George's Marvelous Medicine

by Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

Overview

George’s grouchy grandma needs a taste of her own medicine—and George knows just the right ingredients to put into it! Roald Dahl is one of the most beloved storytellers of all time, and his books have been children’s favorites for generations. Puffin is proud to offer a strong new look for nine of our classic Roald Dahl titles. The distinctive cover treatment, with new art by Quentin Blake, will make these books easily recognizable. In addition, Quentin Blake’s funny, quirky illustrations now appear in all of the books. So turn the page and you’ll be sure to have a Dahl-ectable summer!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780142410356
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	08/16/2007
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	8,259
Product dimensions:	5.06(w) x 7.75(h) x 0.27(d)
Lexile:	640L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

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.

After establishing himself as a writer for adults, Roald Dahl began writing children’s stories in 1960 while living in England with his family. His first stories were written as entertainment for his own children, to whom many of his books are dedicated.

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.

Learn more about Roald Dahl on the official Roald Dahl Web site: www.roalddahl.com

Date of Birth:

September 13, 1916

Date of Death:

November 23, 1990

Place of Birth:

Llandaff, Wales, England

Place of Death:

Oxford, England

Read an Excerpt

“A magic medicine it shall be!”

George sat himself down at the table in the kitchen. He was shaking a little. Oh, how he hated Grandma! He really hated that horrid old witchy woman. And all of a sudden he had a tremendous urge to do something about her. Something whopping. Something absolutely terrific. A real shocker. A sort of explosion.

“I’m not going to be frightened by her,” he said softly to himself. But he was frightened. And that’s why he wanted suddenly to explode her away.

Well…not quite away. But he did want to shake the old woman up a bit.

Very well, then. What should it be, this whopping terrific exploding shocker for Grandma?

As George sat there pondering this interesting problem, his eye fell upon the bottle of Grandma’s brown medicine standing on the sideboard. Rotten stuff it seemed to be…and it didn’t do her the slightest bit of good. She was always just as horrid after she’d had it as she’d been before.

So-ho! thought George suddenly. I shall make her a new medicine, one that is so strong and so fierce and so fantastic it will either cure her completely or blow off the top of her head.

“Here we go, then!” cried George, jumping up from the table. “A magic medicine it shall be!”

Table of Contents

Grandma		1	(9)
The Marvelous Plan		10	(4)
George Begins to Make the Medicine		14	(8)
Animal Pills		22	(5)
The Cook-up		27	(2)
Brown Paint		29	(2)
Grandma Gets the Medicine		31	(10)
The Brown Hen		41	(7)
The Pig, the Bullocks, the Sheep, the Pony and the Nanny Goat		48	(10)
A Crane for Grandma		58	(5)
Mr. Kranky's Great Idea		63	(5)
Marvelous Medicine Number Two		68	(5)
Marvelous Medicine Number Three		73	(3)
Marvelous Medicine Number Four		76	(2)
Goodbye, Grandma		78

Editorial Reviews

In a typically wicked Dahl outing, a lad named George does away with his nasty grandmother by giving her a concoction that he brews from a mixture that includes shampoo, shaving cream and floor polish. Ages 7-11. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Knopf includes George's Marvelous Medicine and Fantastic Mr. Fox in its roster of handsomely redesigned hardcover Roald Dahl reissues. In the first novel, George comes up with a potion to improve the mood of his grumpy grandma; the second centers on the efforts of farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean to catch the titular thief. Both feature Quentin Blake's original illustrations and include an interview with the author. (June) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Can it be twelve years since Roald Dahl died? Thankfully, his books live on¾and very nicely, too, in this revised edition. The marvelous story is intact, as are Quentin Blake's equally marvelous pen-and-ink sketches, which were always a perfect marriage to Dahl's words. What has been added is a brief interview with Dahl in 1988 that touches on his writing habits. It's as good an excuse as any to reintroduce a new generation to young George and his adventures with his grizzly old grunion of a granny. Eight-year-old George has been left in charge of this elderly horror for a few hours, with instructions not to forget to give Grandma her medicine at eleven. When Grandma begins to browbeat him again, George decides to really give her some medicine. His intentions are honorable, of course. Maybe his medicine will turn the old bag into a nice granny. It doesn't, but the concoction George invents does have wonderful effects. This is Dahl at his subversive best. Do share the book with every youngster in sight as soon as possible! 2002 (orig. 1981), Knopf,
— Kathleen Karr

Children's Literature

Roald Dahl promises to delight young readers in this colorful account of how George, a boy perpetually harassed by his wicked grandmother, seeks revenge by concocting a "special" medicine just for her! George is not quite prepared for the consequences he "stirs up," and he loses control of the situation within a matter of seconds. The results are hilarious, as the chickens start laying gigantic eggs, farm animals become huge, and his parents come home to see Grandma growing through the roof! Fans of Roald Dahl will recognize in George's Marvelous Medicine the magical writing style that earned him the title "one of the most beloved storytellers of our time," and will find themselves cheering for George as he flounders through all kinds of crazy antics. 1997 (orig.

Children's Literature - Helen Pavick

Gr 2-4-Richard E. Grant performs this reading of Roald Dahl's tale (Puffin, pap. 1998) with an appropriately British accent. Fully-voiced, the production is expressive and pleasing, making a great story an even better read-aloud. As George seeks a cure for his grandmother's grumpiness, his creative elixir produces surprising results. Listeners will appreciate the humor, suspense, and resolution in this silly plot so typical of Dahl's writing. Appropriate for listening centers, reading classes, literature studies and general circulation, the length and reading level of this title will be appreciated by those who work with reluctant readers. Consider this purchase essential for libraries with audio collections.-Kirsten Martindale, Buford Academy, GA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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