Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Paperback)

by Roald Dahl (Author) "THESE TWO VERY OLD PEOPLE are the father and mother of Mr. Bucket..." (more)
Key Phrases: golden ticket, chocolate river, cacao beans, Grandpa Joe, Mike Teavee, Charlie Bucket (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, along with Roald Dahl's other tales for younger readers, make him a true star of children's literature. Dahl seems to know just how far to go with his oddball fantasies; in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, for example, nasty Violet Beauregarde blows up into a blueberry from sneaking forbidden chewing gum, and bratty Augustus Gloop is carried away on the river of chocolate he wouldn't resist. In fact, all manner of disasters can happen to the most obnoxiously deserving of children because Dahl portrays each incident with such resourcefulness and humor.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a singular delight, crammed with mad fantasy, childhood justice and revenge, and as much candy as you can eat. The book is also available in Spanish (Charlie y la Fabrica de Chocolate). (The suggested age range for this book is 9-12, but nobody this reviewer has met can resist it, including New York City bellhops, flight attendants, and grumpy teenagers.) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
The gates of Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory are opening at last--and only five children will be allowed inside.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141301155
• ISBN-13: 978-0141301150
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (466 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #193,680 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Children's Book of All Time, April 8, 2002

By	Jose R. Perez "Jose" (Yonkers, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Hardcover)

Along with his other classic, "James and the Giant Peach", Roald Dalh's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" stands at the top of the heap when it comes to children's books. This is a pure classic of imagination, storytelling and magic. Far superior to the film (where Willy Wonka becomes the title character), the book tells the story from Charlie Bucket's point of view. Charlie, who lives with his four ancient grandparents and his mother in a one-room house, is the kind of child who can only dream about his future, since his family has barely enough money to survive. When the Wonka chocolatier announces that five golden tickets to visit the aged factory have been carefully tucked inside chocolate bars the world over, Charlie's dreams are suddenly wide open. He stumbles on some money in the street, purchases a chocolate bar and is thrust into the limelight beccoming one of the five lucky vistors. The rest of the tale is one of scrumptous folly and nerve-wracking sentiment, highlighted by magical workers (the one and only Oompa Loompas), the etheral Willy Wonka, a host of loony characters - both adults and kids - and a thrill ride in a factory where time stands still and also rocks forwards, backwards, sideways and then some! It's a classic tale of the triumph of good over evil, generosity over greed and family over fair-weathered friends. Sure to be enjoyed by children of all ages, adults included, this is the best children's book ever written - and deserves prominent place in every child's library.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Charlie and the Chocolate factory, May 22, 2000

By A Customer

The gates of Mr. Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory are opening at last- and only five children are allowed inside. The only way they are allowed in is if they have the golden wrapper from a Wonka chocolate bar. And the five winners are: Augustus Gloop, Veruca salt, Violet Beauregrade, Mike Teavee, and Charlie Bucket. Charlie is the main character, and comes from a poor family made up of his mom, and two sets of grandparents. When his birthday comes around, he just gets a homemade scarf and a candy bar. But candy seems to be the latest craze all over the world, because it seems that 5 golden wrappers were hidden with the candy bar. Whoever discovered the wrappers would win a lifetime of chocolate, after a visit to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Each day, a new winner was announced. Day one was Augustus Gloop. Day two was Veruca Salt. Day three, Violet Beaurgrade, and day four was Mike Teavee. There was one day left for Charlie to find the golden wrapper. And after a fortunate buy, Charlie discovered it. Able to bring only one person, he brought his grandfather, who was closest to him. And the two went hoping for the chance to become the most famous people in the world. I think this book has an interesting plot, with lots of interesting changes happening to Charlie along the way. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I strongly recommend it to anyone.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delectably delicious book...., March 7, 2001

By	Kali "bengaligirl" (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This book is so delicious I just want to eat it! "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" might be in many people's eyes a story about morality but to me, it's a story about children and their love of all things sweet, sticky and delicious. Charlie Bucket is the delightful boy (who is so poor all he gets to eat is cabbage soup) who finds a golden ticket in a chocolate bar he buys with money he finds in the street. This ticket entitles him and a companion to enter the wonderful world of Mr. Willy Wonka, the most famous and mysterious chocolate maker that the universe has ever known. Other competition winners include such heinous but wonderfully over the top characters like Augustus Gloop, the greediest boy in the world, and Veruca Salt, a spoilt brat whose father buys 10,000 chocolate bars so she can win a golden ticket. These greedy children and their frightful companions get their come-uppance in various hilarious ways that will have you spluttering with laughter with every page that you turn. Dahl's most famous creation in this book though are the Oompa-Loompas, a race of small people that Mr. Wonka has saved from extinction in the days when he traveled the world. This is a glorious, glorious book, filled with amazing characters, incredible sweets such as the everlasting gobstopper for the child with limited pocket money, and the chewing gum that that is a whole three course meal in itself. Your mouth will be watering throughout the story, and the river of chocolate will make you drool a waterfall. A scrumptious book for everyone no matter what their age.