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Quick answer: If you loved The BFG, read Roald Dahl's Matilda, The Witches and Fantastic Mr Fox, then Michael Ende's The Neverending Story, then Neil Gaiman's Coraline, and Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth and Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking. All are whimsical, imaginative children's books.
Roald Dahl's 1982 novel follows Sophie and a gentle giant who collects dreams. These picks share his humour, invented words and heart.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matilda | Roald Dahl | 7-11 | younger readers |
| The Witches | Roald Dahl | 8-12 | readers who love Dahl |
| Fantastic Mr Fox | Roald Dahl | 6-10 | younger readers |
| The Twits | Roald Dahl | 6-10 | reluctant readers |
| James and the Giant Peach | Roald Dahl | 6-10 | readers who like fantasy |
| Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | Roald Dahl | 7-11 | readers who love sweets |
| George's Marvellous Medicine | Roald Dahl | 7-10 | readers who like chaos |
| Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator | Roald Dahl | 7-11 | the sequel |
| The Neverending Story | Michael Ende | Teen/Adult | readers who love books about books |
| Coraline | Neil Gaiman | 8-12 | readers who like gothic fantasy |
| The Phantom Tollbooth | Norton Juster | 8-12 | readers who like wordplay |
| Pippi Longstocking | Astrid Lindgren | 6-10 | readers who like bold heroines |
| Winnie-the-Pooh | A.A. Milne | 3-8 | bedtime readers |
| Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Lewis Carroll | All ages | readers who want the source |
| Mr. Popper's Penguins | Richard and Florence Atwater | 7-10 | readers who like humor |
1. Matilda by Roald Dahl
Matilda, a girl with telekinetic powers, outsmarts cruel adults. A short, funny classic.
Best for: younger readers.
2. The Witches by Roald Dahl
A boy discovers that witches are real and want to destroy children. Dark and funny.
Best for: readers who love Dahl.
3. Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
Mr. Fox outwits three farmers to feed his family. Short and clever.
Best for: younger readers.
4. The Twits by Roald Dahl
Two disgusting people get their comeuppance. Short, gross and funny.
Best for: reluctant readers.
5. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
James escapes his cruel aunts in a giant peach with oversized insects. Funny and weird.
Best for: readers who like fantasy.
6. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Charlie wins a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's factory. Sweet, strange and silly.
Best for: readers who love sweets.
7. George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl
George mixes a potion for his grumpy grandma. Silly and quick.
Best for: readers who like chaos.
8. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl
The direct sequel, in which Charlie and Wonka fly into space. Silly and wild.
Best for: the sequel.
9. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
Bastian reads a book that pulls him into the land of Fantastica. A story about stories, with big ideas.
Best for: readers who love books about books.
10. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Coraline finds a door to a world where her other mother has button eyes. Eerie but loving, and a modern classic.
Best for: readers who like gothic fantasy.
11. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Milo drives through a magic tollbooth and visits lands of words and numbers. Witty and full of puns.
Best for: readers who like wordplay.
12. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Pippi, the strongest girl in the world, lives alone with a horse and a monkey. Funny and free.
Best for: readers who like bold heroines.
13. Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Christopher Robin share small adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood. Gentle and funny.
Best for: bedtime readers.
14. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Alice falls down a rabbit hole into a world of odd characters. The original that inspired everything.
Best for: readers who want the source.
15. Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
A house painter receives a penguin and then a flock. Gentle and funny.
Best for: readers who like humor.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The BFG: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to The BFG. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For more Dahl, read Matilda or The Witches. For giants and magic, try The Last Dragonslayer or The Neverending Story. For funny fantasy, pick Fantastic Mr Fox or James and the Giant Peach.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote The BFG?
Roald Dahl, in 1982.
Who illustrated it?
Quentin Blake.
Is there a film?
Yes, a 2016 film directed by Steven Spielberg.
Which book here is best for readers who like humor?
Try Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater, which suits readers looking for readers who like humor.
Which book here is best for readers who want the source?
Try Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, which suits readers looking for readers who want the source.
Which book here is best for bedtime readers?
Try Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne, which suits readers looking for bedtime readers.
Which book here is best for readers who like bold heroines?
Try Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, which suits readers looking for readers who like bold heroines.