Some Good and Some Bad all at Once

John Guillen31 Comments

I’ve written before about McDonald’s giving away books in their Happy Meals, and now they’re doing it again. This time in the UK. So now you know the good. But there’s also some bad.

The books are some of Roald Dahl’s most beloved titles. Not the full books, but short excerpts. So why do I think this is bad? Well Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one of the worst books I’ve ever read all the way through. It was terrible. I’m not ashamed to say that I pretty much hated every part of it. And now 14 million kids will be reading his words over the next six weeks.

Why not throw in some Potter excerpts? Rowling would have been my choice if it were up to me. But of course I have no say in the matter. Props to McDonald’s for once again promoting literacy, but I really wish they’d have picked another author. Oh well.

What do you think of another book giveaway by McDonald’s? Or more importantly, what do you think of Dahl’s work?

On this day in 2014 I published Read a Banned Book This Week.

 

31 thoughts on “Some Good and Some Bad all at Once”

  3. Cough.
    Ahem.
    Clears throat.
    I haven’t read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory since I was a kid but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
    Personally, for children young enough to even want to buy a Happy Meal (5 and under IMNSHO) should be given something easier to understand. For those who are slightly older perhaps comic books.
    How about Captain Underpants? My son loved those, lol. In fact, that was the only thing he would read voluntarily.
    You’re not crazy, you just have a different perception of the book *shrug*.
    Now, if you had asked me to compare Gene Wilder’s movie version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to Johnny Depp’s version there’s no contest. I love Tim Burton’s work but his version of Charlie was simply creepy and I didn’t like it; one of the few Johnny Depp movies I can’t stand.

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  4. This is off topic but not all the way. I had a youtube channel with all 1980’s video’s that first appeared on MTV. I subscribed to Julie Dawn Cole (aka Veruca Salt) and she followed me back which surprised me. She left a comment about the videos I researched. She does African safari video’s, I think. My channel was terminated for copy write infringement and I’m not sure what the name of her channel was. I think I creeped her out by leaving a comment how she got me through puberty. Discuss…

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  5. I do like Roald Dahl. Matilda is probably my favorite. They probably picked someone who is well known in the literary world, but maybe isn’t as known as, say, J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter is so huge all over the world, the kids at that age are probably already aware of her work or seen the movies. Or are at least enamored of the Harry Potter universe. Maybe McDonald’s is doing this as a way to introduce kids to a wider variety of titles and authors? That’s my take.

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  6. I for one think it’s a fantastic idea! They did a Michael Morpurgo series a couple years ago, and the books were stories aimed at younger kids. Then there was the Enid Blyton giveaway with some mini Secret Seven and Famous Five books. Ronald Dahl is a classic children’s author, and it is so important to promote these books! Many kids nowadays don’t read, and as a teacher, I applaud any effort to encourage it.
    Hey if the kid is too young to read yet. What’s to stop you saving the books for a later date? If you can’t afford books. Then here’s a cheap way to grow your collection!
    Some of the toys are pure rubbish anyway and only end up in the bin, cluttering up household corners!!
    Ok so Mr Dahl may not be to,your taste, but the idea behind it, I thing is wonderful!!! They chose him to coincide with the fact it wad his birthday as well too, last week so,he’s been in the media a bit more, as there was a Roald Dahl day! Theoretically, children would have been more exposed to his work in schools, celebrating that, so they may be more inclined to be happy to receive a book of his!
    I know my kids love the idea.
    But hey, I’m a book loving mum, who wouldn’t want to increase their collections?! (Though I have most of his books anyway!!!)

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  7. Yes, like the previous person stated, it was Roald Dahl Day and his birthday- it wasn’t just a random choice by McDonald’s. However, I am a big Roald Dahl fan. I’ve got a section on my bookshelf for his stories. I do agree that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory isn’t the best, though–especially after you’ve watched the classic Gene Wilder film. The Witches, Matilda, Esio Trot, and The Vicar of Nibbleswck are some of my favorites.

    If you’re not into his novels, he has written some creepy, more adult-geared short stories you might enjoy. For instance, does this wife pull off the perfect crime in “Lamb to the Slaughter”? http://www.depa.univ-paris8.fr/IMG/pdf/lamb_to_the_slaughter_by_roald_dahl-2.pdf. (There’s also a great video of this story on YouTube)

    Or how big of a bet would you take on to win a car from some stranger who is missing several fingers? http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/south.html

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  8. 😐😐😐 I actually adore Roald Dahl and I was a huge fan when I was growing up. I still am, tbh. And now I’m trying to find all his books to complete my collection. ✌🏼️

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