MORE 'ROALD-DAHL' POSTS
#30 Matilda by Roald Dahl (1988) 58 points I loved that Dahl wrote completely for children. A kid reading Dahl knows he can make something or be someone or do something, no matter what anyone else around him says or does. – Heather Christensen It just wouldn’t be right to make a list like this […]
#61 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (1964) 34 points An underdog named Charlie set loose in a magical chocolate factory with a bunch of selfish, spoiled kids just asking for some cosmic justice: now that’s my kind of story. Dahl is the master of the absurd detail, such as the fact that […]
#81 The Witches by Roald Dahl (1983) 24 points Now here then is a book that I remember very well from my old childhood. It’s strange that when kids ask me for books that are scary (but not too scary) that this doesn’t immediately pop into my brain. It wasn’t just that The Witches had […]
#88 The BFG by Roald Dahl (1982) 22 points A return by an old friend. Previously appearing on this list at #54, Dahl’s later classic sinks to a not terrible #88. Does that mean that other Dahls that have not been on this list before will make an appearance? Only time will tell . . […]
Writing huts! We all have them. And by “all” I mean “Laurie Halse Anderson”. But famous authors of the past also have had magnificent writing huts and one of them belonged to Roald Dahl. Now Dahl’s granddaughter Sophie is leading a fund-raiser to restore and relocate the hut. I would think she need only appeal […]
Happy Labor Day! I’ve no special post of my own but I know someone who has created the ultimate list of Labor Songs. That would be Professor Phil Nel and at this point I’ve only seen the first of three posts but it is truly fantastic. For one thing, he includes Moxy Früvous on his […]
Yup. I’m still on vacation. Soaking in the Shakespeare while I can, since the next few years are going to consist of remarkably few syllables (see: baby). So here are a couple videos I’ve had shaking around for a while but never was able to fit into a post before. Enjoy, enjoy! First, some kids […]
After posting a video from the episode of Community where Troy meets his hero LeVar Burton I got a penchant for a little Reading Rainbow. The universe, it appears, was happy to oblige. First off you have a woman that I would love to meet one day. If the name Twila Liggett fails to ring […]
Yes, we’re beginning today by sneakily seeking out weirdo memories from my own youth. This week my attention was directed to that picture book version of the Peter, Paul and Mary song Puff the Magic Dragon. It reminded me that long before Yarrow’s words were set to paper, they were appropriated for this bizarre television […]
Oh man. Sometimes I just don’t manage to keep up with all the news. Lightning fast round today, folks! Keep up if you can. A show of hands. How many of you knew that the Department of Social and Cultural Analysis at NYU was hosting, in conjunction with the Institute of African American Affairs, a […]