charlie and the chocolate factory book review summary

• Ask LitCharts AI
• Discussion Question Generator
• Essay Prompt Generator
• Quiz Question Generator

• Literature Guides
• Poetry Guides
• Shakespeare Translations
• Literary Terms

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie Bucket , the novel’s protagonist, is a little boy who lives with his parents, Mr. Bucket and Mrs. Bucket , and both sets of grandparents ( Grandma Georgina , Grandpa George , Grandma Josephine , and Grandpa Joe ), who spend all their time lying in the one bed the family can afford. The Bucket family is extremely poor, as Mr. Bucket is the only one who’s employed. They live in a tiny, drafty two-room house and subsist on cabbage and potatoes. What Charlie wants most in the world is chocolate —so his walk to and from school every day is torturous, as he has to pass Mr. Wonka ’s chocolate factory each way.

Every night, Charlie’s grandparents tell him stories. One night, Grandpa Joe tells Charlie about Mr. Wonka and his chocolate factory. Mr. Wonka is a genius inventor—he once made a palace entirely out of chocolate for an Indian prince. His factory used to employ local workers, but Mr. Wonka suddenly shut the factory down when spies kept stealing his candy recipes. After a closure of several years, the factory suddenly came to life again and resumed production. Nobody knows who works there, as the gates are perpetually locked; Mr. Wonka and his factory are totally mysterious.

One evening, Mr. Bucket comes home with a newspaper bearing exciting news: Mr. Wonka has hidden five Golden Tickets in five Wonka candy bars. The children who find the Golden Tickets will have the opportunity to tour his factory. Within days, two children—the extremely fat Augustus Gloop and a wealthy, spoiled girl named Veruca Salt —find two Golden Tickets. When Charlie’s birthday arrives soon after, he receives a Wonka bar, though it doesn’t contain a ticket. In the weeks after, a gum-chewing girl named Violet Beauregarde finds a ticket, as does a boy named Mike Teavee , who’s obsessed with watching television. The Bucket family agrees that all four of the children who found tickets are horrible. Grandpa Joe gives Charlie a saved dime to buy another Wonka bar for another chance at a Golden Ticket, but the bar doesn’t have a ticket.

In the months that follow, the Bucket family starts to starve. It’s a bitterly cold winter, which makes it hard to keep warm—and to make matters worse, Mr. Bucket loses his job at the toothpaste factory. Then, one day after school, Charlie finds a dollar bill in the gutter. This means that he can buy food for his family—but he decides to buy himself a Wonka bar first. The bar contains only chocolate, but when Charlie buys a second bar, he finds a Golden Ticket inside. When Charlie tells his family, Grandpa Joe leaps out of bed for the first time in 20 years. The family agrees that Grandpa Joe should accompany Charlie to the factory for the tour tomorrow.

The next morning, Charlie and Grandpa Joe stand quietly near the other ticket winners, whose parents have to restrain them so that they don’t climb over the gates. Finally, Mr. Wonka opens the gates and ushers them inside. He leads them into his chocolate room, which looks like a beautiful landscape. Everything in the underground room is edible, from the meadows to the trees—and the wide, rushing chocolate river.

Mr. Wonka then introduces the party to his workers, the Oompa-Loompas , who are knee-high people from Loompaland. Mr. Wonka convinced them to come work in his factory after discovering that the Oompa-Loompas lived in constant danger in Loompaland and couldn’t get ahold of the one food they crave: cacao beans, which are what chocolate is made of. They love to sing, and they’re always laughing.

Mr. Wonka breaks off his explanation as greedy Augustus Gloop begins to drink from the chocolate river and then falls in. Massive glass pipes suck him up, though Augustus barely fits. Several Oompa-Loompas lead Augustus’s parents to find him and keep him from getting made into fudge, while other Oompa-Loompas sing the remaining children a song condemning Augustus for his greed and his weight.

When the song is over, Mr. Wonka ushers the party into a boat made of candy. They rush down the chocolate river to Mr. Wonka’s secret Inventing Room. He shows off his in-progress candies, including a gum that provides the chewer with a three-course meal. Violet Beauregarde, the gum-chewer, can’t resist snatching it from Mr. Wonka, even though he tells her not to. She thoroughly enjoys the first two courses but turns blue and expands like a blueberry when she gets to the dessert course. Oompa-Loompas roll her away to juice her while others sing a song about how nasty it is to chew gum all the time.

Next, Mr. Wonka shows Charlie, Veruca, Mike, and their guardians a room where trained squirrels shell walnuts and check for “bad nuts.” Veruca, who’s very spoiled, wants one and rushes into the room to snatch a squirrel. But instead, the squirrels hold her down, decide she’s a “bad nut,” and toss her down the garbage chute. When Veruca’s parents go into the room after her, the squirrels shove them into the garbage chute, too. This time when the Oompa-Loompas sing, they acknowledge that spoiled kids are horrible—but spoiled kids, they insist, are the way they are because their parents make them that way.

Finally, Mr. Wonka leads the remaining children and adults to an elevator that moves in every direction. Tired, Mike wants to watch television, so Mr. Wonka hits a button that takes them to a room where he’s developing Television Chocolate. He has a special camera that takes a mattress-sized chocolate bar and transmits it into a television—where viewers can take it out and eat it. Excited to be the first person to be transmitted by television, Mike throws himself in front of the camera. He appears in the television a minute later, but he’s only an inch tall. Oompa-Loompas lead Mike’s parents away to the gum-stretching machine, which they’ll attempt to use to return Mike to his normal size. Oompa-Loompas then sing another song, this time insisting that television rots kids’ brains. According to the Oompa-Loompas, kids are better off reading books.

Once Mr. Wonka, Charlie, and Grandpa Joe are back in the elevator, Mr. Wonka realizes that Charlie is the only child left. Mr. Wonka reveals that Charlie won: the Golden Tickets and the tour were a way for Mr. Wonka to select a child to inherit the factory and keep it running once he’s gone. He presses a button that causes the elevator to burst out of the factory roof. After watching the other Golden Ticket winners leave the factory (all of whom have been squeezed, juiced, or stretched to make them either their original size or thinner), Mr. Wonka flies the elevator to the Buckets’ house and in through the roof. After Charlie and Grandpa Joe explain to the family what’s happening and that they’ll now get to live in the chocolate factory, they push the grandparents’ bed into the elevator. Mr. Wonka and the Bucket family then fly through the air in the elevator, headed for the factory.

• Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

By roald dahl.

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Summary

Charlie Bucket is a young boy living in a tiny wooden house at the edge of a big city with his parents and four grandparents: Mr. Bucket , Mrs. Bucket , Grandpa Joe , Grandma Josephine , Grandpa George , and Grandma Georgina . The family is very poor, living only on what Mr. Bucket makes screwing toothpaste caps on at a toothpaste factory. They are constantly hungry, which is especially hard for Charlie, since they live down the street from an enormous chocolate factory and he loves chocolate more than anything else.

Every night, Charlie listens to Grandpa Joe tell stories about Mr. Willy Wonka , the owner of the chocolate factory and the greatest chocolate maker the world has ever seen. Nobody has ever seen the inside of this peculiar factory, and nobody knows what kind sort of people works there.

One day, the newspaper reveals that Mr. Wonka has decided to open up his factory to a lucky few. He has hidden five Golden Tickets inside his chocolate bars and shipped them all over the world, and the five children who find the Golden Tickets will be invited to tour his factory and will receive a lifetime supply of chocolate. Charlie wants to find a ticket so badly, but he only receives a Wonka bar once a year on his birthday, so he believes he does not stand a chance.

The first four Golden Tickets are found by four naughty children. Augustus Gloop is a large boy who is constantly eating, Veruca Salt a spoiled girl constantly asking her parents to buy her things, Violet Beauregarde a compulsive gum-chewer, and Mike Teavee a child who wastes his life away in front of the television. Their parents indulge them and do nothing to stop their terrible behavior. Charlie reads about them and grows hopeless, wishing he were in their position.

Two weeks later, Charlie finds a dollar lying in the street and excitedly uses it to buy two Wonka Bars. He does it because he is hungry, since Mr. Bucket lost his job at the toothpaste factory and has not been bringing much money home for food, not because he wants to find a Golden Ticket—however, he unwraps the second bar to reveal the telltale shimmer of gold. He has found the fifth Golden Ticket!

The following day is the factory visit; Charlie chooses to bring Grandpa Joe with him, since it will mean the most to the old man out of everyone in the family. The other four children have all brought their parents. Mr. Wonka comes out of the factory to greet them, and Charlie is amazed at the sight of him. He takes them into the factory to begin the tour.

They start with the Chocolate Room, an enormous room containing a valley of edible grass and plants and a chocolate river. Churning up the river is a chocolate waterfall. In this room, the visitors see the factory workers for the first time. They are tiny people called Oompa-Loompas , who Wonka smuggled from their dangerous home Loompaland in order to work in the factory.

Augustus Gloop begins to grab fistfuls of chocolate from the river, and does not stop when Mr. Wonka asks him to. Suddenly he leans too far and falls in, getting sucked up one of the tubes that carries the chocolate away. A pair of Oompa-Loompas escort Mr. and Mrs. Gloop up to the Fudge Room to retrieve him, and then the Oompa-Loompas sing a song to teach a lesson about the dangers of being a glutton like Augustus.

The group takes a pink candy Viking boat down the chocolate river to the Inventing Room, where Wonka shows them his new invention: chewing gum that tastes like a full, three-course meal. Because it is gum, Violet Beauregarde insists on trying it, despite Wonka's warning that he has not gotten it quite right yet. When she gets to the dessert, blueberry pie and ice cream, her skin begins to turn blue and she blows up like a blueberry. The Oompa-Loompas roll her away to be squeezed, and sing a song that speaks against chewing gum all day long.

Next is the Nut Room, where hundreds of real squirrels work to shell walnuts from their shells. Veruca decides she wants a trained squirrel like this, and goes to grab one—the squirrels retaliate before she can, pinning her down and tapping her on the head to see whether she is a bad nut. They find that she is, and carry her over to the garbage chute as they would any bad nut. They push her parents in as well, and the Oompa-Loompas' next song is about parents who spoil their children.

Charlie and Mike Teavee are the last ones left. Wonka takes them in a special glass elevator that can move sideways as well as up and down, and they head to the Television Chocolate room, where Wonka takes giant bars of chocolate and sends them by television so that they can be taken from the television screen on the other side. Mike decides that he will be the first person ever to be sent by television, and before Wonka can stop him he flips the switch to send himself, becoming tiny on the other side. The Oompa-Loompas take Mike and his parents to the taffy puller so Mike can be stretched out to normal size, and sing a song that recommends giving your children books instead of letting them watch television.

Now Charlie is the only one left, and Wonka says that means he has won the grand prize. Wonka originally started the Golden Ticket contest so that he could find an heir, since he has no family and he is getting old. His favorite child at the end of the day would inherit the factory, and that child is Charlie. Elated, Charlie goes with Mr. Wonka and Grandpa Joe to fetch the rest of his family to live in the factory full-time and help run it until Charlie is old enough to do it himself.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

How did Miss Honey get enough food to eat?

Miss Honey filled up on school lunch.

"I most certainly have," Miss Honey said. "I pay ten pence rent, and the rest just about buys me paraffin for my stove and for my lamp, and a little milk and tea and bread and margarine. That's all I need...

Violet held a world record title for chewing gum and chewed gum all the time, thus, the gum caught her eye immediately.

Willy Wonka

4. Square candies that looked round

Study Guide for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory study guide contains a biography of Roald Dahl, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Character List

Essays for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

• Subversion in Carroll and Dahl: How Humor in British Children’s Literature Derails the Classic Conduct Book.

Wikipedia Entries for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

• Introduction

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" Summary

A poor boy wins a golden ticket to tour a magical chocolate factory.

childrens | 176 pages | Published in 1964

Estimated read time: 5 min read

One Sentence Summary

Table of contents, introduction, brief synopsis, main characters, summary of different story points over chapters, main events, themes and insights, reader's takeaway.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl is a beloved children's novel that has captured the hearts of readers for generations. This timeless classic follows the adventures of Charlie Bucket, a young boy from a poor family, as he wins a golden ticket to visit the mysterious and magical chocolate factory of the eccentric Willy Wonka. Filled with whimsy, imagination, and moral lessons, this enchanting tale has become a staple in children's literature.

Plot Overview

The story is set in a small town and revolves around the enigmatic Willy Wonka, the owner of the renowned Wonka chocolate factory. When Willy Wonka announces a contest in which five golden tickets have been hidden in his chocolate bars, the world goes into a frenzy to find them. The lucky winners will be granted a tour of the factory and a lifetime supply of chocolate.

The story takes place in both the impoverished neighborhood where Charlie Bucket and his family reside, and the fantastical and whimsical world of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. The factory is a place of wonder and magic, with its chocolate river, Oompa-Loompas, and other fantastical inventions.

Below are the main characters in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," each playing a significant role in the story.

Chapter 1-5: The Golden Tickets

In the first few chapters, the stage is set as Willy Wonka announces the competition to find the golden tickets. The world is captivated as the first four tickets are found by children with unique and often negative traits, leaving one ticket still waiting to be discovered.

Chapter 6-10: The Tour Begins

The story takes an exciting turn as Charlie finds the last golden ticket and embarks on the tour of the mysterious chocolate factory. Along with his Grandpa Joe, Charlie meets the other winners and begins to explore the wonders of the factory.

Chapter 11-15: The Chocolate Factory

The group encounters the wonders of the chocolate factory, including the chocolate river, the Oompa-Loompas, and the incredible inventions of Willy Wonka. They also witness the consequences of the other children's vices as they misbehave and are eliminated from the tour.

Chapter 16-20: The Great Glass Elevator

In the final chapters, the story reaches its climax as Charlie and Willy Wonka take a thrilling ride in the great glass elevator, and Charlie is ultimately rewarded for his honesty and good-hearted nature.

The main events in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" include the discovery of the golden tickets, the tour of the chocolate factory, the misadventures of the other children, and Charlie's ultimate triumph as the winner of the tour.

• Goodness and Integrity : The story emphasizes the virtues of kindness, honesty, and integrity, as exemplified by Charlie Bucket.
• Consequences of Greed and Gluttony : The consequences of vices such as greed, gluttony, and selfishness are vividly portrayed through the fates of the other children.
• Imagination and Creativity : Willy Wonka's fantastical inventions and the magical world of the chocolate factory celebrate the power of imagination and creativity.

The story provides valuable insights into the human condition, morality, and the importance of empathy and understanding. It also encourages readers to embrace their creativity and embrace a sense of wonder.

Readers of all ages can take away valuable lessons from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The story inspires kindness, humility, and the appreciation of simple pleasures. It also serves as a reminder of the consequences of negative behaviors and the importance of using one's imagination.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" is a timeless classic that continues to enchant and inspire readers around the world. Roald Dahl's whimsical storytelling, memorable characters, and valuable life lessons make this book a must-read for children and adults alike. Through its vivid imagination and moral depth, the story leaves a lasting impression and continues to be a beloved favorite in children's literature.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory FAQ

What is the premise of 'charlie and the chocolate factory'.

The book follows the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the mysterious and magical chocolate factory owned by the eccentric Willy Wonka.

Who is the author of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'?

The author of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' is Roald Dahl.

Is 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' suitable for children?

Yes, 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' is a beloved children's book, known for its whimsical and imaginative storytelling.

Are there any film adaptations of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'?

Yes, there have been several film adaptations of the book, including a classic 1971 film and a 2005 adaptation directed by Tim Burton.

What lessons can be learned from 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'?

The book conveys important lessons about honesty, integrity, and the consequences of greed. It also celebrates imagination, kindness, and the joy of simple pleasures.

Books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

By Lewis Carroll

The Stranger

By Chris Van Allsburg

Charlotte's Web

By E.B. White

The Little Prince

By Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

• Disclosure and Privacy Policy
• GDPR – Request personal data
• Book Review Policy
• Author Interviews
• C. J. Tudor
• Carole P. Roman
• Chris Carter
• David Hatton
• J. D. Barker
• James Patterson
• Jean Harrod
• John Grisham
• M. J. Arlidge
• M.W. Craven
• Marko Kitti
• Michael Phillip Cash
• Ransom Riggs
• Richard Montanari
• Sharon Bolton
• Shaun Baines
• Stephen King
• Stephen Leather
• Biographies & Memoirs
• Children’s Books
• Christmas Themed Books
• Cosy Mystery
• Educational
• Historical Fiction
• Non-fiction
• Sci-Fi / Fantasy
• Supernatural
• YA Fiction (Young Adult)
• Competitions

• Children's Books

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Review

Illustrated by Quentin Blake

I may have not found a Golden Ticket to a sweet factory filled with wonder and delicious chocolate, but I have found the next best thing and have just finished reading the delightful classic children’s story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl .

Charlie and the Chocolate is the first book of two in the Charlie Bucket series.

Charlie Bucket is a sweet and kind boy who lives in a house with his parents and both sets of grandparents. They are a very poor family, but a very loving one. As their house isn’t very big, all four grandparents sleep in one room and all in the same bed. With only one income, Mr Bucket works in the toothpaste factory screwing lids onto tubes of toothpaste, and with seven mouths to feed their meals consist of lots of cabbage – imagine the putrid smells that must come from that house! (I’m glad that this isn’t a scratch and sniff book!)

Charlie lives in a town where the world’s largest, and most famous, chocolate factory is, you all know what it is – Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Charlie craved chocolate but as his family couldn’t afford luxuries, he had chocolate once a year on his birthday.

Wonka’s Factory is a secretive place, no employees are ever seen going in … or out! So when Willy Wonka places an advert in the paper announcing that 5 Golden Tickets have been placed in random chocolate bars to be won by 5 lucky winners, Charlie is hoping that with his birthday approaching he will be one of the lucky winners. Unfortunately, he wasn’t that lucky. But his luck eventually changes, and he wins the last of the 5 Golden Tickets to visit the mysterious and magical chocolate factory of Willy Wonka. Along with four other children, Augustus Gloop – a glutton for chocolate, Veruca Salt – a spoiled and selfish brat, Violet Beauregarde – a repulsive gum-chewer and Mike Teavee – a television fiend, they embark on a whimsical adventure full of surprises, dangers, and wonders.

Overall, this is a fantastic story, full of imagination and humour. A story of a wonderous trip around a sweet factory with chocolate rivers, lakes and waterfalls, edible grass and trees, flowers and bushes. Then there is the factory staff, the happy singing and dancing Oompa-Loopas from Loompaland, and that’s just the beginning. As readers salivate as they read through the pages of delicious sounding sweets and treats it is also a story that teaches some very important lessons about greed, selfishness, kindness and everybody getting exactly what they deserve.

As it is a Dahl story, it is packed with his unique dark humour and Gobblefunk language that has some excellent words such as Hornswogglers, Snozzwanglers and Wangdoodles. His writing is witty, funny and very engaging.

The characters are great, a mixture of loveable and loathsome and of course the very colourful and eccentric Willy Wonka himself. Willy Wonka can be quite rude at times; he has no time for people with bad manners or bad behaviour.

The chapters are a good length for young readers, keeping their interest and enjoyment.

As usual, the book is illustrated by the wonderful Quentin Blake. The illustrations are charming and add to the fun of the story.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a fun fantasy story with some excellent messages around greed and selfishness as well as kindness. I can highly recommend this book to anyone who loves chocolate, fantasy, or just a good fun read. This is a book that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. At nearly 60 years old (it was first published in 1964), the fact that children are still enjoying the story today shows just how timeless and fun it is.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £9.99 (Paperback) / £4.99 (Kindle)

For more information, visit  www.roalddahl.com . Available to buy from Amazon here .

DISCLOSURE:  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you purchase through the link.

Click here to read more reviews of books by Roald Dahl

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Charlie and the christmas factory and other stories review, a boy called christmas by matt haig review, the twits next door by greg james and chris smith review, popular posts, 6 ways to read books when on a budget, tips for reading with children, the marlow murder club by robert thorogood review, popular category.

• Children's Books 176
• Thrillers 147
• Supernatural 34
• Educational 33
• Non-fiction 26
• YA Fiction (Young Adult) 25
• Christmas 17

Privacy Overview

The christmas murder game by alexandra benedict review.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Parents' Ultimate Guide to TikTok (2024)

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Jewish Experiences
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Parents' guide to, charlie and the chocolate factory.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 27 Reviews
• Kids Say 64 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Stephany Aulenback , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Classic morality tale is wildly entertaining.

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…

Why Age 6+?

When Roald Dahl wrote Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka chocolat

Mr. Wonka's factory contains a room meant for creating what he refers to as Butt

While citizens around the world frantically search for golden tickets, a gangste

Any Positive Content?

Sweet, well-behaved Charlie possesses strength of character that the other child

Spoiled, greedy children will get their just desserts, but dreams will come true

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.

Products & Purchases

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

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."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

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.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Role Models

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.

Positive Messages

Spoiled, greedy children will get their just desserts, but dreams will come true for the honest and pure-hearted.

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

• Parents Say (27)
• Kids Say (64)

Based on 27 parent reviews

Perfect Family Read-Aloud

What's the story.

In Roald Dahl's CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, poor Charlie Bucket is practically starving. However, he is rich in love, living with his devoted parents and grandparents so old and sick they never get out of bed. Charlie is captivated by his Grandpa Joe's stories about Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory and his efforts to keep his amazing recipes from leaking to other candy-makers. Charlie is excited when Wonka holds a contest, placing a golden ticket in five chocolate bars; each person who finds a ticket will get to bring a special guest along and visit the factory, and receive a lifetime supply of sweets! Charlie is too poor to buy more than one candy bar a year, so when he wins a ticket, his whole family celebrates. Charlie visits the chocolate factory along with four bratty children: greedy Augustus Gloop, chewing gum addict Violet Beauregarde, spoiled Veruca Salt, and television-obsessed Mike Teavee. What lies in store for the children depends on how they behave on their tour.

Is It Any Good?

Rarely, if ever, has a morality tale been dressed up in such an entertaining story. Roald Dahl clearly has a point to make here, but never does the reader feel he is preaching; he's just reveling in giving spoiled kids their most perfectly just comeuppance. Dahl has peopled these pages with some highly memorable bad children, and readers everywhere love to laugh with glee at their crazy behavior -- and its consequences.

In the best fairy tale tradition, Dahl doesn't hide the fact that the world can be a grim and unfair place. Charlie's depressing life of poverty at the beginning of the novel reflects this bleak view, but Dahl also appeals to the strong sense of natural justice in children, and invites them to revel in a marvelously imagined world where people, both good and bad, get exactly what they deserve. It's also a place where a genius candy-maker invents "eatable marshmallow pillows," "hot ice cream for cold days," "fizzy lifting drinks" that make you float, and "rainbow drops" that let you "spit in six different colours." And, in the end, it's just the place for Charlie.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the various children who win the right to tour the chocolate factory and how their flaws ultimately seal their fates.

What are your first impressions of Willy Wonka? Do you change your opinion about him over the course of the book?

Even though Charlie wasn't completely innocent, why was he chosen to run the factory in the end?

If you were given the opportunity to see your favorite candy maker's factory headquarters, how would you behave? Who would you take with you as your special guest?

Have you tried Wonka candies? Does reading this book make them more or less appealing to you?

Book Details

• Author : Roald Dahl
• Illustrator : Joseph Schindelman
• Genre : Fantasy
• Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Great Boy Role Models
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Alfred A. Knopf
• Publication date : January 17, 1964
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
• Number of pages : 176
• Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Last updated : November 15, 2019

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to read next.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Where the Wild Things Are

Funny books for kids, classic books for kids, related topics.

• Magic and Fantasy
• Great Boy Role Models

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory

51 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-10

Chapters 11-20

Chapters 21-30

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) is a fantasy children’s novel by renowned British author Roald Dahl, a man known for his strange and wondrous imagination. The story follows Charlie Bucket , who wins a tour in a chocolate factory owned by the eccentric Mr. Willy Wonka . In the years following publication, the novel became a classic and spawned two major film adaptations, one starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka (1971) and a remake starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka (2005).

The novel suggests that Greed and Gluttony will be Punished , while Kindness and Patience will be Rewarded . Protagonist Charlie Bucket turns out to be the hero of the story, a child with absolutely nothing who is nonetheless kind. Everyone in his family cares for each other, and they overcome their suffering with the power of love. The other child characters come from families with more means, but this has not made them more kind or loving.

Get access to this full Study Guide and much more!

• 8,600+ In-Depth Study Guides
• 4,700+ Quick-Read Plot Summaries
• Downloadable PDFs

 As each child displays his or her character flaws, they are dealt unusual punishments intended to make them better people. Charlie is rewarded for his humility by getting to own and live in Mr. Wonka’s magical factory.

Plot Summary

The SuperSummary difference

• 8x more resources than SparkNotes and CliffsNotes combined
• Study Guides you won’t find anywhere else
• 175 + fresh titles added every month

As Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opens, eccentric chocolatier Mr. Willy Wonka has decided to open his factory to five children and their parents after years of keeping it closed. He places five Golden Tickets inside the wrappers of different chocolate bars and declares that whoever finds one will be able to enter the factory.

Augustus Gloop , a greedy, heavyset child, wins the first ticket, and his town throws a parade in his honor. Veruca Salt is the second winner; her wealthy father purchased over a thousand chocolate bars and charged his factory workers with finding a ticket among them. Violet Beauregarde , the world record-holder for gum-chewing, wins the third ticket, and Mike Teavee , a child obsessed with television, wins the fourth ticket.

The world frantically searches for the fifth ticket. Charlie Bucket, a poor but virtuous boy who lives in a house with his parents and all four of his grandparents, is lucky enough to find the fifth ticket. Charlie receives one chocolate bar every year for his birthday; neither this bar nor Grandpa Joe’s second bar contains the Golden Ticket, but by a stroke of luck, he finds a crumpled dollar in the snow. He buys himself two more bars—the fourth bar revealing the fifth and final Golden Ticket.

The next day, the five Golden Ticket winners wait to meet Mr. Willy Wonka and enter the factory. Neither Charlie’s father nor mother can accompany him, but his eldest grandparent, Grandpa Joe , springs out of bed for the first time in decades—the excitement renewing his energy.

The sights and sounds of the factory are incredible. The children and their parents meet the Oompa-Loompas, a race of small people who work in the factory, dedicated to Mr. Wonka for having saved them. Charlie and his grandfather are respectful and kind, but the other four children fall victim to their own character flaws.

The first child to go is Augustus. He attempts to drink from the hot chocolate river, but he falls in and is sucked into the river’s pipes. Violet chews a piece of experimental gum, grows into a giant blueberry and is rolled out of the factory by the Oompa-Loompas. Veruca is deemed “bad” and thrown into the trash by the squirrels who judge the nuts added to candy. Mike decides to be the first human sent through the TV in Mr. Wonka’s chocolate-by-television delivery system, and when he shrinks, he must stretched by the gum-stretching machine.

Mr. Wonka remains dispassionate about each child’s fate, alienating the parents. He firmly believes that everything will work out in the end. When only Charlie remains, Willy Wonka surprises him by saying he’s won the contest. The visit has been a secret contest to determine the new owner of the chocolate factory. Charlie, Grandpa Joe, and Mr. Wonka fly in a glass elevator until it crashes through the rooves of the factory and into Charlie’s house, where they collect the rest of the Bucket Family.

Plus, gain access to 8,600+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

Related Titles

By Roald Dahl

Beware of the Dog

Billy and the Minpins

Boy: Tales of Childhood

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator

Danny, the Champion of the World

Fantastic Mr Fox

George's Marvelous Medicine

James And The Giant Peach

Lamb To The Slaughter

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

The Landlady

The Magic Finger

The Way Up To Heaven

The Witches

Featured Collections

Action & Adventure

View Collection

British Literature

Children's & Teen Books Made into Movies

Fantasy & Science Fiction Books...

Juvenile Literature

Laugh-out-Loud Books

Popular Study Guides

School Book List Titles

• Entry Requirements
• Tuition Fees
• Application
• Join our Open Day
• Early Years
• Lower Secondary
• Upper Secondary
• How We Teach
• Collaborations
• Social purpose
• Something else?
• About Our School
• Parent Essentials

A Book Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

What’s the book about?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl has got to be one of my favourite reads ever! The story’s main character is a young boy called Charlie who wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world's most unusual candy maker, Willy Wonka. When Willy Wonka decides to let five children into his chocolate factory, he decides to release five golden tickets in five separate chocolate bars, causing complete mayhem. Charlie being one of the lucky winners, heads to the factory. While they tour the workshop, we meet many unusual characters (some bad, some good) who find themselves stuck in some very sticky situations. I fantastic read if you’re looking for a good laugh! 

What have you enjoyed about the book?

I really enjoyed reading this book for many reasons. One of the main reasons is that it made me laugh out loud on several occasions. Some of the characters are so irresponsible and watching them make mistakes and end up in tricky situations made me chuckle. Also, the ending of the story made me smile. I love stories which have happy endings, and this book has a great ending.

Why should someone else read it? Recommended readers age?

Anyone who has already read any of Roald Dahl’s previous books should read this book right now. It has similar humor to James and the Giant Peach and Matilda. 8 years old upwards would be exceptionally excited by this wonderful book. Get reading!

Mr Robert Dolan,

Assistent Head of Primary

Related news

BSN 23-24 ART & DESIGN COURSE BOOK RELEASED

Primary Art Week: Nurturing Every Child's Inner Artist

Celebrating Excellence: BSN’s Thriving Partnership with Juilliard

Class of 2023 Dazzles the Prom Party with Style

Want to hear from us?

By joining our mailing list, we can keep you up to date with any future newsletters, events and announcements from our family of 80+ premium schools.

Admissions: +86 (025) 5210 8290 [email protected]

• About Nord Anglia
• Global Campus
• Our Global Network

We use cookies to improve your online experiences. To learn more and choose your cookies options, please refer to our  cookie policy .