Wild Things: YA Grown-Up discussion

Wow, how can there not be a Roald Dahl topic here? I LOVED Roald Dahl growing up and used to revist some of his books year after year. I have pleasant memories of being read The Twits on one of the last days of school and laughing like a hyena.
Does anyone else have fond memories of any of Dahl's books? What is your favorite?

I only ever read James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I recently bought a book of his adult short stories, Skin and Other Stories, and it has made me want to read his childrens books. I always have wanted to, especially The BFG and The Witches, but this has made me really want to spend sometime getting acquainted with his stories.

Oh! Dahl is one of my favorites, but I didn't think he counted as YA. I thought he was childrens. Mind you, I know plenty of teens that still read him, so, go figure!

I think I have read almost everything he's written, including his adult offerings. I have a short story collection and some of them are incredibly dark. Royal Jelly, in particular, comes to mind.

I love Roald Dahl! I actually just checked out The BFG from our library because I haven't read it (for shame, I know). I always thought he was hilarious!

Matilda was what started me in on him...what booklover can't relate to the little girl who read all of the books in her library's children's section?

I remember being really absorbed and enthralled by James and the Giant Peach. It was so visual to me, and the characters were so vivid. And there was something about rolling around in a giant peach...I dont know why I never read more of his stuff.

I loved Roald Dahl, too! My favorites were James and The Giant Peach and Matilda, but I loved them all. I can't wait until my niece and nephews are old enough to share them with. :)

I'm glad you started this thread, April! Roald Dahl is one of my all-time favorite children's authors. When I started teaching my library classes, he was the first author I highlighted in my "Author of the Month" series. I have had MANY students read every Dahl book in our library - and then lament with me that there won't be new Dahl books to read.

Luann wrote: "I'm glad you started this thread, April! Roald Dahl is one of my all-time favorite children's authors. When I started teaching my library classes, he was the first author I highlighted in my "Autho..."

but when they get older, they can read his adult stories. But definitely not until then!

Misty wrote: "but when they get older, they can read his adult stories. But definitely not until then!"

True, I hadn't thought of that. I haven't read any of his adult stuff, either, but I hear it can be quite shocking.

I think it's only really shocking (by today's standards, anyway) because he was a beloved children's book author. It's like reading Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book A Primer for Adults Only. Okay, not quite the same, cause that one is just wrong (but so funny). But you grow so familiar with them, and even when they are quirky, they are wholesome, so it's unsettling, sort of. But really good.
* note to everyone NEVER let your kids/class read Uncle Shelby...It may say Shel Silverstein on the cover, and it si good for an adult laugh, but definitely not for kids and potentially dangerous (B is for bleach. Go drink some. That sort of thing.)

Shel was quite the partyer and bad boy in real life. He hung around with a lot of musicians and I always found it funny that what he was so well known for were his children's books. Misty is definitely right on that warning!

I have read The BFG aloud to my children so many times. It is the very best book for reading aloud if you are able to let go of your inhibitions and really get into the voices and those hilarious made up words! Of course I wouldn't want anyone ELSE to hear me read it, but I can still crack up my oldest by saying a few lines, in character, from that book.

Kandice wrote: "I have read The BFG aloud to my children so many times. It is the very best book for reading aloud if you are able to let go of your inhibitions and really get into the voices and those hilarious made up words! Of course I wouldn't want anyone ELSE to hear me read it, but I can still crack up my oldest by saying a few lines, in character, from that book."

LOL - Kandice, I love that! I'm picturing it right now. Of course I don't know what you look like or how your voice is, but I have a friend who does voices when she reads aloud, so I'm really picturing her reading The BFG aloud. :)

Ahhh I had forgotthen Dahl. I need to revisit him. He has such a way of drawing one into his books

I love Roald Dahl. My children loved him, too, when they were young, especially my son. I think the whole child actually being more on the ball than the adults around him appealed to my son. I find it interesting that this very thing is one of the reasons Dahl's books are challenged, "children defying authority." I would imagine that Dahl was especially proud of being challenged on that point. I like to think that my enthusiasm over Dahl helped shape my children into the free-thinking adults they've become.

My favorite Dahl is The BFG, and I agree that it is a great read-aloud, certainly one of the favorite ones I read to my kids. The Witches and Matilda are my next favorites. I loved the movie made of the Witches, thought Angelica Houston was great as the head witch.

Kathy wrote: "I love Roald Dahl. My children loved him, too, when they were young, especially my son. I think the whole child actually being more on the ball than the adults around him appealed to my son. I f..."

Great response! You're the type of parent I hope to deal with when I (finally) become a teacher. But I'm afraid I'll get more of the type that don't want free-thinkers, or just don't want to be bothered one way or another.

Misty, good luck with your teaching. Having worked in schools, taught, and now still hoping to land a library media position, I think one of the hardest parts of teaching is seeing how some parents want to limit their children. I've seen parents object to what books are read, religions of the world being taught, evolution being discussed, and more. Of course, what's especially disheartening is when an educator has censorship attitudes.

Kathy wrote: "Misty, good luck with your teaching. Having worked in schools, taught, and now still hoping to land a library media position, I think one of the hardest parts of teaching is seeing how some parents..."

I am very anti-censorship (raging Liberal, yes), and I am always just blown away by some of the things schools do. I remember when I was in 9th grade, we had to have permission slips signed to read Of Mice and Men (language), and there have been many times I've heard people complaining about books and talking about petitions and other ridiculousness, and I always ask what they disliked, and most of the time they haven't even read it. That to me is insanely irresponsible.

When my son was in high school they always sent home permission slips for certain movies they watched in class. I can't even remember what they were but I do remember thinking, as I was signing that he could watch, "oh please, you've got to be kidding." I hate it when other parents raise a stink about what's read/watched at school.If they want to prevent their kids from reading/watching, fine...but ugh!

The high school I attended is located in what is probably the reddest county in the reddest state in America. The things they tried to censor is absolutely ridiculous. If I remember right, any movie we wanted to watch in class had to have a G rating, sometimes certain PG movies were ok, but anything above that needed a super great reason to be shown, and a signed permission slip... Blugh.

Anyway, I don't want to go into a huge censorship rant, which I am tempted to, but I will leave it at the idea that I HATE IT!

Back to Roald Dahl, I loved reading his books. They are really fun, and I never really felt like I was being talked down to while reading them. I remember really liking The BGF, but I definitely need to reread it. My favorites are Matilda, and The Witches. I've read those books so many times. I love Roald Dahl because his books have just enough in them that they are great for kids, but not at all dull for adult to pick up and read to. He's great!

Love his adult stories... there's a really creepy one called "Royal Jelly" and some other really good ones, but I can't remember the name of the collection of stories. Anybody know?

I've read The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More; not aware of any other (not that I'm an expert on Dahl!).

The collection of short stories is called Skin and Other Stories.

i only read Matilda of Roald dahl...really liked it....

I just got The BFG at a library book sale for under 50¢!

Misty wrote: "I just got The BFG at a library book sale for under 50¢!"

Lucky girl! The BFG is my favorite Roald Dahl.

I've never read it, and I've been talking about wanting to, so I was very excited. I almost didn't notice it in the stack, and I started to walk away and I stopped for one more once over. So glad.

When I was in elementary school, we read a lot of Dahl. My favorite, by far, was Fantastic Mr. Fox. I've read that one at least 4 times. I own that one, along with The Twits, George's Marvelous Medicine, Esio Trot, and Mathilda. They're sitting on the bookshelf waiting for my son to be old enough to read them.

My favorites are The BFG and Mathilda. I didn't have many books as a kid, but I did manage to get a copy of each of these. I read them so many times, that a few years ago I had to buy new copies because my original ones were getting worn (even with extremely careful handling!).

I've also read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the Great Glass Elevator. I tried to read James and the Giant Peach, but I just couldn't get into it, even as a kid.

Apart from his adult short stories, which are usually very dark and heavily laced with black humour, my two favourites are The Twits & George's Marvelous Medicine both of which I used to read to my lads when they were young.

Roald Dahl is one of my all time favourite authors, both his children's novels and his more grown up short stories are bloody brilliant. I've read:

James and the Giant Peach
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Danny, the Champion of the World
The Twits
George's Marvellous Medicine
The BFG
The Witches
Matilda
The Vicar of Nibbleswicke
The Minpins

+ a collected short stories-book - not sure what the book encompassed, but I think it at least contained everything from Lamb to the Slaughter, Kiss Kiss and Switch Bitch.

I plan on reading everything by him. So far the only thing I didn't really like was Glass Elevator and Danny, and even those were ok (far better than many other novels to say the least!). Favourites are The Minpins and Matilda. Of his short stories I remember the one about the screaming trees really hit me hard, though I can't remember what it was called.

Now I wanna go out and buy more Roald Dahl books.

If it had Switch Bitch, then it probably was Switch Bitch; I think that's the only one that contains that story.

Also, since Banned Books Week just passed, I thought I'd point out that Roald Dahl has been challenged quite a bit. James and the Giant Peach for curse words, and one time, Charlie and the Choc. Factory for "espousing a poor philosophy of life." Seriously.

As I child I received a boxed set of Dahl's book as a present. If I remember it contained:
James and the Giant Peach
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Fantastic Mr Fox
The Magic Finger

I loved them all and Fantastic Mr Fox was a favourite for illicit midnight reading.
The Magic Finger was a little weird and anticipated later stories like Witches.

I also got Danny, Champion of the World, which is possibly my favourite, and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator which wasn't quite as good as the Chocolate factory.

Once I saw Tales of the Unexpected on the TV I got into the adult stories and anyway Witches was just too weird for me.

Misty wrote: "If it had Switch Bitch, then it probably was Switch Bitch; I think that's the only one that contains that story."

I read the Kiss Kiss collection as a pre-teen (yes I was precocious) after see Tales of the Unexpected and loved it.

Just recently I found Switch Bitch at the library and wasn't so crazy about it. I'm not sure whether it's me or the stories.

However Revolting Rhymes still have me ROFLing.

Have you all been seeing the movie trailers for Fantastic Mr. Fox? What do you think? At first I wasn't sure that I would like it, but after watching a few of the featurettes for it at IMDB, I think maybe I'll like it more than I originally thought. At the very least it will encourage more kids to read Roald Dahl - not that it's hard to get kids to read his books.

Luann, I think the movie might be pretty good. My 8 year old son wants to see it. He read the book in school and loved it so I'm hoping he'll like the movie as well.

I've heard GREAT reviews for it; I want to see it.

I am so happy to see a Roald Dahl discussion board!
He is one of my favorite children's authors!
The BFG and The Twits were my favorite.

I saw Fantastic Mr. Fox last night and it was amazing!
It was hilarious and had such integrity.
It was everything that Roald Dahl and his fans could ask for.

When visiting my daughter the other day, I noticed the BFG sitting on the coffee table, and she told me that she and my 9-yr.-old granddaughter are reading it together now, like I once read it with her and with my son. I love how great books are passed down generation after generation. Oh, and my daughter said that they are enjoying it as much as we did. (Sigh) life is good!

i absolutely love roald dahls books ive reread them many times

I remember I always used to read all of Roald Dahl's books when I was small. He is such a talented author and I loved the way that his books are all about fantasy!! My favorite books out of his collection are:

1) Matilda
2) James and the Giant Peach
3) Dirty Beasts
4) Revolting Rhymes
5) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
6) Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
7) The BFG
8) The Enormous Crocodile
9) George's Marvelous Medicine
10) The Twits

I haven't read any of his adult books, except for "The Landlady" but I'm looking forward to re-reading all of Roald Dahl's classics again!

I think Roald Dahl probably had the biggest impact on my love of reading as a child. George's Marvelous Medicine was always my favorite.

Something I've always loved about him is how he isn't afraid to poke fun at adults. He's not afraid to say hey, these people don't always know what they're doing. And he always reminds you just how clever and wonderful children really are.

I will gladly read his stories to my children, if I ever have any. :)

Michelle wrote: "I think Roald Dahl probably had the biggest impact on my love of reading as a child. George's Marvelous Medicine was always my favorite.

Something I've always loved about him is how ..."

Yeah! I really love the way that Roald Dahl always pokes fun at adults since I never seen that in any children's book before!

My first thought on reading the first chapters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was that it reminded me, in a very good way, of Roald Dahl.

Susanna wrote: "My first thought on reading the first chapters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was that it reminded me, in a very good way, of Roald Dahl."

Haha! I said the very same thing when I reviewed it. I think that was one of the first things that drew me into the HP books. First among many.

I never thought of comparing the two, but as soon as you said it, I was like "WOW!!"... you are so right!