Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie is a poor kid living with his parents and both sets of very old grandparents.  For his birthday, all he gets is a chocolate bar from the nearby chocolate factory belonging to the mysterious Mr. Willy Wonka.  When Charlie and his Grandpa Joe are invited to the visit the chocolate factory with four other children (all horrid in their own ways), they find that the factory, while wondrous and magical, can also be extremely dangerous!

Author: Roald Dahl
Ages: 9 – 12
Main character(s): boy
Part of a series: yes
Where: England
When: present

Which Witch?

Like Roald Dahl, Eva Ibbotson writes books in which some really nasty things can happen, sometimes even to good people. In Which Witch? the orphan Terence has to witness some very black magic in order to help white witch Belladona.  The handsome wizard Arriman has announced a contest: he will marry the local witch with the most sinister spell.  Belladona, who can only create flowers and birds, wants nothing more than to marry the great wizard, but it seems hopeless even without some fierce and foul competition.  This book actually turned my stomach at one point, but it also made me laugh out loud, so I’ve read it over and over.

Author: Eva Ibbotson
Ages: 9 – 12
Main character(s): Boy and Girl
Part of a series: no
Where: England
When: present day

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The Witches

A boy and his Norwegian grandmother take on The Grand High Witch Of All The World and the eighty-plus witches living in England! As with many of Roald Dahl’s books, some of the characters end up with very unhappy endings, which can be funny, crazy and scary.  For example, here is Norwegian Grandmother’s take on a boy whose gluttony gets him turned into a mouse: “…over in Norway where I come from, we are quite used to these sorts of happenings. We have learnt to accept them as part of everyday life.”

Author: Roald Dahl
Ages: 9 – 12
Main character(s): Boy
Part of a series: no
Where: England
When: present day

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The BFG

Orphan Sophie’s creative ideas are magnified magnificently when they’re implemented with the help of a Big Friendly Giant.  The children of England are in terrible danger (and some are eaten!) but Sophie’s bravery, friendliness, and faith in the Queen of England put a stop to all that.

Note: the BFG puts the Queen’s very best manners to the test.  Read the book to find out how!

Author: Roald Dahl
Ages: 9 – 12
Main character(s):  Girl
Part of a series: no
Where: England
When: present day

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Charlie And The Great Glass Elevator

Charlie, Mr. Wonka and Grandpa Joe take on space aliens and hopelessly useless government officials!  Some of Roald Dahl’s very best rhymes are in Charlie And The Great Glass Elevator.  Laugh out loud funny!

Author: Roald Dahl
Ages: 9 – 12
Main character(s):  Boy
Part of a series:  yes
Where: England and outer space
When: present day

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Matilda

Many young readers say that Matilda is their very favorite Roald Dahl book!  In Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, the magic comes from Mr. Wonka (or perhaps the factory itself?  Or the Oompa-Loompas?)  In Matilda’s case, the magic comes from herself!  And she needs all of it to deal successfully with her terrible parents and a villainous headmistress.

Author: Roald Dahl
Ages: 9 – 12
Main character(s):  Girl
Part of a series: no
Where: England
When: present day

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James And The Giant Peach

Magic goes a little crazy both in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and James And The Giant Peach.  In one, picky squirrels throw people down the trash chutes (because they’re bad nuts!).  In the other, giant fruit becomes a deadly weapon.  And let’s not start on how hard it is to untie all the laces on a centipede’s boots! From this lowly beginning, James learns what a leader he is and creates a happily ever after for himself and some fascinating (not human!) friends.

Author: Roald Dahl
Ages: 9 – 12
Main character(s):  Boy
Part of a series: no
Where: England and New York
When: present day

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The Candy Shop War

The candy shop in The Candy Shop War is not a regular candy shop. It has moon rocks that make you jump high into the air and land softly.  But , the owner of the candy shop, Ms. White, is a villain, and the four kids (who she tricks into helping her at first) must figure out how to stop her, despite her magical candy.

Author: Brandon Mull
Ages: 9 – 12
Main character(s):  Three boys and a girl
Part of a series: no
Where: US
When: present day

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The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop

Twins Oz and Lily inherit a chocolate shop, which is amazing, until they realize it also includes a talking cat who is an undercover spy (even more amazing, right?)  Lily, who battles dyslexia, has to work with a range of crazy magical creatures in order to save Oz, who gets kidnapped. 

Author: Kate Saunders
Ages: 9 – 12
Main character(s):  Boy and Girl
Part of a series: no
Where: England
When: present day

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The Sinister Sweetness Of Splendid Academy

It’s sad but true — unlimited candy in The Sinister Sweetness Of Splendid Academy is a very bad thing.  Take one gingerbread house and turn it into a school.  Take one witch and turn her into a teacher.  Take two kids, Lorelei and Andrew, who have to figure out that what seems like fabulous luck might actually be extreme danger!  Lorelei is already struggling with the death of her mom, so when Andrew disappears, will she be able to rise to the challenge of saving him?

Author: Nikki Loftin
Ages: 9 – 12
Main character(s):  Girl
Part of a series:  no
Where: US
When: present day

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