Classroom literature activities range from simple vocabulary drills based on the book to critical-thinking exercises for elementary school students. For students in the early-reading grades of 2 to 4, combine read-aloud sessions with discussion of the story’s unusual plot. Encourage younger children to imagine themselves possessing the same magic power that the narrator has. Have upper elementary students create stories in the spirit of “The Magic Finger,” using such literary devices as an unnamed first-person narrator.
Roald Dahl’s text for “The Magic Finger” presents opportunities to build vocabulary skills through context. Give younger students a set of British-inspired words and phrases from the book, including “beastly,” “dotty,” “peep” and “tin” (meaning “can”). Ask the children to define the words based on the context of the sentence. Older children can discern the meaning of metaphor-based phrases, such as when the girl says “Suddenly I started to see red.”
In “The Magic Finger,” the young girl exacts an ironic revenge on her duck-hunting neighbors, the Gregg family: She turns them into bird-sized, winged humans who themselves are hunted by giant, rifle-wielding ducks. Discuss the plot in terms of revenge, wish fulfillment and anger-based behavior. Encourage critical thinking by challenging the students to list the pros and cons of using powerful magic on mortals – even those people whose actions you find repellent. Have the students debate whether the narrator was right or wrong to protect animals in such an extreme fashion.
Put “The Magic Finger” in the context of other literary works by Roald Dahl. Have older students compare the elements of the story to Dahl’s other fantasy tales, such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach” and “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” all of which are familiar feature films. Students can also imagine what a film of “The Magic Finger” might entail – let them plot out the movie and create sample dialog based on the book.