Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Roald Dahl

My AIP Project has led me to study Roald Dahl, an award winning author who has always been one of my favorites as a child.  Who could forget reading James and the Giant Peach or Matilda as a child?  Not to mention the amazing movies that have been created based on the books written by Roald Dahl.  I completely love every book he has written and remember the stories so vividly because they captured my imagination and made me believe that anything is possible. 
This author is such an inspiration to future teachers, authors, parents, aunts, uncles, and anyone who remotely interacts with children.  He communicates his deep love and passion for writing in every word of all 61 of his books.  Just the fact that he has written 61 books amazes me.  Then add the caliber of writing within each book- it is awesome.  When I was learning about Roald Dahl, it surprised me how tragic his life was.  He lost his father and older sister when he was just three years old.  One of his sons had brain damage after a car accident and his oldest daughter died after being exposed to the measles.  Yet his writing is still whimsical and captivating, even after all the heavy heartache he must have been feeling.  It really shocked me that he continued to write no matter what and kept producing books that grab his audience. 
Roald Dahl has left really big shoes to fill by any upcoming children’s authors because he was consistent and award-winning and passionate about every part of the writing process.  He should be used to showcase the joys of writing to students- especially those suffering from misfortunes in their own lives- to encourage more writing in elementary and middle schools. 

1 comment:

  1. Roald Dahl has always been one of my favorite authors. I was surprised to see how many of his books have been made into popular childrens movies. Do you think the movies do the books justice or do they differ?

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