The Twits by Roald Dahl

Title: The Twits
Author: Roald Dahl
ISBN: 0-14-034640-6
76 pages
Puffin Books, 1991 edition

A favorite of mine and my sister's growing up (not the sister who is currently a 'tween', we have a big family), 'The Twits' is a fun and short book that anyone can pick up and instantly enjoy. While the reading level might be slightly too low for many kids age 9-14, I know plenty of children at my work that are in this age group and would find this level of reading to be right up their alley.

Description:

The Twits are the nastiest kind of people; they don't bathe, Mr. Twit has nearly an entire compost bin of gross, old food stuck in his unkempt beard and they are just generally rotten people. The have a troupe of trained monkeys that they torture relentlessly and force to do their disgusting bidding. The book contains several little stories about the Twits and their mistreatment of their monkeys (called the Muggle-Wumps) whom they make stand on their head all day long. The stories progress in their filth and general horribleness until the Muggle-Wumps have enough and return the favor, so to speak, to their nasty owners.

Review:

Just as short as it is fun, 'The Twits' is a great short read for kids. The Twits are disgusting and hilarious and are nearly as mean to each other as they are to everyone else. There are not really chapters, just small interwoven stories with accompanying illustrations from Quentin Blake. Even for 'tweens' who's reading level has eclipsed books of this sort, 'The Twits' remains a fun option for a rainy day.