Roald Dahl was one of my favorite authors when I was in elementary school. I loved Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The B.F.G., The Witches and James and the Giant Peach (the later two not so much now that I'm an adult. I find those stories a little...weird.) When I discovered my worn and scribbled on much loved copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I delighted at the chance to share my love of Roald Dahl books with my son. We read a chapter a night, both of us engrossed in the story of Charlie Bucket and his quest for a golden ticket hidden in a chocolate bar. As we read, I was surprised at how different the book was from what I remembered and how different it was from the movie -- the original movie, not the bizarre Johnny Depp version, although I kept picturing his Willy Wonka, rather than Gene Wilder, as we read. After we finished the book, we settled in for a family movie night showing of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory*. I couldn't wait for my son to … [Read more...]