Top 10 Roald Dahl Books That Are A Delight To Read
From a fighter pilot to a writer, Roald Dahl as a British novelist, poet and screenwriter has significantly contributed towards Children’s Fiction. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Regarded as one of the best storytellers for children of the 20th century, Dahl’s writings are deliciously wicked. His creativity and unusual thinking encourage the readers to run their imaginations wild. The fantastic creatures and bizarre places mentioned in his books often include gleefully-evil villains and their mischievous sensibilities.
In 1983, Dahl received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. He was honoured with the British Book Awards for Children’s Author of the Year in 1990. In 2008, he was mentioned 16th on The Times list of The 50 Greatest British Writers since 1945. Most of his books have also been adapted for films, audio, stage and television.
Top 10 Roald Dahl Books: 2019 Price and Ratings
|
Roald Dahl Books |
Price | Rating |
| Matilda | Rs.184 |
4.7/5 |
|
The Witches |
Rs.280 | 4.7/5 |
| Charlie And The Chocolate Factory | Rs.230 |
4.6/5 |
|
Charlie And The Great Glass Elevator |
Rs.236 | 4.6/5 |
| The BFG | Rs.112 |
4.2/5 |
|
Boy: Tales Of Childhood |
Rs.225 | 4.5/5 |
| The Twits | Rs.239 |
4.7/5 |
|
James And The Giant Peach |
Rs.300 | 4.5/5 |
| Danny, The Champion Of The World | Rs.218 |
4.5/5 |
|
Esio Trot |
Rs.258 |
3.7/5 |
1. Matilda
The story of Matilda is about a five-year-old girl who is gifted with a magical mind and extraordinary abilities. However, her life is not as perfect as it may seem. Her parents are self-centred and her school principal, a living nightmare. Even though Matilda’s astonishing intelligence keeps her patient, she has had enough now so the grown-ups must watch out. This wonderful and empathetic story is far from being predictable.
Year Of Publication: 1988
Number Of Copies Sold: 17 million copies worldwide as of 2016
Price: Rs.110
Awards:
- Ranked No.30 among all-time children novels by the School of Library Journal
- Voted as the Nation’s Favourite Children’s Book by BBC in 1998
- Children’s Book Award by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups in 1988
2. The Witches
Set partly in Norway and partly in the UK, The Witches is a fantasy novel that features the experiences of a young boy and his grandmother. The book describes how a child-hating society of witches secretly exists in every country. These witches look like ordinary ladies but are vile, cunning and detestable. They are ruled by the extremely powerful Grand High Witch. The boy and his grandmother must stop their evil plans.
Year Of Publication: 1983
Price: Rs.280
Awards:
- New York Times Outstanding Books Awards in 1983
- Federation of Children’s Book Groups Award in 1983
- Whitbread Award in 1983
- West Australian Award in 1986
3. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
Centred around the life of a young boy Charlie Bucket, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory unfolds the adventures of this young boy. After winning the precious Golden Tickets, Charlie is given a chance to spend an entire day inside Mr. Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory. However, his visit to the factory is full of surprises that he had never expected.
Year Of Publication: 1964
Number Of Copies Sold: 990,711 copies sold as of 2016
Price: Rs. 230
Awards:
- New England Round Table of Children’s Librarians Award in 1972
- Surrey School Award in 1973
- Millennium Children’s Book Award in 2000
- Blue Peter Book Award in 2000
4. Charlie And The Great Glass Elevator
Written as a sequel of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator continues the adventures of Charlie Bucket and the chocolatier – Willy Wonka. The story unravels its plot with Charlie cruising inside the Great Glass Elevator alongside Willy who has offered him his chocolate factory. This wild and exciting sequel will keep you glued till the end.
Year Of Publication: 1972
Number Of Copies Sold: 374,969 copies sold as of 2016
Price: Rs.234
Awards:
- Surrey School Award in 1975
- Nene Award in 1978
5. The BFG
The BFG begins when Sophie is captured by the BFG, a giant who is no ordinary bone-crunching creature but a rather friendly and jumbly one. Sophie is lucky to have been carried off in the middle of the night by BFG and not some other deadly giant like the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater or the Bonecruncher. Sophie and the BFG must stop these human-sucking giants from flush-bunking in England, but can they?
Year Of Publication: 1982
Number Of Copies Sold: More than a million copies sold across the world every year
Price: Rs.236
Awards:
- Federation of Children’s Book Groups Award in 1982
- Deutsche Jugendliteraturpreis in 1984
- Best Book of the Past 20 Years by the Good Book Guide in 1997
6. Boy: Tales Of Childhood
Written as an autobiographical piece, Boy describes the growing years of Roald Dahl. Focusing on living conditions of Britain in the 1920s and 1930s, the book accounts Dahl’s childhood. Illustrated through unusual incidents and hilarious anecdotes, it is an emotional ride across Dahl’s young days. Explore Dahl’s journey from an ordinary being to an extraordinary writer.
Year Of Publication: 1984
Price: Rs.225
Awards:
- Boston Globe/Horn Nonfiction Honor Citation in 1985
7. The Twits
The Twits is a hilarious children’s book that revolves around the smelliest, nastiest and ugliest couple in the world. Mr. and Mrs. Twit. The couple hates everything around them apart from playing mean jokes on each other, catching innocent birds and mistreating their monkeys – Muggle Wumps. The Muggle-Wumps are forced to stand on their heads all day long. As the series moves further, the pranks advance the plot of the story. The Muggle-Wumps decide to take revenge from the Twits. Read the book to discover whether they succeed or not.
Year Of Publication: 1980
Number Of Copies Sold: 302,300 copies sold
Price: Rs.239
8. James And The Giant Peach
The tale of James and the Giant Peach centres on a young orphan boy who enters a gigantic and magical peach. After years of feeling like an outsider in his own house, James finds himself at home in the surreal cross-world and between the magical bugs he encounters there. However, the peach household starts to roll away with the spin of a stem and the adventures begin. Celebrating the spirit of fantasy, this one’s sure to keep you gripped and fascinated all along.
Year Of Publication: 1961
Number Of Copies Sold: 12 million copies
Price: Rs.300
Awards:
- Massachusetts Children’s Award in 1982
9. Danny, The Champion Of The World
Creative in all ways, Danny, the Champion of the World is a novel based on the life of Danny, a young English boy and his father William. Danny’s life is perfect. He lives in a gypsy caravan, is the youngest mechanic around and is a close friend of his father’s who tells him wonderful tales all the time. When Danny discovers his father’s secret, he sets off on an adventure of pheasant-snatching expedition with him. This story of love and laughter is just too exciting.
Year Of Publication: 1975
Price: Rs.218
Awards:
- Surrey School Award in 1978
- California Young Reader Medal in 1979
10. Esio Trot
Wonderfully warm-hearted, Esio Trot is a classic tale of love. Mr. Hoppy is in love with his neighbour, Mrs. Silver. But Mrs. Silver’s heart belongs to her pet tortoise, Alfie. With the help of one hundred and forty tortoises, an ancient spell and a little bit of magic, Mr. Hoppy finally plots a brilliant idea to win Mrs. Silver over. The question is, ‘Will Mr. Hoppy be happy at last?’ Read this melting story of love and friendship to find out!
Year Of Publication: 1975
Price: Rs.258
Awards:
- Smarties Award in 1990
