1980s Nostalgia: George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl

Every bit as funny as it was when it was originally published in 1981, George's Marvellous Medicine tells the story of eight year old George, who comes up with a clever way to get revenge on his horrid and selfish grandmother, and ends up causing absolute havoc with the special new medicine that he creates for his grandmother. Suddenly, Grandma's head is pushing through the roof and George's dad--a farmer--is keen to create more of the medicine and to bottle it, as he thinks that he can make a fortune by feeding it to the animals. In true Roald Dahl style, there are lots of great laugh out loud moments and everyone ends up getting exactly what they deserve.

I enjoyed reading this one, as it was a childhood favourite, though I was surprised by how little I remembered of the story. I suppose it is eclipsed a bit by some of Dahl's books that I read a bit later on--Matilda, The BFG, the Witches--and this easier to read junior novel was mostly forgotten. Anyway, this one is a worthwhile nostalgia trip for those who grew up with Dahl, and a perfect one to read out loud with kids.  

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