matilda: matilda’s miracles (penguin young readers, level 3)

Curious about the connections between Matilda and Miss Agatha Trunchbull? Discover more in this reader featuring a mini story perfect for Dahl fans!

Matilda Wormwood had always been an extraordinary girl: smart, kind, courageous, and ready to take on new challenges despite the shortcomings of her parents. When she enters school for the first time, Matilda is faced with her toughest challenge yet - dealing with Miss Agatha Trunchbull, the school’s horrifying headmistress. Read along and explore the ups, downs, and magical mishaps between Matilda and Miss Trunchbull in this reader!

Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. He spent his childhood in England and, at age eighteen, went to work for the Shell Oil Company in Africa. When World War II broke out, he joined the Royal Air Force and became a fighter pilot. At the age of twenty-six he moved to Washington, D.C., and it was there he began to write. His first short story, which recounted his adventures in the war, was bought by The Saturday Evening Post, and so began a long and illustrious career.

After establishing himself as a writer for adults, Roald Dahl began writing children’s stories in 1960 while living in England with his family. His first stories were written as entertainment for his own children, to whom many of his books are dedicated.

Roald Dahl is now considered one of the most beloved storytellers of our time. Although he passed away in 1990, his popularity continues to increase as his fantastic novels, including James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delight an ever-growing legion of fans.

Quentin Blake is a well-known artist whose work has made him popular on both sides of the Atlantic. He has illustrated most of Roald Dahl’s children’s books as well as many others. He lives in London, where he teaches illustration at the Royal College of Art.