Fire up your child's imagination with these ten best books for 8 year olds!
By Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake, published by Puffin, RRP £5.99
What’s the story: It’s so hard to choose among Dahl’s books. Matilda is one of the most borrowed books by children in libraries, so let’s go with her. Super bright Matilda has very mean and stupid parents. They’re horrified that their daughter prefers books to TV. Her teacher, the lovely Miss Honey thinks Matilda is a genius. And she’s right. Matilda proves she has courage as well as cleverness when she frees her school from the head mistress, the tyrannical Miss Trunchbull.
Why we love it: The exploits Matilda goes to in getting back at her horrid parents is incredibly amusing. She dyes her father’s hair platinum blonde and hides a talking parrot up the chimney pretending to her family it’s a ghost. It’s a sheer delight to read and Blakes illustrations perfectly complement this captivating story
First published: 1988
