Matilda is an extraordinary girl, a child of wondrous intelligence. Unfortunately, her neglectful and deeply stupid parents, Harry and Zinnia Wormwood, are too wrapped up in their own lives to care, or even to notice, that their daughter is a budding genius, in love with books and with learning. When the Wormwoods finally grant Matilda's wish to attend school, they bundle her off to Crunchem Hall, a bleak brick prison where students cower before the whip, hand and fist of principal Agatha Trunchbull. Amid Crunchem's darkness, Matilda finds a single light in warm-hearted Miss Honey, the first-grade teacher who recognizes the girl's remarkable skills--including a very special talent that allows the spirited girl to turn the tables on the wicked grown-ups in her world.

Matilda is a super-smart little girl who's woefully misunderstood by her parents, her brother, and an evil school principal. But with the help of a brave best friend and a wonderful teacher, Matilda discovers she doesn't have to get mad to get even.