Matilda

Roald Dahl’s 1998 children’s fantasy Matilda tells the darkly humorous story of a brilliant and kindly little girl who reads grown-up books, plays pranks on her emotionally abusive parents, and uses her telekinetic ability in her battles with a tyrannical school principal.

Dahl is widely considered one the greatest children’s storytellers. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide; they include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Many of Dahl’s tales, including Matilda, have been made into feature films. The 2007 Penguin edition includes illustrations by Quentin Blake; its ebook version forms the basis for this study guide.

Plot Summary

Often left alone at home by her neglectful, self-involved parents, Matilda Wormwood teaches herself to read at age three; by age five, she’s read all the children’s books at the local library and more than a dozen adult classics like Great Expectations and The Grapes of Wrath. Matilda also has a knack for math and can do arithmetic in her head.

Her parents have no interest in books and think Matilda’s wasting her time. Her father, Harry Wormwood, dresses garishly and sells run-down used cars faked-up as nearly new; he proudly teaches his young son, Michael, the fine points of cheating customers.