Matilda

Received Multiple Literary Awards. Odyssey Award Nominee (2014), Prijs van de Nederlandse Kinderjury for 10-12 jaar en 13-16 jaar (1989), Audie Award for Children's Titles Ages 8-12 (2014), Books I Loved Best Yearly (BILBY) Awards for Read Aloud (1990), Younger Readers (1997) (1990), West Australian Young Readers' Book Award (WAYRBA) for Younger Readers (1989), Blue Peter Book Award for Voter's Award - Book that Made Me Laugh the Loudest (2000), Red House Children's Book Award (1989), Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award for Book Award (1992), Massachusetts Children's Book Award (1992), Nevada Young Readers' Award for Intermediate Category (1992), Beehive Book Award for Children's Fiction (1991), Indian Paintbrush Book Award (1991), Bluestem Book Award Nominee (2016), Virginia Reader's Choice for Elementary (1990), Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (1991).

Matilda is a little girl who is far too good to be true. At age five-and-a-half she's knocking off double-digit multiplication problems and blitz-reading Dickens. Even more remarkably, her classmates love her even though she's a super-nerd and the teacher's pet. But everything is not perfect in Matilda's world. For starters she has two of the most idiotic, self-centered parents who ever lived. Then there's the large, busty nightmare of a school principal, Miss ("The") Trunchbull, a former hammer-throwing champion who flings children at will and is approximately as sympathetic as a bulldozer. Fortunately for Matilda, she has the inner resources to deal with such annoyances: astonishing intelligence, saintly patience, and an innate predilection for revenge.

She warms up with some practical jokes aimed at her hapless parents, but the true test comes when she rallies in defense of her teacher, the sweet Miss Honey, against the diabolical Trunchbull. There is never any doubt that Matilda will carry the day. Even so, this wonderful story is far from predictable. Roald Dahl, while keeping the plot moving imaginatively, also has an unerring ear for emotional truth. The reader cares about Matilda because in addition to all her other gifts, she has real feelings.