The whole Dahl bookshelf in one grid
Roald Dahl created some of the most beloved children's stories ever written, and this word search gathers them. You'll be hunting for unforgettable characters — MATILDA, CHARLIE and his nemesis the TRUNCHBULL — and the tales themselves, from THE TWITS to JAMES and the Giant PEACH.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the bookshelf changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a Hard-mode hunt once the diagonals and backwards words appear.
Characters and stories in the grid
The grid is stuffed with Dahl favourites. Find Willy WONKA and his CHOCOLATE FACTORY, the orange OOMPA-Loompas and the greedy Augustus GLOOP, kind Miss HONEY, brave DANNY, the FANTASTIC Mr Fox and the ESIOTROT tortoise. There are creatures too — the enormous CROCODILE, the GIRAFFE, the friendly GIANT — and the BUCKET family whose luck changes with one golden ticket.
The man who made words his own
Roald Dahl wrote in a little brick hut at the bottom of his garden, in a battered armchair, longhand in pencil, often for only a couple of hours a day — and from that hut came stories that have sold over 250 million copies in dozens of languages. Before he was an author he was a fighter pilot and even a wartime spy, which is partly why his villains are so gleefully nasty and his heroes, like MATILDA, are small people who outwit big bullies.
He also delighted in inventing words. The 'gobblefunk' language of the BFG gave us 'whizzpopping' and 'scrumdiddlyumptious', and that playful love of language is exactly what makes Dahl such fun to read aloud — and such good spelling practice. Hunting TRUNCHBULL or ESIOTROT out of the grid is a sneaky way to study how tricky words are built.
Great for World Book Day or a reading week
Dahl is a fixture of dressing-up days and reading challenges, so print a pack for the class or play along at home — Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words for young readers. You can also use our Make Your Own tool to build a grid from your own favourite Dahl characters.
Frequently asked questions
What's in the Roald Dahl word search?
His best-loved stories and characters — Matilda, Charlie, Wonka, the Twits, James and more. Each puzzle uses a fresh selection.
Which Roald Dahl books are included?
His best-loved ones — MATILDA, Charlie and the CHOCOLATE FACTORY, JAMES and the Giant PEACH, THE TWITS and THE WITCHES.
Is it good for World Book Day or a reading week?
Made for it — print a pack for a class activity or dressing-up day. Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words for young readers.