Charlie & the Chocolate Factory
by Roald Dahl
Fantasy, Fiction, Classics, Young-Adult, Middle-Grade, Humor
Charlie Bucket’s wonderful adventure begins when he finds one of Mr. Willy Wonka’s precious Golden Tickets and wins a whole day inside the mysterious chocolate factory. Little does he know the surprises that are in store for him!
Recommendations from Common Sense Media
Age Recommendation: 6+
What Parents Need to Know:
Parents need to know that Roald Dahl‘s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a classic children’s book about five kids who win a chance to tour Willy Wonka’s mysterious candy-making operation. It’s a vividly told wild ride with amusing, cartoon-like sketches that will keep kids excited and laughing. Various forms of bad behavior are demonstrated, and are punished in ways that perfectly fit the crimes. Charlie lives a life of poverty that’s portrayed as bleak and depressing, although the love between him and his family makes their day-to-day struggles more bearable. The book was adapted for a film titled Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in 1971, and made into a movie titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp, in 2005. That same year, it was released as an audiobook read by Monty Python member Eric Idle, which is loads of fun.
Educational Value: n/a
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Positive Messages: 2/5
Spoiled, greedy children will get their just desserts, but dreams will come true for the honest and pure-hearted.
Positive Role Models: 3/5
Sweet, well-behaved Charlie possesses strength of character that the other children lack. Born and raised in poverty, Charlie truly appreciates every gift life gives him, and he remains honest despite the temptation to betray his hero.
Violence & Scariness: 1/5
While citizens around the world frantically search for golden tickets, a gangster robs a bank and uses the stolen money to buy a large amount of candy bars. Mike Teavee watches western movies in which cowboys shoot at each other. Wonka makes “exploding sweets for your enemies.” Children who disobey Willy Wonka’s rules are punished in ways that might be a little alarming but don’t seem to cause any pain.
Sex, Romance & Nudity: n/a
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Language: n/a
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Products & Purchases: 4/5
When Roald Dahl wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka chocolate bars and other candies only existed in the fictional world of this wonderful novel. Today, Wonka bars, Gobstoppers, and many other Wonka-branded candies are manufactured by Nestle.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: 1/5
Mr. Wonka’s factory contains a room meant for creating what he refers to as Butterscotch and Buttergin, and when the Oompa Loompas drink those concoctions, they become “drunk as lords.” Charlie stops into a shop that sells “everything, including sweets and cigars.”
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