Independent Reading Level: 4th Grade
Awards/Honors: None ( )

IRL: 4-6th grade
Children's Book Award from The Federation of Children's Book Groups 1988

Independent Reading Level: 5th Grade
Awards: Children's Book Award (1989)

This is another children’s classic that I somehow missed reading in my childhood. Some aspects of the story are rather unsettling this far removed from the era in which it was written. I can’t imagine a 3-year-old child left home alone in our 21st century world, or another adult learning of that circumstance and not reporting it to child protective services.

Another thing that puzzles me is how Matilda learned to read and do arithmetic without being read aloud to or coached. I was fascinated by this part of Matilda’s story, since I was reading by age four. I wasn’t aware of learning to read, and I don’t know how I learned, but I imagine that being read to a lot had quite a bit to do with it. Matilda was largely ignored by the rest of the family, and none of them were readers anyway. So how did Matilda learn?

Stories that portray children with agency to right wrongs and change their circumstances for the better have a timeless appeal. It’s satisfying to see Matilda get the best of Miss Trunchbull, escape her neglectful family, and find a new home with her teacher and mentor, Miss Honey. The audio version read by Kate Winslet is delightful, and well worth seeking out. ( )

This has always been one of my favorite Roald Dahl books. I've read or listened to it several times in the past, but when I saw that Kate Winslet had done an audiobook edition, I just had to listen to it again. And she was phenomenal. ( )