Roald Dahl
Words," he said, "is oh such a twitch-tickling problem to me all my life.Collection: Tickling
It is most unlikely. But--here comes the big "but"--not impossible.Collection: Life
Come right up close to me and I will show you something wonderful.Collection: Wonderful
Writing is mainly perspiration, not inspiration.Collection: Inspiration
Obscurity is never a virtue.Collection: Obscurity
What I mean and what I say is two different things," the BFG announced rather grandly.Collection: Mean
If I were a headmaster, I would get rid of the history teacher and get a chocolate teacher instead and my pupils would study a subject that affected all of them.Collection: Teacher
Some children are spoiled and it is not their fault, it is their parents.Collection: Children
I am the maker of music, the dreamer of dreams!Collection: Dream
You should never, never doubt something that no one is sure of.Collection: Doubt
In any event, parents never underestimated the abilities of their own children. Quite the reverse. Sometimes it was well nigh impossible for a teacher to convince the proud father or mother that their beloved offspring was a complete nitwit.Collection: Mother
I asked my mum, who's a very clever psychotherapist, and she says that kids love stories about death; they need it, they need to have stories that deal with death and explain it, as a place to put their fears.Collection: Clever
We all have our moments of brilliance and glory, and this was mine.Collection: Moments
Titchy little snapperwhippers like you should not be higgling around with an old sage and onions who is hundreds of years more than you.Collection: Years
careful those who fight with monsters, that they might become monsters themeselves.Collection: Fighting
My darling," she said at last, are you sure you don't mind being a mouse for the rest of your life?" "I don't mind at all" I said. It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like as long as somebody loves you.Collection: Love You
We is in Dream Country,' the BFG said. 'This is where all dreams is beginning.Collection: Dream
...there are no secrets unless you keep them to yourself, and this was the greatest secret I had ever had to keep in my life so far.Collection: Secret
Well not exactly," the father said."Nobody could do that. but it didn't take me long.Collection: Father
I'd rather be fried alive and eaten by Mexicans.Collection: Alive
The cuss am I? Are you cussing with me?Collection: Foxes
Do you like vegetables?" Sophie asked, hoping to steer the conversation towards a slightly less dangerous kind of food. "You is trying to change the subject," the Giant said sternly. "We is having an interesting babblement about the taste of the human bean. The human bean is not a vegetable.Collection: Vegetables
He turned and reached behind him for the chocolate bar, then he turned back again and handed it to Charlie. Charlie grabbed it and quickly tore off the wrapper and took an enormous bite. Then he took another…and another…and oh, the joy of being able to cram large pieces of something sweet and solid into one's mouth! The sheer blissful joy of being able to fill one's mouth with rich solid food! 'You look like you wanted that one, sonny,' the shopkeeper said pleasantly. Charlie nodded, his mouth bulging with chocolate.Collection: Sweet
I doubt I would have written a line ... unless some minor tragedy had sort of twisted my mind out of the normal rut.Collection: Doubt
I think I have this thing where everybody has to think I'm the greatest.And if they aren't completely knocked out and dazzled and slightly intimidated by me, I don't feel good about myself.Collection: Thinking
Good authour Good booksCollection: Book
You chose books, I chose looks . Now see the difference?Collection: Book
Me is the only one what won't be gobbled up because giants is never eating giantsCollection: Giants
Of course not. You can't have a family hanging over you like a bunch of old dead goats. No offense.Collection: Travel
I shall never have a bath again," I said. "Just dont have one too often," my grandmother said. "Once a month is quite enough for a sensible child." It was at times like these that I loved my grandmother more than ever.Collection: Children
Here it is,' Nigel said. Mrs D, Mrs I, Mrs FFI, Mrs C, Mrs U, Mrs LTY. That spells difficulty.' How perfectly ridiculous!' snorted Miss Trunchbull. 'Why are all these women married?Collection: Missing
All you do is to look / At a page in this book / Because that's where we always will be. / No book ever ends / When it's full of your friends / The Giraffe and the Pelly and me.Collection: Book
Good writing is essentially rewriting.Collection: Writing
A whizzpopper!" cried the BFG, beaming at her. "Us giants is making whizzpoppers all the time! Whizzpopping is a sign of happiness. It is music in our ears! You surely is not telling me that a little whizzpopping if forbidden among human beans?Collection: Giants
There is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity; maybe it's a kind of lack of generosity towards non-Jews. I mean there is always a reason why anti-anything crops up anywhere; even a stinker like Hitler didn't just pick on them for no reason.Collection: Character
Hooray!" said the Chief of the Army. "Let's blow everyone up! Bang-bang! Bang-bang!Collection: Army
I've always said to myself that if a little pocket calculator can do it why shouldn't I?Collection: Believe In Yourself
But there was one other thing that the grown-ups also knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking lucky, the chance is there. The chance had to be there.Collection: Life
It's a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful.Collection: Mothers Day
You seemed so far away," Miss Honey whispered, awestruck. "Oh, I was. I was flying past the stars on silver wings," Matilda said. "It was wonderful.Collection: Stars
When writing about oneself, one must strive to be truthful. Truth is more important than modesty.Collection: Writing
You ignorant little slug!" the Trunchbull bellowed. "You witless weed! You empty-headed hamster! You stupid glob of glue!Collection: Weed
It was slowly beginning to dawn upon Henry that nothing is any fun if you can get as much of it as you want. Especially money.Collection: Fun
I want an Oompa-Loompa!' screamed Veruca.Collection: Greed
Rainbow drops - suck them and you can spit in six different colours.Collection: Rainbow
You can write about anything for children as long as you've got humour.Collection: Children
Of course they're real people. They're Oompa-Loompas...Imported direct from Loompaland...And oh what a terrible country it is! Nothing but thick jungles infested by the most dangerous beasts in the world - hornswogglers and snozzwangers and those terrible wicked whangdoodles. A whangdoodle would eat ten Oompa-Loompas for breakfast and come galloping back for a second helping.Collection: Country
I'm wondering what to read next.Collection: Reading
I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn’t be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage.Collection: Book