“I have always said to myself that if a little pocket calculator can do it, why shouldn’t I?” Regarding the message of the story and having considered all the challenges that Matilda has to face, I would like to share with you a quote from the story: From the very beginning of the story, they are portrayed as arrogant and they are inattentive to their child. They are extremely dishonest and, at times, disrespectful. Her parents are highly concerned with money and appearance.

Last but not least, Matilda lives with her parents, Mr and Mrs Wormwood, and her brother Michael.

She is an expert at making them feel miserable. The main antagonist, Miss Trunchbull, is an ex-Olympic hammer thrower who utterly dislikes children. She is the first person to foster Matilda’s extraordinary intelligence.Īt Crunchem Hall Primary School, the headteacher is another character worth mentioning. Miss Honey is one of Matilda’s favourite people. Throughout the book, you can see how kind-hearted and gifted she is. Matilda is a 10-year-old girl who loves going to school. Matilda is a well-known short story written by Roald Dahl. Walking around libraries you might find different versions of the same story such as adaptations in different languages, storybooks (great for toddlers) or books with different coloured and lively illustrations. One of the things that I love the most about ‘ Matilda‘ is that it can be read regardless of your age. It goes without saying that it is a form of entertainment and it fires up your imagination. Not only is it a different way to learn new words, but also it develops literacy skills. To begin with, reading in a foreign language has helped me in different aspects. It was the first English book that I had read, and afterwards, I became strongly interested in the language of Shakespeare. I couldn’t put it down! What I didn’t know was that it was going to be a turning point in my life.

I vividly remember when I was 12 and I read Matilda in 5 days. Angela recommends reading Matilda with your learners to open doors to deep reflection. Can you remember the first book you read that changed your life? Angela, from our Learn English with Cambridge YouTube channel, can remember hers.

Matilda novel