Who was Roald Dahl?

When I was little, I loved reading stories written by Roald Dahl. I would argue that he is one of the best children's authors of the twentieth century; if not the best. His books are entertaining, full of jokes and were my favourite choice of bedtime story. Roald Dahl is an author that you can never grow tired of. I still enjoy reading his books from time to time.

Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916. During World War 2 he served in the Royal Air Force as a fighter pilot. Following his time as a fighter pilot, his first book was published in 1942. It was a memoir detailing his wartime adventures and was published under the title Shot Down Over Libya. He continued to write books for adults but also began to write children's books, many of which are still well loved today. Several of his books have been adapted into films, for example Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Fantastic Mr Fox - perhaps you have seen or heard of them?

If you haven't tried reading one of Roald Dahl's books, then you should give one a try. They are very funny and easy to read. I would particularly recommend George's Marvellous Medicine. It's a very entertaining story about a little boy who makes a potion and feeds it to the animals on his farm. Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox is also a great read; the story focuses on a family of foxes who are constantly trying to outwit a trio of farmers. Another book which is very amusing is The Twits  which is a funny story about Mr and Mrs Twit and their pet monkeys.

Many of the books include memories from Dahl's own childhood. He studied at a boarding school and had many unhappy memories of his time there. His books for children are usually written from the child's point of view; most of them feature adult villains that hate and mistreat children, such as The Witches. A man named Quentin Blake illustrated many of Roald Dahl's books. 

Roald Dahl's birthday was the 13th September. Each year, on this day, celebrations are held to celebrate the works of Roald Dahl - this is called Roald Dahl Day. Children may be allowed to go into school dressed as their favourite Roald Dahl characters. Other events also take place - from Oompa-Loompa skydives to special events for children at the Roald Dahl museum. In 2014, to mark fifty years of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, there were a lot of chocolate-themed events!