Matilda
How does Matilda spend her free time?
Matilda spends her free time by reading a lot of books.
What does Matilda's father do for a living?
What was Mrs.Phelps' job?
She is a librarian.
According to the narrator, parents often have a funny habit of __________.
believing their kids are special.
How many adult books did Matilda read in the library?
She reads 15 books.
What does Matilda's mother often do during the day?
She often plays bingo.
Why does Mrs.Phelps become concerned with Matilda?
Because Matilda comes to the library by herself.
How will a fine writer always make you feel?
A fine writer will always make you feel interested and involved, as if you are right inside the story, caring about what happens to the characters.
Why do you think Matilda wants to read "grown-up"books?
Matilda wants to read "grown-up" books because she finishes all the children's book and wants a challenge.
Why does Matilda tell her dad he is not honest?
Because he uses sawdust. so the cars works perfectly for a day or two.
OR
Because he uses a drill to turn the clock backwards, so the car has less kilometers.
What is the first book Mrs.Phelps offers Matilda?
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.
What genre of story do you think this is going to be?
Matilda is going to be a fantasy story mixed with comedy and realistic fiction, because it begins with real-life family and school problems but also hints that unusual, magical things will happen later.
What is the significance of Matilda's choice at dinner different from her family?
It highlights her love of reading and her family's disinterest in intellectual pursuits, setting her apart from her family.
Why Matilda is clever makes her father angry?
Because he wants to feel powerful and "in control" as the adult.
What does Dahl describe the Mrs. Phelps 's amazement at Matilda's reading?
Dahl describes Mrs. Phelps’s amazement by showing her astonished that such a tiny girl could read and enjoy adult books with such seriousness.
Whose viewpoint is this story told from and how do you know?
The story Matilda is told from a third-person narrator's viewpoint. The reason is the narrator is not a character in the story but describes what happens to Matilda and the other people.
What types of books does Matilda enjoy reading, and how do they inspire her?
Matilda enjoys adventure and classics, imagination and big ideas and real people and worlds. These books show Matilda that there is a much bigger, richer world beyond her parents' small unkind household.
Why do you think Matilda's parents are so unkind to her?
They believe children should be silent. They expect Matilda to "do as she's told," not to think or question adults. They only car about themselves.
Why is Mrs. Phelps important to Matilda?
Mrs. Phelps provides Matilda with access to a world of books, nurturing her intelligence and giving her an escape from her difficult home life.
How do you think Roald Dahl feels about people who watch a lot of telly?
Roald Dahl seems to feel quite negative about people who watch a lot of telly—he shows them as lazy, noisy, and wasting time, especially Matilda’s parents, who choose TV instead of books or family.