Whenever I read Roald Dahl I'm struck by the images of his illustrator, Quentin Blake. Rarely has there been a more perfect merger between writer and artist; they are utterly inseparable to me. I have to say, though, when I think of Matilda (and this is far from the first time that I've read it) the image that comes to mind is not that of the title character. Instead, it's the Trunchbull about to crack a plate over the head of Bruce Bogtrotter. That drawing cracks me up every time I see it. The dopey, satisfied beam on poor wee Bruce's straining face... I find it hilarious. And the rest of the book's pretty good too. I always enjoy how Dahl is absolutely willing to skewer horrible children and their equally horrible parents, and Matilda - the cuckoo in the nest of her vacuous, criminal family - has the intelligence to realise just how unlike them she is, and to navigate a way out. She's such an appealing heroine, and I wish there'd been more of her adventures with Lavender and Lavender's newt, and maybe their friend Nigel as well, because he had gumption too.