Matilda

Same author, same darkly comic lens: an overlooked child triumphs over grotesque adults through decency and quiet courage.

If you loved Matilda by Roald Dahl and are wondering what to read next, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the natural choice. Like Matilda, it centres on a gentle, deserving child surrounded by selfish, absurd adults — here the monstrous Wonka factory replaces Miss Trunchbull's school, and Charlie Bucket's patient goodness mirrors Matilda's inner strength. Both books use Dahl's signature formula: wicked humour, exaggerated villains, and a satisfying moral reversal where the underdog inherits everything. The tone is equally warm-dark, the pacing is brisk, and readers aged 8–12 who devoured Matilda's revenge-against-authority storyline will feel immediately at home. A perennial 'books like Matilda by Roald Dahl' recommendation for good reason — the imaginative scale is bigger, but the emotional core is identical.

A lonely, bookish girl bonds with a gentle giant against terrifying adult-scale threats — same Dahl warmth, more fantastical adventure.

Readers who adored Matilda's blend of friendship, fantasy, and standing up to towering figures of authority will find a different but equally satisfying Dahl world in The BFG. Here the child hero is Sophie — small, overlooked, brave — who teams up with the Big Friendly Giant against a cast of child-eating monsters. Where Matilda uses telekinesis to level the playing field, Sophie uses quick thinking and an unlikely alliance. The tone shifts from school-set realism to full-blown fantasy, making this a great next step for Matilda fans who want more magic and less gritty home life. If you're searching for 'what to read after Matilda by Roald Dahl' and want to stay in Dahl's universe while getting a fresh setting and storyline, The BFG delivers on every count.

A child who doesn't fit in fights for belonging at school — shares Matilda's empathy-first heart and middle-grade emotional depth.

If you liked Matilda by Roald Dahl because of its fiercely kind protagonist navigating a hostile school environment, Wonder by R. J. Palacio belongs on your shelf. Auggie Pullman enters mainstream school for the first time with a facial difference and encounters cruelty, unexpected kindness, and the slow work of finding his people — emotions that mirror Matilda's journey from isolated misfit to celebrated member of Miss Honey's class. Both books are rooted in the same core message: intelligence and decency matter more than power or popularity. Wonder trades Dahl's dark comedy for a more earnest, multi-perspective structure, making it ideal for readers aged 8–12 who connected with Matilda's emotional sincerity. A top answer to 'books like Matilda by Roald Dahl' for anyone who cried at the Miss Honey house-visit scenes.

A neglected, sharp-tongued girl finds power and belonging through her own determination — classic precursor to Matilda's redemption arc.

The Secret Garden is one of the oldest and most enduring answers to the question 'if you liked Matilda by Roald Dahl, try…'. Mary Lennox, like Matilda, begins the story in an emotionally barren home with adults who pay her no real attention. She is clever, difficult, and underestimated — and she transforms her world not through magic handed to her but through focused, wilful effort. Where Matilda channels her power into telekinesis, Mary channels hers into the restoration of a hidden garden and the healing of everyone around her. The prose is richer and slower than Dahl's, making this a slightly more demanding read suited to confident 9–12 year olds ready to step up from middle-grade to something with more atmosphere and emotional complexity. A timeless thematic companion.

A witty, resilient girl copes with neglectful adults through humour and big dreams — British middle-grade with the same punchy emotional honesty.

Fans of Matilda by Roald Dahl who were most drawn to its portrait of a child surviving an uncaring home through sheer force of personality will find a kindred spirit in Elsa, the narrator of The Bed and Breakfast Star. Jacqueline Wilson is British children's fiction's closest heir to Dahl's willingness to write honestly about difficult home lives — here a family living in a hotel for the homeless — without ever losing comedy or warmth. Elsa's voice is funny, defiant, and heartbreaking in equal measure, much like Matilda's inner world. Both books treat children's pain with seriousness while keeping the story propulsive and entertaining. If you're looking for 'books like Matilda by Roald Dahl' that deal bravely with neglect and parental failure, Wilson is the natural next author to explore.

A fearless, curious child unlocks a secret world of endangered magic — shares Matilda's sense of wonder and children-saving-the-world energy.

Katherine Rundell writes with the same conviction as Roald Dahl that children are the most important people in any room, and Impossible Creatures is her most ambitious proof of that belief. The story follows two children who discover the Archipelago — a hidden world where mythical creatures still exist — and must race to save it from extinction. Like Matilda, it is built around a young protagonist who is braver and more capable than the adults around them, and it carries the same message that knowledge, courage, and genuine goodness are more powerful than authority or size. The prose is more lyrical than Dahl's, and the world-building is richer, making it a strong next step for Matilda readers aged 9–12 who are ready for a longer, more expansive adventure. A top pick for 'what to read after Matilda by Roald Dahl' in 2024 and beyond.