Children's Book Blog!

My son and I just finished reading the Roald Dahl classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory together.  It was a great read aloud to do before bedtime as the chapters are not very long, but the story is exciting and very imaginative.   There are several versions that feature artwork by different artists and we enjoyed the silliness of the illustrations.  It is a great story to sit and snuggle on the couch and read together, or if you are going on a long road trip you can check out this story on RB Digital and listen as you travel!  After we finished the book we had a movie marathon where we watched the version featuring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka and then the newer one starring Johnny Depp.  I was surprised by how much my son was able to pick out things the movies changed from the book.  He was able to pick out how each movie differed and the ways he liked one movie over the other.  In the chapter where Mike Tevee gets shrunk in the Chocolate Television Room the Oompa Loompas sing a song where they state that once you take the tv away from the kids they will discover reading again, and they will love it.  After we finished the book my son said, "Mom the oompa loompas were right, reading is more fun!"  This would be a great addition to a family summer reading list for elementary aged kids.