The 8-year-old girl comes by the Greggs' farm to see that the Gregg family (now changing their surname to Egg) have fully changed their ways and are now feeding and caring for the birds. As Philip and William tell the girl their entire story, the sound of gunfire in the distance attracts the girl's attention, and she feels the Magic Finger charging up again.

The Girl with the Magic Finger often lashes out. She can't help it - if she gets mad at an injustice, her finger does something...magical. She did it once to a terrible teacher - with disastrous consequences. She tries her best to avoid using it but sometimes, it just happens. Maguire, Gregory (22 November 2013). "Speaking Gobblefunk". The New York Times . Retrieved 9 March 2023. At the age of five and a half, Matilda enters school and befriends her polite and compassionate teacher Jennifer Honey, who is astonished by her intellectual abilities. Miss Honey tries to move Matilda into a higher class, but the tyrannical headmistress, Miss Agatha Trunchbull, refuses. Miss Honey also tries to talk to Mr and Mrs Wormwood about their daughter's intelligence, but they ignore her, with the mother contending "brainy-ness" is an undesirable trait in a little girl.In 2003, Matilda was listed at number 74 in The Big Read, a BBC survey of the British public of the top 200 novels of all time. [1] In 2012, Matilda was ranked number 30 among all-time best children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a US monthly. [2] Time magazine named Matilda in its list of the 100 Best Young-Adult Books of All Time. [3] In 2012, Matilda Wormwood appeared on a Royal Mail commemorative postage stamp. [4] Plot [ edit ] Roald Dahl is now considered one of the most beloved storytellers of our time. Although he passed away in 1990, his popularity continues to increase as his fantastic novels, including James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delight an ever-growing legion of fans. Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. He spent his childhood in England and, at age eighteen, went to work for the Shell Oil Company in Africa. When World War II broke out, he joined the Royal Air Force and became a fighter pilot. At the age of twenty-six he moved to Washington, D.C., and it was there he began to write. His first short story, which recounted his adventures in the war, was bought by The Saturday Evening Post, and so began a long and illustrious career. The plot felt more than a little heavy-handed - with the Gregg family painted as complete and utterly evil. I do agree that over-hunting for fun should always be avoided but to paint the family as that bad? And the plight they are forced to suffer seemed more than a little extreme. Flood, Alison (9 January 2012). "Roald Dahl stamps honour classic children's author". The Guardian . Retrieved 9 January 2022.

The 'Other' Matilda Musical | Safety Curtain". Safetycurtain.wordpress.com. 19 September 2013 . Retrieved 20 September 2013. [ self-published source] This tertiary source reuses information from other sources but does not name them. Kudos, Mr. Dahl for all your delightful work. Children of many generations can surely rely on being entertained and educated with these wonderful pieces. Release "Matilda" by Roald Dahl read by Kate Winslet". MusicBrainz. 6 June 2013 . Retrieved 9 March 2023.

The story begins on a small farm in the English countryside. The story's narrator, an unnamed young girl, introduces herself and shares a little bit about her special abilities. She says that she has a "magic finger" that shoots lightning at people who make her angry. This lightning often brings about dramatic transformations. Matilda by Roald Dahl: Quentin Blake's sketches and original artwork". British Library . Retrieved 13 October 2022. Emma Thompson gives Matilda The Musical a deranged villain to remember". The Telegraph . Retrieved 22 November 2022. a b Bird, Elizabeth (7 July 2012). "Top 100 Chapter Book Poll Results". School Library Journal. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012.

Once upon a time, there was a man who liked to make up stories..." The Independent. 12 December 2010 . Retrieved 9 September 2022.RSC Sets Dates for Dahl's Matilda Musical, 9 Nov". What'sOnStage.com. 30 September 2009. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013 . Retrieved 7 April 2010. a b Ferguson, Donna (15 September 2018). "Matilda's new adventures at 30: astrophysicist, explorer or bookworm". The Guardian . Retrieved 22 September 2018. The Magic Finger is narrated by an unnamed 8-year-old girl who is growing up on a remote rural farm in the English countryside, next door to the Gregg family who have a passion for hunting animals and birds. The title "Magic Finger" is an ability she has that activates inadvertently whenever she gets angry: the finger itself shoots out a beam of electrical energy that apparently seeks out whoever has angered the girl, with unpredictable consequences. For example, when the girl's teacher shames her for misspelling the word "cat", the magic finger gives her whiskers and a bushy tail, and the girl cryptically states that she was never quite the same again. Dellatto, Marisa. "Roald Dahl Books Get New Edits—And Critics Cry Censorship: The Controversy Surrounding 'Charlie And The Chocolate Factory' And More". Forbes . Retrieved 19 June 2023.

Bergeson, Samantha (15 June 2022). " 'Matilda' Trailer: Emma Thompson Is Unrecognizable as Monstrous Miss Trunchbull in Roald Dahl Musical". IndieWire . Retrieved 16 June 2022. Serena Allott (26 November 2010) Waltzing Matilda: Dahl's classic dances on to the stage The Daily Telegraph Roald Dahl's Matilda Audio CD – read by Kate Winslet". Roald Dahl.com. 20 May 2016. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018 . Retrieved 20 May 2016.Further information: Matilda the Musical, Matilda (1996 film), and Matilda the Musical (film) Matilda the Musical has been performed at the Cambridge Theatre in the West End since November 2011 The book has been adapted in various media, including an audio reading by actress Kate Winslet; a 1996 feature film Matilda directed by Danny DeVito; a two-part BBC Radio 4 programme; and a 2010–2011 musical Matilda the Musical which ran on the West End in London, Broadway in New York, and around the world. A film adaptation of the musical, Matilda the Musical, was released in 2022. She recounts a time when her teacher, Mrs. Winter, criticized her for misspelling the word "cat." She says that the teacher was zapped by the finger and sprouted whiskers and a tail. The whole class laughed at her. She adds mysteriously that the teacher was never quite the same after that. The finger, she notes, causes unexpected things. She says that after this unfortunate occurrence she vowed never to use the finger again. Unfortunately, in the interaction with the Gregg family she becomes overwhelmed by her feelings and is not able to stop herself. She says that the same thing happened in her interaction with Mrs. Winter where she became too angry to not use her powers. The Gregg family loves to hunt - oftentimes for sport rather than need - and the poor girl has to watch them bring in all these dead animals every week. She witnesses the Gregg family kill bird after bird (bringing home sixteen of them one day) and in her anger, she points at them with that magic finger. And thus begins the Gregg family's harrowing journey and path to redemption.