Roald Dahl

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Matilda

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Matilda invents a game of punishing her parents when they treat her badly. She soon discovers that she has supernatural powers.

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RM26.90

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Dimensions (cm) :19.7 (H) x 12.7 (W) x 0.6 – 1.7 (D) x 0.21kg
ISBN :9780141322667
Author :Roald Dahl
Publisher :Penguin Books
Type :Paperback

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The parents of five-year-old Matilda Wormwood have no interest in their daughter, but if they did, they would discover that she is incredibly gifted. A child prodigy, Matilda learned to read at three years old, though the only actual book in the house was a cookbook and magazines. When she asks for a real book for herself, her father rudely turns her down and tells her to watch television instead. In spite of this, Matilda looks up the address of the local library, where she finishes all the children's books within a short time. The librarian gives Matilda her own library card, and she is able to bring books home with her to enjoy.

Mr. Wormwood sells used cars for a living, and shows Matilda he makes a handsome profit by cheating customers (putting sawdust in the transmission, rolling back the mileage on the odometer and gluing the bumpers and fenders that have fallen off). Matilda accuses him of being a crook though he shrugs it off and insults her. Matilda resolves to teach her parents a lesson every time they do something wrong, carrying out a variety of pranks.

Matilda's father sells a car to Miss Agatha Trunchbull, headmistress of Crunchem Hall, a private school. He arranges with her to have Matilda attend the school where she impresses her teacher Miss Jennifer "Jenny" Honey with her amazing intellectual capacity and mathematical ability. Miss Honey appeals to Miss Trunchbull to have Matilda moved up into an advanced class, but the child-hating headmistress refuses. Miss Honey also tries, in vain, to reason with Mrs. Wormwood, but she is not welcomed, and both parents make it clear that they are not interested either in Matilda or the value of education and learning. Matilda quickly learns of Miss Trunchbull's capacity for punishing children, as she carries out cruelties for minor reasons. When Matilda's friend Lavender places a newt in Miss Trunchbull's glass of water, Matilda is blamed and Trunchbull refuses to listen to her. Incensed by the injustice, Matilda soon discovers she has psychokinetic powers, as she focuses on the glass with her eyes, and surprises everyone by tipping it over right on to Miss Trunchbull.

Befriended by Miss Honey, Matilda later proves to her that she made the glass move. Miss Honey confides in Matilda that Miss Trunchbull is actually her aunt, who took over her father's home and abused her after her father, Magnus, supposedly killed himself. Miss Honey was able to escape, though is still as dominated by Miss Trunchbull's tyranny as the children at school are. Matilda intends to resolve this by working on her newfound powers. Matilda "haunts" Miss Trunchbull's classroom as Magnus' ghost, focusing her eyes on the chalk, and writes a threatening message for Miss Trunchbull on the blackboard that tells her to give Miss Honey back her home and money and leave for good. A terrified Miss Trunchbull does so, never to be seen by anyone again. Matilda visits Miss Honey in her new home often, but returns to her parents one afternoon to find them packing everything they have into the car,as the police had apparently discovered some of Mr. Wormwood's covert illegal activity and now the whole family is moving out of the country. Miss Honey appears with Matilda and confronts the Wormwoods. Matilda begs her parents to let her stay with Miss Honey, which they do so without a second glance back at her (although her brother waves goodbye). It is clear that Matilda will like to have a better life with Miss Honey.

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Matilda

Matilda

Matilda invents a game of punishing her parents when they treat her badly. She soon discovers that she has supernatural powers.

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