Dear Classmates,
Recently, I finished reading Matilda, a 232 page novel written by Ronald Dahl. Ronald Dahl was a British novelist, short-story writer, and also a poet.He is known for his books such as, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, The Witches, and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. I chose to read this book because I thought well, it technically a classic and I have seen the movie a bunch of times and enjoyed it. Also, I saw the Broadway Show in NYC and loved it. After I read this book, I will definitely check out more “Classic” books by Ronald Dahl. I enjoy reading books that aren’t huge but are enjoyable and this book is that.

A lot happened in this book. For example, Matilda, the main character, wanted to attend school but, her parents called school “stupid” so, Matilda had to beg them to let her go to school. Matilda’s dad wanted Matilda to be more like her brother but, she was stubborn and smart so, Matilda did what she wanted to do. Matilda’s mom, when Matilda was a toddler wanted to attend bingo, but she had Matilda so, she left Matilda home by herself. As you can tell, this book is definitely not real life.

I was confused first of all, when Matilda’s parents didn’t want her nor her brother to attend school. I was confused because many, many parents want their child to get an education and missing school is “not an option”. But, Matilda’s parents don’t win the best parents in the world award because they don’t really care about her. They are constantly telling her that she should be more like her brother. Her parents don’t realize that their child is very smart. She reads at a middle school level and is only 5. She can do high school math in her head. But, to Matilda’s parents that doesn’t matter. So, every day when her father left for work and her mother left for a bingo game, Matilda would walk down the street to the library to read. Matilda read and read every book she could get her hands onto. Matilda finally built up the courage to ask her parents if she may go to school. At first, they thought she was joking. Her father said, “School… What do you need school for?” Matilda told them that she wanted to learn and they finally said ok. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a classic, short read. It is perfect for all ages and is overall a great book. I hope this was useful and that you decide to pick up Matilda. You won’t be disappointed.
Sincerely,
Mia Prizio