Author & Illustrators

Roald Dahl Books

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter and wartime fighter pilot, and remains one of the most popular and beloved children’s authors of all time.

Dahl’s vivid imagination and darkly humorous storytelling have captivated generations, with over a million copies of his books sold annually worldwide. From his iconic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda to the mischievous The BFG and the fantastical James and the Giant Peach, Dahl’s works are a staple in children’s literature, typically enjoyed by readers aged 6-12. Many of the books are also remembered for their iconic illustrations by Quentin Blake.

Roald Dahl’s children’s stories often explore themes of good versus evil, the power of imagination, the importance of kindness and the triumph of the underdog. Often the subject of critical debate, his books continue to be celebrated for their ability to engage and entertain young readers and have inspired numerous successful screen and stage versions. Roald Dahl’s books have won a host of awards over the years, including The Federation of Children’s Book Groups Award, The Whitbread Award and the Blue Peter Book Award.

The children’s books by Roald Dahl frequently appear on recommended reading lists, including BooksForTopics selections of recommended KS2 book lists, Best Books for 9 Year Olds, Recommended Storytime Chapter Books, funny books for children and year group recommended reads. In fact, Roald Dahl’s work was the topic of the award-winning thesis by BooksForTopics founder Alison Leach, who won the Jacqueline Wilson Award for high-quality research in children’s literature at the Faculty of Education and Homerton College, University of Cambridge.

Fans of Roald Dahl should also make use of our Branching Out resource, showcasing how his stories can lead readers to explore other genres and authors.

If you’re looking for classic children’s books, imaginative stories or books that inspire an enjoyment of reading, explore the world of Roald Dahl.

If you are new to Roald Dahl’s books for children, we recommend Fantastic Mr Fox as a good book to start with. You can also get a flavour of a wider selection of Dahl stories in the beautifully gift-worthy The Roald Dahl Treasury.

Charlie and the Christmas Factory

Short story collection

A star-studded cast of authors including Pamela Butchart, Hannah Gold and Adam Kay deliver twelve brand new stories inspired by the great Roald Dahl’s incredible characters in this Christmas collection that will delight readers 8-12.

Why is Matilda worried about being on the naughty list?

What happens when years after the creation of his original marvellous medicine George’s granddaughter Gigi decides to make her own potion? And how does Charlie plan to celebrate Christmas at the chocolate factory?

A magical and hilarious collection from 13 bestselling, much-loved storytellers. Perfect for Christmas Eve, this collection features 12 brand-new short stories based on their author’s favourite Roald Dahl characters.

Discover George’s Marvellous Medicine as told by bestseller, Adam Kay. Laugh yourself silly with Greg James and Chris Smith’s take on The Twits. Dive into Hannah Gold’s The Fantastic Mr Fox and celebrate Konnie Huq’s Danny the Champion of the World.

Plus discover stories from:

Nadia Shireen (The BFG)
Ben Bailey Smith (James and The Giant Peach)
Elle McNicoll (Matilda)
Nathan Bryon (The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me)
Pamela Butchart (The Witches)
Sally Rippin (The Magic Finger)
Sibéal Pounder (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

Revolting Rhymes

Quentin Blake & Roald Dahl

Short story collection

I bet you think you know this story.
You don’t. The real one’s much more gory.

From Jack in the Beanstalk, Goldilocks and the Three Bears to Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs, wicked beasts, brazen crooks and a ghastly giant star in these hilarious nursery rhymes with BITE!

The text in this edition of Revolting Rhymes was updated in 2022 for young independent readers.

The Roald Dahl Treasury

Quentin Blake & Roald Dahl

Short story collection

The Roald Dahl Treasury is a delightful collection by and about the World’s Number One Storyteller.

Four exciting sections – ANIMALS; MAGIC; FAMILY, FRIENDS AND HEROES; and MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE – introduce some of Roald Dahl’s most popular characters, from the Enormous Crocodile to the Twits, from the Witches to the BFG, from James to Matilda.
Throughout this book, you can delve into stories, poems, memoirs and letters galore all wonderfully illustrated by Quentin Blake as well as other well-known artists, including Raymond Briggs, Babette Cole, Posy Simmonds and Ralph Steadman.
This book is the perfect gift for Roald Dahl fans and for all those yet to discover his magic.

Matilda

Quentin Blake & Roald Dahl

Chapter book

Matilda by Roald Dahl has earned its place as a classic of children’s literature, with the character of Matilda being iconic. The story has seen popularity for decades, boosted by two film versions and a hit musical.

Matilda, who is unusually smart and self-sufficient for her age, is ignored and undervalued at home and mistreated at times. When she starts school, she befriends a kind teacher called Miss Honey – the first person to ever take the time to appreciate and understand book-loving Matilda. Meanwhile, a cruel and villainous headmistress called Miss Trunchball casts a dark shadow over Matilda’s school. Matilda harnesses her inner powers and with a little help from her friends, begins a revolution that will soon see the children empowered and Miss Trunchbull’s dark regime overturned.

Roald Dahl is the master of creating devious villains, and Miss Trunchbull is one of his most memorable, here representing the repressive forces in Matilda’s life that threatened to dampen the lamp of childhood joy. The edge of magical realism provides balance and comic relief against the more serious aspects of Matilda’s mistreatment.

In true Dahl style, the resolution is happy for the protagonist, and the villains get their just desserts.

The BFG

Quentin Blake & Roald Dahl

Chapter book

It wasn’t until I was two drafts into The Midnight Guardians that I realised I was missing something vitally important to British folklore – giants! They’re integral to our national stories, particularly English ones. The story goes that Brutus of Troy came to Britannia and fought “the descendants of Albion” – a number of giants that lived in Cornwall – fought one called Gogmagog and defeated him. I love the idea that the inhabitants of Britain used to be enormous, mean smelly giants that kept fighting each other, and gave us the rivers and mountains and stone circles that we know today. It made me think about the giant story that I was raised on – the BFG! Those giant names alone are worth the entry fee: Bloodbottler, Bonecruncher, Fleshlumpeater… In The Midnight Guardians, there are two giants called Gog and Magog, which is a reference to the two statues that were destroyed in the raid of 28th December 1940 – they’re the protectors of the City of London, and their effigies are still carried in the Lord Mayor’s Show each year.

The Witches

Roald Dahl

Chapter book

Here, Grandmother is bold, brave and full of great advice on how to cope in a world filled with secret child-hating witches. She works with her grandson (The Boy) to outsmart and eradicate the Grand High Witch and her followers.

The Twits

Quentin Blake & Roald Dahl

Chapter book

Mr Twit is a foul and smelly man with bits of cornflake and sardine in his beard.
Mrs Twit is a horrible old hag with a glass eye.
Together they make the nastiest couple you could ever hope not to meet.
Down in their garden, the Twits keep Muggle-Wump the monkey and his family locked in a cage. But not for much longer, because the monkeys are planning to trick the terrible Twits, once and for all…

George’s Marvellous Medicine

Quentin Blake & Roald Dahl

Chapter book

A classroom favourite from the popular children’s author Roald Dahl.

This is the laugh-out-loud tale of George Kranky, who plots revenge on his mean and miserable Grandma by concocting a magic medicine for her. Little does he realise that the medicine will have weird and wonderful effects on the old lady’s body.

This is one of the shorter Roald Dahl chapter books, and suits readers who like anarchic humour or stories with a little bit of unexplained magic. Children love the fun of George’s concoction, the transformations of size when Grandma grows so tall that her head bursts through the ceiling and the supersized farmyard animals.

Fantastic Mr Fox

Quentin Blake & Roald Dahl

Chapter book

A Roald Dahl classic chapter book about a wily fox trying to outwit a trio of unscrupulous farmers.

Children enjoy the suspense as the stand-off between the fox and the farmers escalates. Dahl describes the unlikable farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean with his usual exaggerated wit, and young readers can’t help but side with the charismatic Mr Fox as he plots a fabulous feast with his animal friends using supplies from the farmers’ stores.

This is one of the shorter Roald Dahl chapter books, and KS1 children who can handle a darker sense of humour will find the story hilarious, and many young readers enjoy the animal characters and imagining the idea of the network of underground tunnels.

The Witches: The Graphic Novel

Penelope Bagieu & Roald Dahl

Graphic novel

The Witches, now available as a graphic novel from Eisner Award-winning artist Penelope Bagieu!

Witches are real, and they are very, very dangerous.

They wear ordinary clothes and have ordinary jobs, living in ordinary towns all across the world – and there’s nothing they despise more than children.

When an eight-year-old boy and his grandmother come face-to-face with the Grand High Witch herself, they may be the only ones who can stop the witches’ latest plot to stamp out every last child in the country!

This full-colour graphic novel edition of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, adapted and illustrated by Eisner Award-winner Penelope Bagieu, is the first-ever Dahl story to appear in this format.

Graphic novel readers and Roald Dahl fans alike will relish this dynamic new take on a uniquely funny tale.