Perfect for newly independent young readers, 'Charlie and 'The Chocolate Factory' is full of fun and hilarity! What could be more wondrously joyful than Mr Wonka's factory full of chocolate!? I love the way Dahl manages to mix very strong moral messages with merriment and laughter - his characters, and the consequences they suffer for their awful flaws, are so much larger than life that he gets away with things that other authors just couldn't! I think Dahl's storytelling is uniquely of a kind that encouages children to write for themselves - he starts with a 'What if.......' question and then imagination takes over. This is just what we want our children to be inspired to do!

Wonderful as a read-aloud, or a brilliant first chapter book, it's a story every child should read at least once!