It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like, so long as somebody loves you.

I'm wondering what to read next." Matilda said. "I've finished all the children's books.

When writing about oneself, one must strive to be truthful. Truth is more important than modesty.

What a fortunate fellow I am, I kept telling myself. Nobody has ever had such a lovely time as this!

Kindness - that simple word. To be kind - it covers everything, to my mind. If you're kind that's it.

...the more risks you allow children to take, the better they learn to take care of themselves. If you never let them take any risks, then I believe they become very prone to injury. Boys should be allowed to climb tall trees and walk along the tops of high walls and dive into the sea from high rocks... The same with girls. I like the type of child who takes risks. Better by far than the one who never does so.

Of course they're real people. They're Oompa-Loompas...Imported direct from Loompaland...And oh what a terrible country it is! Nothing but thick jungles infested by the most dangerous beasts in the world - hornswogglers and snozzwangers and those terrible wicked whangdoodles. A whangdoodle would eat ten Oompa-Loompas for breakfast and come galloping back for a second helping.