Books in the Trees! A Visit with Roald Dahl

Lafayette readers are on the move!  The Reading Road Trip Bookmobile exits the Garden State Parkway and cruises into a most extraordinary town: whimsical buildings, colorful characters, imaginative creatures… and library books hanging in the trees!  Driving down Main Street, we see a mysterious chocolate factory, a Big Friendly Giant, a Fantastic Fox, a woman gazing fondly at her pet tortoise, and a young girl with a magical gift.  A Giant Peach hovers in the blue-blue sky.  What's going on here?  Mrs. Cifrodella navigates our vehicle into a parking space and exclaims, “Welcome to the Wonderful World of Roald Dahl!”

We scramble from the bookmobile, and a curious fifth-grader picks a book from a handsome English Walnut tree.  Where did Roald Dahl find inspiration for his world-famous stories?   We sit in the shade of the stately tree and read Boy: Tales of Childhood, a biography of the beloved British author. Hoping to learn more, we take a look at an author interview project created by Reading Road Trippers Pierce and Nick:

We stroll into the park and meander down a quiet path lined with Giant Sequoias.  As we look skyward at the world’s largest trees, Mrs. Cifrodella recommends The BFG, a big friendly book about a girl named Sophie, one Big Friendly Giant, and a plan to save the world from nine nasty cannybull giants.  “You’ll really love the part about the Meatdripping Giant who pretends he is a big tree growing in the park,” promises Mrs. Cifrodella. 

The BFG Diorama by Jake S.
The BFG is talking to Sophie in his cave.  The bottles against the wall are dreams that he caught in his dream catcher.  He catches dreams so that he can feel happy.

A fourth grader finds plucks a copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from a nearby Cacao Tree.  This scrumpdillyicious classic follows five lucky children—a selfish foodie, a foolish gum-chewer, an unpleasant brat, a television fanatic, and honest hero, Charlie Bucket— as they journey through the world of eccentric chocolate maker, Willy Wonka.  Yum, yum!


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Scrumpdillyicious Chocolate Cupcakes
by Molly R. and Katie C. 



Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

by Sachin G.

In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the boy Charlie lives in his house with his Mom, Dad, and his four grandparents.  They are a very poor family.  They live in a very small house on a hill.  Only the four grandparents have a bed.  Charlie and his Mom and Dad sleep on air mattresses.  When Charlie finds a ten dollar bill, he buys a chocolate bar to see if he will win the chance to go into Mr. Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.  When Charlie opens the bar he wins, he gets the last golden ticket out of five.  When he gets inside the factory, he thinks it is so cool.  Everyone of the children end up doing something they are not supposed to do.  So at the end, Charlie has the opportunity to live at the chocolate factory, but he says no because he wants to stay with his family.

In front of the neighborhood pet shop, we find copies of Esio Trot perched in a potted Tortoise Tree.  A group of Reading Road Trippers gather around the ornamental plant and read about shy Mr. Hoppy, his neighbor Mrs. Silver, and a beloved pet tortoise named Alfie.

  

Esio Trot

by Cole E.

Esio Trot is a story about a man who lives over a lady.  He loves the lady but the lady likes her tortoise.  But her tortoise never grows.  Mrs. Silver is the woman.  She talks to Mr. Hoppy about what to do.  Then one day Mr. Hoppy gives Mrs. Silver a note that says Grow and other words.  Mr. Hoppy goes to the pet store and buys a bigger turtle each week and puts it on Mrs. Silver's porch.  Mrs. Silver ends up marrying Mr. Hoppy and they live happily ever after!

 

Esio Trot Diorama by Esmae and Emma



As we stroll down Main Street, a colorful copy of Fantastic Mr. Fox drops from a Flowering Crabapple Tree.  We read the tale of clever Mr. Fox, who must come up with a truly fantastic plan to dig himself out of trouble as he outwits the plans of three crabby farmers.


Fantastic Mr. Fox Diorama by Cole E.

Fantastic Mr. Fox Diorama by Sean P.

There’s a tree in front of the magic shop, too, and it’s loaded with apples and shiny, ripe copies of The Magic Finger.  Fourth graders grab big handfuls of fruit and books, happy for a snack and happy to read about an eight-year-old girl who uses her special gift to deal with next-door neighbors who love sport hunting.

At the corner of Main Street and Ladybug Lane, we find a peach tree blooming with copies of James and the Giant Peach.  Happy fourth graders fill bushel baskets with this favorite story of a young boy who escapes from two wicked aunts and embarks on an adventure with six big insects and a peach that is the size of a house.



James and the Giant Peach Pie by Olivia S.

James and the Giant Peach

by Rishi K. and Nick D.

James Henry Trotter's parents get eaten by a rhino, and he has to live with this terrifying aunties.  He gets magic rice and drops in onto an old peach tree.  The tree grows a huge peach as big as a house!  James finds a passageway in the peach and goes inside.  You have to find out what happens next....



James and the Giant Peach by Anna B-H.

James and the Giant Peach by Sarah D.

James and the Giant Peach Diorama by Katie C.