Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Hundreds of different candies exist of all different flavors and types. What is your favorite candy, and why? What do you associate with popular sweets like chocolate, lollipops, and taffy?

Teaching Suggestion: Charlie’s only birthday gift each year is a single bar of Wonka chocolate; he savors it year-round because it is the only luxury he receives. As students begin to generate ideas, consider encouraging them to think about the Magic and Wonder surrounding chocolate and other types of candy. You might remind students that there is even a holiday in the United States during which children go door to door to receive candy (i.e., Halloween).

• National Geographic offers insight into the history of chocolate and chocolate production.
• This article from Collider discusses the real-life rivalry between two British chocolate manufacturers that inspired this book.

2. Roald Dahl, the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is one of the most popular authors of children’s fiction. What qualities make a children’s author successful? What topics, genres, or stylistic choices appeal to children?