Matilda (1988) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

• Matilda Wormwood: Matilda is an extremely intelligent girl with horrible parents. She is the main character and she is only in kindergarten.
• Jennifer Honey: Matilda's new and extremely nice teacher.
• Miss Agatha Trunchbull: The headmistress of Matilda's school.
• Mr. Wormwood: Mr. Wormwood is Matilda's nasty father. He's a mean crook when it comes to selling cars.
• Mrs. Wormwood: Mrs. Wormwood is Matilda's mother. She doesn't care about her precious child, Matilda, and she loves playing Bingo.
• Michael Wormwood: Matilda's mean older brother.
• Mrs. Phelps: The kind librarian at the local library.
• Lavender: One of Matilda's friends at her new school.
• Bruce Bogtrotter: A greedy boy who stole Miss Trunchbull's cake and is made to eat another whole cake in front of the school.
• Amanda Thripp: A girl who wore pigtails to school, which the trunchball did not like.
• Fred: Matilda's friend who lives down the street. Owns a large parrot who talks.
• Wilfred: Add a description of this character.
• Nigel Hicks
• Eric Ink
• Julius Rottwinkle
• Hortensia: The senior girl. Quite a bit older than Matilda, she loved telling her stories of when she got in to mischief.
• Mr Trilby
• Rupert Entwistle

Quotes edit see section history

• “Fiona has the same glacial beauty as an iceberg, but unlike the iceberg she has absolutely nothing below the surface.”

• “"The way he (Ernest Hemingway) tells it I feel I am right there on the spot watching it all happen.""A fine writer will always make you feel that," Mrs. Phelps said. "And don't worry about the bits you don't understand. Sit back and allow the words to wash around you, like music."”

  Matilda and Mrs. Phelps

• “She felt as though she had touched something that was not quite of this world, the highest point of the heavens.”

• “I think Mr C. S. Lewis is a very good writer. But he has one failing. There are no funny bits in his books." "You are right there," Miss Honey said. "There aren't many funny bits in Mr Tolkien either," Matilda Said. "Do you think that all children's books ought to have funny bits in them?" Miss Honey asked. "I do," Matilda said. "Children are not so serious as grown-ups and they love to laugh.”

  Matilda and Miss Honey

• “Adopt me, Miss Honey”

  Matilda

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• England
• The Wormwoods' house: Matilda and her family's house
• Crunchem Hall Primary School: Matilda's school is like no other. Although there are kind teachers and students, there is one person who com ruins it, Miss Trunchbull.
• Matilda's father's workshop: Where her father "repairs" and sells cars.
• Miss Honey's House: Where Miss Honey lives. A small and cozy home.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover: Even though Matilda was small and young, she was smarter than most people five times as old as her.

Series & Lists edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Roald Dahl (Author)

Other Contributors:

1. Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Federation of Children’s Book Groups’ Children’s Book Award (1988)
• Prijs van de Nederlandse kinderjury (1989: 10 -12 jaar)
• Prijs van de Nederlandse kinderjury (1989: 13 - 16 jaar)
• Whitcoulls Kids' Top 50 (2011) (2011, #5)
• BBC's Big Read (April 2003, #74)
• Blue Peter Book Award (2000: Book that Made Me Laugh the Loudest, #1)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PZ7.D1515 Mat 1988b
• Dewey: <Fic> 20

Notes for Parents edit see section history

This book is a miraculous story that any child should read. It teaches many morals important for a child to learn.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Children's Books › Literature › Humorous
• Books › Children's Books › Authors & Illustrators, A-Z › ( D ) › Dahl, Roald
• Books › Children's Books › People & Places › Girls & Women › Fiction
• Books › Children's Books › Literature › Classics by Age
• Books › Children's Books › Issues › School
• Books › Children's Books › Ages 9-12
• Books › Children's Books › Authors & Illustrators, A-Z › ( D ) › Dahl, Roald

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• Official Roald Dahl Website: The official website of the author Roald Dahl. Learn all about this author and his life/books.

Movie Connections edit see section history

• Matilda (IMDb): 1996 release directed by Danny Devito.

More Books Like This edit see section history

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history