Classic Books For Kids: Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

Continuing with our series on classic children’s books, we bring you a review of Roald Dahl’s classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a much-loved story that was made into the Hollywood musical, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (and the more recent one starring Johnny Depp). Here’s why this and Roald Dahl’s other children’s stories are a must-read.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)

Author: Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl's classic caters to kid's fantasies - justice, revenge and all the candy you can eat

This award winning children’s book by Welsh author, Roald Dahl, is one of the most popular and widely read books of the twentieth century. High on entertainment, humor and bizarre situations, it has everything that a child would want to read about. The main protagonist or shall we say, “Hero” of the story is a child and so are the villains. Nevertheless, it stays amazingly rooted to reality and even manages a “food for thought” message in the end.

What it’s about:

As the name suggests, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is the story of a young boy Charlie Bucket. Charlie is just an ordinary boy born into poverty – only that he is the luckiest boy in the whole world. He lives next to a chocolate factory owned by Willy Wonka- the largest he has ever seen. The factory has truckloads of chocolates and more sweets than Charlie can ever dream of.

One day Charlie is invited by Willy Wonka to visit his secret factory and offered a chance to win a grand prize through a “golden ticket”. There are four other “golden ticket” holders and only one out of the five will win- Augustus Gloop is a lazy and stupid chocoholic; Veruca Salt is a spoiled brat; Violet Beureguarde hold a world-record in chewing gum and Mike Teavee is obsessed with TV and violence.

The four mischievous kids create ruckus in the factory for which they are aptly punished. The series of events and accidents make for a good laugh. As luck would have it, Charlie does win the lottery- but to accept the prize, he would have to give up his family! What will Charlie do now?

Why your kids will love it:

The colorful, racy and wild narrative is sure to keep the juniors glued till the last page. Dahl succeeds in sketching some of the most memorable characters with the four notorious kids. Although classified as a children’s fantasy novel, the story has no fairies, monsters or magic – just a bunch of average kids who are rewarded for being nice and punished for being naughty. The plentiful dose of outrageous humor and creative illustrations keep young readers smiling and excited all through. The book is best enjoyed by adolescents and pre-teens. For new school-goers, a reading-aloud is recommended.

Why you will love it:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is actually a morality tale disguised as a quirky, entertaining story. There is a strong message lurking behind every comic situation and every weird character. The language used is rich and imaginative; the descriptions of characters and situations are vivid and gripping. The fun-filled narrative leads to a situation where Charlie has to make the most important decision of his life- a decision that every human being has to make. The climax makes a strong, impact-ful statement about family values. You might also want to rent a DVD of the 2005 movie adaptation of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.

Also By The Same Author:

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (Sequel)
James and the Giant Peach
The Twits

Shuchi Kalra is a freelance writer based in India. Her works have been published several online and print publications- both in India and abroad. She also writes content for websites, businesses and portals. She is currently working on a short-story anthology.