Roald Dahl was a writer with a wild imagination, and a gift for sharing his vision. Some of his children's books have been made into movies. Perhaps you've seen "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," "James and Giant Peach" or "Matilda?" Many more of his books (such as "BFG" or "The Fantastic Mr. Fox") are at the library, waiting for you to discover them.
It's official! The Official Roald Dahl Website is my pick of the day. With artwork by Quentin Blake, this Flash site is both familiar and unexpected � much like a Dahl novel. With so many treasures, I can't list them all, but highlights are Treats (for games and quizzes); The Man (for audio interviews); and Tips for Teachers. I was intrigued by the audio snippets of music based on Dahl's rhymes and stories. Look for them on the last page of Music & the Foundation, which is listed under The Roald Dahl Foundation.
"When he was at school Roald Dahl received terrible reports for his writing - with one teacher actually writing in his report, 'I have never met a boy who so persistently writes the exact opposite of what he means. He seems incapable of marshaling his thoughts on paper.'" This extraordinary author (whose favorite smell is bacon frying) had an extraordinary life. Puffin Books presents Roald Dahl in three pages: ID Card (Dahl in a snapshot), Biography, and By this Author (a book listing.)
Written by Dahl fan Kristine Howard (a recent graduate of Notre Dame, now living in London) this site is tops for homework help, ideas for teachers, and just plain fun. Strengths are Howard's Dahl biography, time line and photo gallery; the thirteen original Dahl trivia quizzes and crossword puzzles; and the photo essays of Howard's tour of Dahl's Gipsy House in Great Missenden, England (where she met the original Big Friendly Giant.) As someone who writes in an open space between her kitchen and family room, I was fascinated with the pictures of the writing hut where Dahl worked.
The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
Educational Paperback Association: Roald DahlRoald Dahl Book Talk | Roald Dahl Children's Gallery |
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