Before there was the Gene Wilder movie that painted a rosy vignette around the tale...or that Johnny Depp movie that tried to go darker and just plain creeped me the heck out...there was THIS--the actual book. 
 And oh, what a book! Few stories are etched so thoroughly in this reader's mind. From the extra-destitute starvation-level poverty of one young Charlie Bucket, to the eccentricities of his bed-bound (and bed-sharing) grandparents, to what actually happened in that twilight zone of a candy factory; nothing has quite been able to capture the full essence of this fanciful and poignant middle-grade book. 
 At it's heart, this is a rags-to-riches tale that gets readers rooting for the underdog from the get-go. For all the simplicity of the prose, there in lies much of it's beauty. Dahl has a way with eliciting strong emotion without making the reader feel manipulated into it. Our hero, Charlie, (and to a lesser extent, his grandpa) are deeply sympathetic and likeable characters who--at the same time--aren't without flaw. Mr. Wonka is a spry, witty enigma well worth puzzling over. And the more despicable characters featured are every bit as genuinely loathsome as any in classic literature. 
 In addition to the tremendous catering to the imagination, there is an underlying message of hope and personal integrity that few could argue the value of. 
 Color me sentimental, but I look forward to re-reading this with my own children. ^_^