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Topic: Branching Out: Roald Dahl

Bloom

Chapter book

Sorrel Fallowfield is so good at being good that teachers come to her when they need help remembering the school rules – and there are LOTS.

Luckily, Sorrel doesn’t have any trouble following them, until the day she discovers a faded packet of Surprising Seeds buried under a tree in her backyard.

Now she’s hearing voices, seeing things, experiencing an almost unstoppable urge to plant the Seeds in some very unusual places and completely failing to win her school’s competition to find The Most Obedient Child of the School.

And all that’s before flowers start growing out of her head…

Books if you like Roald Dahl

Branching Out: Books for Fans of Roald Dahl

If you like Roald Dahl, try these…

Roald Dahl’s books have sold over 200 million copies and are well-known favourites in many households and classrooms. From oversized peaches to adventures in chocolate factories, Dahl’s stories are enjoyed for their imaginative plots, humorous commentary and devious villains who get their comeuppance at the hands of clever children.

We’ve put together a list of ten similar books for fans of Roald Dahl. Readers who love the dark humour found in many of Dahl’s books will feel at home with Grimwood or The Beast and the Bethany. For those looking for laugh-out-loud storytime adventures, try Grandpa Frank’s Great Big Bucket List or The Great Chocoplot. Some readers will be keen to find more plucky child characters heading into extraordinary adventures, and we recommend The Creakers or the super-imaginative Bloom. If you’re looking for a tale where a dastardly villain comes to a sticky end, try Beetle Boy or A Series of Unfortunate Events.

​We’ve put together a list of ten similar books for those looking for their next read after Roald Dahl…



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Beetle Boy

Chapter book

Darkus can’t believe his eyes when a huge insect drops out of the trouser leg of his horrible new neighbour. It’s a giant beetle – and it seems to want to communicate.

But how can a boy be friends with a beetle? And what does a beetle have to do with the disappearance of his dad and the arrival of Lucretia Cutter, with her taste for creepy jewellery?

The first book in MG Leonard’s acclaimed trilogy features exotic beetles, a daring quest, a mixture of bold male and female characters and a truly venomous villain.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Chapter book

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky.

In The Bad Beginning, the siblings encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune and cold porridge for breakfast.

In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted.

the beast and the bethany

The Beast and the Bethany

Chapter book

The most exciting new children’s book of 2020 and a modern classic in the making. The Beast and the Bethany has all the classic macabre humour of Roald Dahl with the warmth and charm of Despicable Me , finished off with a gleeful bite of Little Shop of Horrors ! This book should be on every little monster’s birthday and Christmas list.

Ebenezer Tweezer is a youthful 511-year-old. He keeps a beast in the attic of his mansion, who he feeds all manner of things (including performing monkeys, his pet cat and the occasional cactus) and in return the beast vomits out presents for Ebenezer, as well as potions which keep him young and beautiful. But the beast grows ever greedier, and soon only a nice, juicy child will do. So when Ebenezer encounters orphan Bethany, it seems like (everlasting) life will go on as normal. But Bethany is not your average orphan…

Grandpa Frank’s Great Big Bucket List

Chapter book

From the bestselling queen of heart and humour, JENNY PEARSON, comes a great big soaring adventure about family and finding happiness.

When Frank John Davenport inherits piles of money from a grandma he didn’t know he had, things take an unexpected turn… Because the money comes with STRICT instructions…and a NEW grandpa.

Frank quickly compiles a list of all the ways he can spend the money and look after his grumpy grandpa. Money may buy hot-air balloon rides, monster-truck lessons and epic parkour experiences, but can Frank discover that happiness is, in fact, priceless?

The Great Chocoplot

Chapter book

It’s the end of chocolate – forever! At least, until Jelly can solve the mystery of the great chocoplot…

Jelly and her family live in Chompton-on-de-Lyte, where everyone loves a Chocablocka bar or two – so when the end of chocolate is announced, she can’t believe it.

Determined to investigate, Jelly and her gran follow a trail of clues to a posh chocolate shop and its owner, the pompous Garibaldi Chocolati. Gari’s suspiciously smug, despite his failing business and yucky chocolate.

Is it really the chocopocalypse, or is there a chocoplot afoot?

An exciting, laugh-out-loud funny adventure featuring a truly ghastly villain – think evil mastermind meets Willy Wonka! – and a down-to-earth heroine with a sidekick grandma.

Grimwood

Chapter book

Laugh your head off with this fully-illustrated new series from award-winning Nadia Shireen. Perfect for readers age 7 to 107, fans of Dog Man, Roald Dahl, Mr Gum and David Walliams, and anyone who loves to laugh.

Fox cub siblings Ted and Nancy are on the run from Princess Buttons , the scariest street cat in the Big City. They flee for Grimwood, expecting to find refuge in the peaceful countryside. Instead, they are met with thieving eagles, dramatic ducks, riotous rabbits and a whole host of unusual characters. Grimwood is . . . weird. But when Princess Buttons tracks them down, Nancy and Ted and the animals of Grimwood must unite in a mind-bending race against time . . .

This memorable, distinctive and warm-hearted comedy series will have kids begging to read more.

The Creakers

Chapter book

A magical, mischievous adventure into an incredible new world, from Tom Fletcher, number-one-bestselling author of The Danger Gang and The Christmasaurus.

Lucy wakes up one morning to discover something very strange indeed . All the grown-ups in her town have disappeared.

All the other kids in Whiffington are so excited! No more grown-ups means no more school! No more bedtime! No more rules!

But Lucy wants her mum back – and nothing is going to stop her.

So – along with her friends Norman and Ella – Lucy sets off on an unbelievable adventure into a topsy-turvy, back-to-front and inside-out new world… The world underneath her bed. The world of… The Creakers!

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