Happy Roald Dahl Day!

 

I think it is safe to say that every child is impacted by the works of Roald Dahl in one way or another. 

Whether you've seen Matilda for the first time, your teacher reads you the BFG, or you were horrified by Anjelica Houston in The Witches, Roald Dahl is likely a staple of you or your kids childhood. 

That's because Roald Dahl creates magic. A chocolate factory? A talking fox? A GIANT PEACH? His stories build a world of imagination. 

September 13th is celebrated as Roald Dahl day in honor of the author's birthday. Although the author left us in 1990, his magic still resonates. 

We asked some of our staff members what Roald Dahl has meant to them and here are some of their answers:

Brianna Chase, Library Clerk:

"James and the Giant Peach" is one of my earliest memories of having a book really spark my imagination. It was so much fun to insert myself into the story and imagine what it would be like to live inside a peach and to have a bunch of creatures as friends.

Richard Camp, Library Clerk:

As a kid, his stories were huge for me, but as wannabe-writer adult, it's his writing shed that I admire most (which Wes Anderson recreated for his Dahl Netflix adaptations).

Photo via Austin Kleon

Alex Steinmetz, Library Assistant:

I checked out Charlie and the Chocolate Factory probably a dozen times from my elementary school library. I also made a clay scene from James and the Giant Peach that I entered into my county fair (and won!). Needless to say, many of my core memories of my childhood stem from Roald Dahl. 

What is your favorite Roald Dahl book?