Charlie+and+the+Chocolate+Factory



__**Charlie and the Chocolate Factory**__
 * By Roald Dahl**

__Bibliographic Data__

Publication Date: August 16, 2007 Publisher: Puffin; Reprint edition ISBN: 00142410314 Hardcover Price: $12.96 Paperback Price: $5.16 Number of Pages: 176 Best for ages: 7 & up Type of book: Fiction

__Summary:__

In __Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,__ Roald Dahl tells a story about a contest that will be held, which five children are to be chosen as winners to get into a mysterious chocolate factory. The way to win is by chance as there are only five candy bars that have the magic tickets to get into the chocolate factory. This is exciting because the chocolate factory had been closed for years, without a word on why. The winners are: Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Beauregarde, Mike Teavee and Charlie Bucket. Not all of the winners actually ‘deserve’ the prize to go into the chocolate factory. Many of the winners are selfish and greedy such as Augustus Gloop who won’t stop eating and Veruca Salt who comes from wealth while her parents do pretty much everything she asks. The only winner who seems to be deserving of the prize is Charlie Bucket who comes from a rather poor household and is appreciative of everything he has. Charlie attends the chocolate factory with his grandfather who had been a worker in the factory long ago. Many scrumptious and wonderful things happen while the five winners are in the factory. However, some sour events happen as well…leaving some of the contestants in a deep misery.

__Review:__

__Charlie and the Chocolate Factory__ was one of my favorite books I read in school. I remember when I was a child reading this, I saw the front cover and couldn’t wait to jump right in. The illustrations were quite odd on the cover; however, I only had to read the word ‘Chocolate’ in the title to be sucked right in. As I read, I gained a lot of sympathy and hope for Charlie. At first, all of the other undeserving kids kept on winning the golden ticket to get into the factory. Finally when I least expected it, Charlie won! However, there was another trick to the contest…in order to fully win, a contestant had to be on their best behavior. None of them were told this though. Although this book didn’t have many illustrations, the words were so descriptive that pictures could easily be created in the reader’s mind. As a kid, I had a tough time reading. Therefore, this helped me to understand what was going on in the book. I would definitely recommend this book to second graders and up.

__Author Biography:__

Roald Dahl was born in Llandaff, Wales in the United Kingdom on September 13, 1916. His father died when he was just a toddler, but he kept working hard in his life while he attended a catholic school. He was a very rebellious child who did not like attending private schools. He refused his mother’s offer to pay for his tuition in a prestigious school because he wanted to go right from school to work for a company. His dream was to work for a place that would send him abroad so that he could adventure. He became a fighter pilot in World War II. Dahl published his first few stories in newspapers and magazines. Finally, he wrote __The Gremlins__ for Walt Disney and only rose from there. After telling his children stories at bedtime, he began to write children’s books. His first official children’s book was __James and the Giant Peach__. He died on November 23, 1990 having written a total of 19 children’s books. He is a very accomplished writer who serves as a true inspiration to the writers of today and the future.

__Literary Element Analysis: Theme__

A major theme in __Charlie and the Chocolate Factory__ was ‘poor vs. rich.’ This theme was often used in ‘Horatio Alger’ stories in the 19th century. This theme portrays the American dream of rising from rags to riches. Charlie is a poor boy who appreciates his family and works very hard to be honest and help his family. However, the other contestants seem to be the complete opposite. As Charlie would walk past stores, he would see “other children taking creamy candy bars out of their pockets and munching them greedily, and //that//, of course, was //pure// torture.” (6) He did not have enough money to afford chocolate bars, except for on his birthday. However, the contest was not just about who would be lucky enough to win. It was about who deserved to win the most and who respected the factory. The other contestants’ riches got to their heads while Charlie remained an honest, good boy who worked hard. In the very end, the point that comes across is that you do not need to have money to make it big and to have a lot in life. Charlie still had a lot even though he did not have money. He had a family who he loved very deeply and who loved him back. This is what made Charlie succeed and what matters much more than any money could ever give you.

__Reference Sites:__ [] [|http://www.biography.com/people/roald-dahl-9264648#childrens-books] __http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1172944721l/232187.jpg__

By: Marissa D'Angelo