and now all of your favorite kids books are here today. In 1990, Roald Dahl died. He is still known for and will be known for his fantastic children's books.

The theme of the book is to keep trying to achieve your goals. Dahl kept trying to find what was right for him and he never stopped trying. First, he joined the military. He kept on getting hurt, so he took a break from that and started writing. At first Dahl tried writing adult books, but this didn't really work for him very well. Finally, Dahl wrote a children's book. This book became popular, so Dahl wrote more and more children's books. He wrote for his whole life up until he passed away in 1990. Never give up and you can reach your goals one by one.

[Amanda up North · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the Who Is/Was series, and found this among the better biographies I've read from it. It expanded my knowledge on the life of Roald Dahl - what an interesting guy! Art collector, chocolate lover, plane crash survivor, WWII hero and flying ace, - experiencing terrible tragedy as a father of five children, and he had impact on health and medicine - helping to invent a brain shunt and revolutionizing recovery in stroke survivors.
It's also very blunt about the fact that he was not perfect:
"His life was full of wonderful ups and terrible downs. Roald Dahl was an up-and-down person, too. Charming one minute, nasty the next."
I appreciated the honesty as much as I did all the fascinating information about him.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

In an effort to learn more about some of our favorite authors, this book ended out on our read-outloud shelf. Everyone got to weigh in about their favorite Roald Dahl book or story, and then settled back to learn more about him as a human with all the challenges, victories and sorrows we all face as we go through life. He had some big ones, that surprised the older kids - they felt he was 100% humorous, and how could he be, with all those hard things happening to him and his family?

Opportunity for good discussions!

[AMY · Rating 4 out of 5]

102 pages. This biography of a famous children’s writer was interesting. I learned a lot about his life that I had never known. I think kids would be surprised by all the things he did and tragedy he suffered. It is one biography that will linger in your memory and make you appreciate his work even more after reading it. Highly recommended for Grades 4-6.

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to see Roald Dahl, one of my favorite authors, included in the Who Was/Is biography series, but even happier that the less pleasant aspects of his personality and life were not glossed over just because this is a children's book. It presents a rather balanced view, and is fairly thorough though it is a short, quick read. It was well researched and the facts coincide with other sources I have read about Dahl's life. The ups and downs of both Dahl's career and his personal life, coupled with all the challenges he overcame, will surely inspire readers.

The insets and asides are interesting, and the black-and-white drawings really help to bring the facts to life. The timeline of Dahl's life in the back of the book could have been more detailed, and the world timeline more relevant, but these are small nitpicks of a high-quality, engaging nonfiction book that will especially interest young readers after devouring some of Dahl's children's novels.

[Isabella Aranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had just finished the book "Who was Roald Dahl" and I rate this book 3 stars because while I was reading it..i thought it was an okay book in my opinion. If I HAD to read this book again I would but if I had the option for another book I would personally chose a different book. This book told about the life of a famous or well known author Roald Dahl. He wrote many children books and some adult books. I had read one of his books in 3rd grade (The BFG) and thought it was a great book and it was such a good book. He also wrote other books which turned into movies later in the future such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The Witches, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. Dahl was also a pilot in World War II. He wrote a book about his adventures called Going solo. In conclusion, I rate this book three stars

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a good quick read. It is a good book for little ones but it might be a little dark for little little ones.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting listen. I really love Roald Dahl and he had a fascinating life. There was so much I didn't know.

[Stephanie Mixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a creatively done biography on Roald Dahl. This biography tells of his days as a mischievous young boy until his death. All of his accomplishments as a literary figure are displayed, but this biography focuses on his life as a whole. His days at school when he took solitude in riding his motorcycle. The service he put in with The Royal Navy and eventually came to America. This really opened my eyes to how much Roald Dahl did in his life aside from the books I loved as a child.

This is a great book for 3rd through 5th grades depending upon reading levels. There is quite a bit of text but it is very interesting and will be great for both boys and girls to read. The illustration add humor which will keep students interested.

[Matthew Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who was Roald Dahl is a good book. the whole story shows interesting /significant details about roald dahl. The reason i like this book is it shows how his childhood was and what struggles he face.The whole book shows just how interesting Roald Dahl is.If you like reading biography books,well i recommend this book.

[cady_D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked reading about Roald Dahl. I learned a lot about him that I never knew before. For example, he was a fighter pilot in World War 2, and he was married to a Hollywood actress for 30 years. The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because there were some parts in the book that weren't as interesting as they could be.

[Sophia Cambron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very inspirational book about Roald Dahl. Roald Dahl was one of most children's books writers and was a fighter pilot in World War II! I liked reading about the true story of Roald Dahls painful, exiting, adventurist life.

[Jennifer Rummel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved The Witches as a kid and my niece loves his books. It was interesting to learn more about his life and the little things that influenced his writing.

[Elizabeth L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would read this book because it has so most drama it show

[Kimberly Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Was Roald Dahl, written by True Kelley, is a biography about the famous author Roald Dahl. Roald Dahl experienced many tragedies as a child including losing his sister and his father. He also experienced trouble throughout school. The author teaches the reader about Roald Dahl’s life as a fighter pilot during World War II. Roald Dahl was in a serious plane crash that caused a brain injury that would eventually cause him to quit flying, even though it was something he was very good at. After his time as a pilot he began writing. He spent many years being unsuccessful, and the reader learns that writing never came easily to Roald, it was something he really had to work on.

I would recommend this book for 2nd through 4th grade. This book could be used to teach sequence of events. Students could create timelines or flow maps to sequence the events in Roald Dahl’s life. Teachers could also use this biography to teach cause and effect, as many of the events in Roald’s life cause something to happen later in his life. I would also recommend this book to teach text structure, since the author used many different structures throughout the book, especially when the story pauses so the author can include additional information about Dahl, or the setting. This book would also be great paired with one of Roald Dahl’s fiction stories!

This was a WOW book for me because I loved the extra information the author included throughout the book to help the reader better understand what was happening in the world during Dahl’s life. The author pauses throughout the story to give background information and interesting facts, such as the black mamba snake that Roald Dahl killed with a hockey stick, and the London Blitz, that was part of the war Dahl fought in. I thought the addition of these sidebars made the story more interesting and easy to understand.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I want to read more of Roald Dahl's books! This book is part of the Who Was/What Was/Where Was series of children's nonfiction books. I discovered these books a few years ago and have now read several. I highly recommend this series for young readers, especially since there is never as much nonfiction out there for kids to choose from! However, I also recommend this book for adults as well.

I enjoyed learning about Roald Dahl. I never knew much about his life. I was sorry to learn he endured so many hardships. For example, he lost his seven year old sister when he was growing up; then his dad passed away shortly after; then as an adult, he lost his own seven year old daughter. I also learned some fun, interesting facts. He wrote several adult books and short stories for magazines before he really became famous for his children's books. He alternated living between England and the US. The most unique fact I probably learned was he kept a piece of his own hip that was removed during hip surgery. He kept this and many other bizarre artifacts in his hut where he wrote all of his stories, not on a desk, but "on a green felt-covered board that rested on his knees" (Kelley 81).

I did have a few complaints about this book. I thought at times the writing was a little choppy and did not flow quite as well as the other Who Was etc. books. I also thought the illustrations were not quite as defined, and they needed to be in order to always clearly understand what the picture was. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if Quentin Blake would have illustrated this book? I think that would have earned 5 stars!

[Brooke Minor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read the book called Who was Roald Dahl? by True Kelley. It was a magnificent book that was all about the peculiar life of Roald Dahl. We all know him as the famous children's book author. But what if I told you he was much more than just that? He was a heroic pilot in World War II and a strong man that went through so much. His life was full of so many deaths of family members, his daughter, his father and sister. He was distraught over these deaths and they helped to shape him into the person he turned out to be. Sadly, he is not alive anymore, but his stories and memories live on with his family and the rest of the world.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick read that was filled with so much information. My favorite part of the book was when I learned that Dahl did some of his writing in a little hut. He has weird things in his hut, like pieces of his spine and hip and a small piece of cardboard to write on. I would like to be a writer as a side job when I grow up, I would also like to have a small hut like he did to my writing in. One part that I did not like was when his mother died. She had been such a big part of his life.

I think that really anyone would enjoy reading this book. It was an amazing read and I am glad that I got the opportunity to read it. I think that those who enjoy learning about some of the famous people would really enjoy this book. I also think that those who enjoy history would also like this book. I recommend it to anybody and everybody.

[Lindsey Zalewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely one of those series that I wish was around when I was a student. I didn't think that this would be a very detailed and engaging biography on the life of Roald Dahl- from his birth all through his journey of life and where he lands as the author we know and love today. Each chapter is neatly separated into sections of his life so that a student could easily find if interested in a specific portion. I would say it's definitely tailored to the upper elementary/middle school crowd (3-5th into 6th/7th). It would be awesome to be used as a beginning tool on a "Famous Person/Important Person" research project- that could be adjusted depending on the grade. The book has beautiful illustrations, as well as fun little inserts on other people, events, and things that are important to the story being told. At the end of the book hold a timeline of Roald's life tied in with the timeline of the world. And of course- the references they used to create the book (which I was reassured when I saw). I think these books have a lot of value to show children that biographies and nonfiction books can be fun and engaging as well.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favorite thing about Roald Dahl, which is barely mentioned in this book, is that he helped create the Wade-Dahl-Till valve. Roalds son Theo developed hydrocephalus due to being hit by a taxi when he was 3 months old. Hydrocephalus is a condition in which there is too much cerebral spinal fluid in the head. Dahl invented this with Hydraulic Engineer Stanley Wade and Neurosurgeon Kenneth Till. The purpose of this was to improve the shunt that is used to drain the cerebral spinal fluid. (During brain surgery a shunt is placed. Part of the shunt goes in the brain where the cerebral spinal fluid is and tubes go down the neck (inside the body) into the stomach cavity to drain the fluid there. None of the men received any profit from this invention. It was used successfully on 3,000 kids around the world. ( And no, not only kids get Hydrocephalus. Anyone with a head injury or someone who is elderly can get it.) The reason I know about Hydrocephalus is because my 13 year old son has it. He was a preemie with bleeding on his brain. He was in the hospital for 3 1/2 weeks after he was born. He had a shunt placed when he was 7 months old.