First, I want to point out that I’m not a teacher, but the main reason I love this book (and, by extension, everything relating to Roald Dahl) is because of one. My second grade teacher, Mrs. Pappas, gave us plenty of time to read and for 30 minutes or so a day, she’d even read to us (this was in the long-ago time, before standardized testing). She picked several great books (The Indian in the Cupboard, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) but best of all? She introduced us to Matilda and Miss Honey, Sophie and the BFG, Luke, his grandmother and the witches and, of course, Charlie and Willy Wonka.
I’m pretty sure that if the whole horcrux idea from Harry Potter is true, this book has a small piece of my soul.
I’ve always been a reader, but Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the first time I remember being absolutely captivated by a book. I got my own copy for my birthday one year and probably read it at least 400 times. Even so, I probably haven’t read it since middle school—although I’ve seen the Gene Wilder movie far more recently than that.
Just in case you haven’t read the book—and if that’s true for you, please remedy that now—it’s about a boy named Charlie who lives with his parents and both sets of grandparents. They’re incredibly poor but they love each other. What taunts Charlie is that he lives in a town with a chocolate factory, the best in the world, run by Willy Wonka. It had been closed for years, but recently, it opened again. Exactly who works there is a mystery…until the day Mr. Wonka announces that he will let five children (and their guardians) into the factory to see and taste its secrets. There’s going to be a worldwide contest, and the winners will be the ones who find the golden tickets. The tickets go to Augustus Gloop (incredibly fat kid), Veruca Salt (spoiled rich girl), Violet Beauregarde (gum chewer), Mike Teavee (TV freak) and, in a huge stroke of luck, Charlie. I’ll stop there, because if you haven’t read it, you need to not be spoiled about what happens to each of the kids. 
Re-reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was like unexpectedly running into an old friend, someone you hadn’t seen in years but who was both exactly how you remembered but also somehow better.
It was just as darkly funny as I remembered, but there was also a lot of social commentary that’s far more relevant now. (I wonder how happy Mike Teavee would be in an era of OnDemand and DVRs and hundreds of TV channels…assuming his encounter with Mr. Wonka’s Chocolate Television room didn’t cure him of his addiction.)
I’m sorry I let so much time go by between re-readings. I’m hoping to have a Dahl-binge sometime soon.
Kelly Hager lives in Baltimore with her adorable dog, Sam. She enjoys sleeping, watching movies, anything with peanut butter as a main ingredient and, obviously, reading. She’s only slightly ashamed to admit that she likes books more than people (but not you guys; you all are great!).
For me, it was my mom who read it (and The Great Glass Elevator – which pales in comparison) to my out loud, on the couch. And I, in turn, have read it out loud to each of my three boys. Here’s hoping they keep the tradition alive some day (many days in the future ….)
Kevin
I hope they do, too.
(And I agree about Great Glass Elevator. I debated reading that, too, but couldn’t bring myself to do it.)
For me, it was a fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Dickie. Sitting up at the front of the class on a tall stool, you could hear a pin drop! One of my all time favorite, and most vivid memories of my childhood was this experience. This is a book that can be read, re-read, and read yet again – the movies pale in comparison.
I think the first movie (the one with Gene Wilder) is wonderful. (We don’t discuss the remake with Johnny Depp.)
I’ve never really been big on being read to, but that’s the big exception. I agree—those are some of my best childhood memories, too.
Love this book and MATILDA and FANTASTIC MR. FOX and…well, the Dahl list goes on! Am starting to think I need to have a book shelf (shelves?) devoted to re-reads. Those favorite books that we sink into. Thanks for taking us back!
I think it would be so much fun to re-read all of his books. (I am always in favor of shelves as opposed to shelf. But I am a book hoarder.)
This book captivated me too. Roald Dahl had a way of creating these amazing adventures while the character at the heart of the story always felt like someone real–someone I cared about. Charlie and James were my favs.
I know I read James and the Giant Peach, too, but I don’t really remember it. Besides Charlie, I think Matilda is my favorite.
I’m listening to this book on MP3 right now. I love it so much! Your post actually inspired me to order the DVD of the original movie (we only have the VHS, and that’s gotten pretty painful to watch). Anyway, thanks for talking about one of my favorite books today!
Thanks!
That makes me really happy; the original movie is one of my favorites.
This was our most recent whole-class book, and of course all of my students loved it. Many of them are now making their way through the Roald Dahl oeuvre!
That’s so awesome! We didn’t get through all of them but we hit the highlights. (I should re-read The Twits. THAT is a fun one.)