This reading guide is designed for children aged 8–12 and their parents or teachers. It contains questions to think about while reading, discussion points and reflection activities. No spoilers in the first section — save the later questions until after you’ve finished the book.
Before You Read
- Look at the cover. What can you tell about the main character just from the illustration?
- The title is just a name — Matilda. What does this make you expect about the story?
- Have you ever read a book so much that it felt like a world you could live in? That’s how Matilda feels about books. Can you imagine feeling that way?
While You Read — Chapters 1–5
- Why do you think Matilda’s parents don’t notice how clever she is? What does this tell you about them?
- Matilda plays tricks on her father. Do you think she is right to do this? Why or why not?
- Why does Mrs Phelps (the librarian) treat Matilda so differently from her parents?
While You Read — The School Chapters
- When Matilda meets Miss Honey, what does Miss Honey do that no other adult has done?
- How does Dahl make Miss Trunchbull feel scary without her actually hurting anyone in the first chapters?
- What do you think the ‘Chokey’ tells us about how Miss Trunchbull sees children?
- Why do the children stay quiet about Trunchbull’s cruelty? What stops them telling their parents?
After You Finish — Discussion Questions
- By the end, Matilda chooses to stay with Miss Honey rather than go with her family. Do you think this was the right choice? What makes someone a ‘real’ family?
- Matilda’s powers disappear once she is in Miss Honey’s class. Why do you think that happens?
- Which character changes the most during the story — Matilda or Miss Honey?
- Dahl makes the villains (Trunchbull, Mr Wormwood) very exaggerated and almost funny. Why do you think he does this instead of making them more realistic?
- If you could have any superpower for the same reason Matilda gets hers, what do you think it would be?
Deeper Thinking
- Dahl’s own childhood at boarding school was unhappy — he writes about it in Boy. Can you spot any ways this might have influenced Matilda?
- The story was published in 1988. Are there any ways in which school and family life have changed since then? Are there any ways in which Dahl’s observations still feel true today?
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