The Prolific Mr Dahl

March 13, 2012 by MinxMagSA 2 Comments

I have always loved and respected literature and reading. It was one of the very first things I fell in love with as a young child, learning to read English almost before I could speak the language. I went on to not only read books, but devour them. I went through cupboard-fuls and libraries of books, always reading above my ‘age-level’, always consuming each like I would die if I didn’t just read the very next page. I loved the stories, the creativity, the escape, this whole other world I learnt about inbetween the pages of these books, getting so drawn into the stories, they became a part of my childhood.

My most favourite author as a child was Roald Dahl, and his stories are a treasure I plan to pass on to my own kids. I honestly do believe that no childhood is complete without some Roald Dahl in it…kinda like a childhood without any Disney in it.

My first Roald Dahl was Danny the Champion of the World, which I got for my 8^th birthday from my best friend. It was a hand-me-down, and yet I consider it my most treasured and most used gift, having read and re-read it a million times over, but this wasn’t the last Roald Dahl that drew me into its web. Roald Dahl has written dozens of children’s books in his life, some of his more famous having been turned into feature films and theatre productions the world over. Stories like The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, Matilda and the more recent, Fantastic Mr Fox, are some of the more well-known, but there are more Roald Dahl books in children’s cupboards than any other author. Fact.

Recently, Roald Dahl was voted primary school teachers’ favourite author, a survey having been done and found that five of his books are among the top 10 books for children under the age of 11. Most of his books were illustrated by Quentin Blake, whom I enjoyed almost as much as the words that fueled those pictures.

Julia Donaldson and JK Rowling shared second place, but had almost half of the votes that Roald Dahl had. Donaldson’s The Gruffalo was voted the best book for children in the survey, having proven a hit with children, parent and even their teachers. Since its publication, it has been made into an animated film and a theatre production.

TEACHERS’ FAVOURITE CHILDREN’S AUTHORS

1 Roald Dahl

2 Julia Donaldson

3 JK Rowling

4 Michael Morpurgo

5 Louis Sachar

6 CS Lewis

7 Philip Pullman

8 Enid Blyton

9 Maurice Sendak

10 David Walliams

TEACHERS’ TOP 10 FAVOURITE CHILDREN’S BOOKS

1 The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson

2 Holes – Louis Sachar

3 Charlie And The Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl

4 Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe – CS Lewis

5 The Twits – Roald Dahl

6 Danny The Champion Of The World – Roald Dahl

7 The BFG – Roald Dahl

8 George’s Marvellous Medicine – Roald Dahl

9 Where The Wild Things Are – Maurice Sendak

10 Kensuke’s Kingdom – Michael Morpurgo

“I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.” – Jorge Luis Borges

“To read a writer is for me not merely to get an idea of what he says, but to go off with him and travel in his company.” – Andre Gibe

“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.” – Victor Hugo

“Once you learn to read, you will be free forever.” – Frederick Douglass

“If you can read this, thank a teacher.” – Anonymous