Charlie and the Chocolate Factory cover.

It will soon be the Golden Anniversary of the Golden Ticket.

Yes, yes, that one: the Golden Ticket. The one that allows you into Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.

The book's publisher, Penguin, is going for maximum sales (as is their duty) by producing two new editions, one for children and one for adults...

...hang on just a flaming minute! A separate edition for adults?

But why...?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a children's book. Adults are allowed to read it and enjoy it, naturally, but it's a children's book.
There's nothing wrong with children's books. Nothing at all. Some of them



(even some with lots of pictures and big writing) 

are high art and great classic books.

So why a different edition for adults? Is it because the illustrations just aren't good enough? (NO!) Is it because adults will be ashamed to be seen to be reading a book that's obviously for children?

Well...people are jolly strange, sometimes, so I suppose that's a possibility...

...but then if people are trying to avoid shame, then I should say that this:




is the very very worst thing with which anyone could possibly be seen in public.

Oh, and by the way - it's nothing at all to do with the story!

Word To Use Today: Dahl, or dale. Dahl is the Norwegian form of what we call in English a dale. The Old English form was dæl. It means wide valley.