Authors Like Roald Dahl

Table of Contents

Here Are The Best Authors Like Roald Dahl

1. Lemony Snicket, 1970-present

Lemony Snicket is the pen name of Daniel Handler, an American author who wrote the A Series of Unfortunate Eventsbooks. This series started with *The Bad Beginning,*published in 1999, and ended with The End, published in 2006. This 13-book series follows the story of the Baudelaire family, a group of three orphaned siblings who must get away from the dangerous Count Olaf, who wants them dead to get their fortune.

This popular series has sold over 60 million copies sold since the first book’s publication. Snicket, aka Handler, was born in California and educated at Wesleyan University. His penname, Lemony Snicket, is also a character in his books, written from Snicket’s point of view. “In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle.”

Lemony Snicket, The Bad Beginning

2. Neil Gaiman, 1960 - present

Neil Gaiman is a versatile author who has written everything from short stories to novels about Greek mythology for adults. The author was born in Hampshire, UK, but immigrated to the United States at the age of 32. He is known as one of the creators of modern comics and won several awards for his 1991 comic book Sandman. Many of his children’s books have styles similar to Roald Dahl’s books.

Coraline, a 2002 book about a girl who steps into a new world with a house similar to her own but also dangerously different, is one such book. This famous novel won the ALA Notable Children’s Book,*Child Magazine *Best Book of the Year, and Publishers Weekly Best Book awards. You might be wowed by the fourth grader who released a book on entrepreneurship).

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”

Neil Gaiman, Coraline

3. David Walliams, 1971 - present

David Walliams is an English comedian who also writes children’s books. He was born in London in 1971 and received his education at the University of Bristol, where he studied drama. Walliams changed his name from David Williams to David Walliams when he joined a college group, Equity, that already had a David Williams as a member, and he kept the name after college. In 2008 he wrote his first children’s novel, The Boy in the Dress, followed by*[Mr. Stink](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7041525-mr-stink? ref=nav_sb_ss_1_9)* in 2009.

Mr. Stinkwon the Children’s Award in the People’s Book Prize in 2010. He also wrote several short story collections in a series called*The World’s Worst Children**. His writing style is often compared to that of Dahl due to its strong, sarcastic humor. To date, he has sold 50 million children’s books.

“Spending so much time alone had turned Chloe’s imagination into a deep dark forest. It was a magical place to escape to, and so much more thrilling than real life.”

David Walliams, Mr. Stink

4. Norton Juster, 1929 - 2021

Born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1929, Norton Juster is an American writer known for his children’s books. At the start of his career, he did not have the goal of writing but rather studied architecture at the University of Pennsylvania. Juster earned most of his income through his architectural career. In his free time, he turned to writing and wrote several popular books, including The Phantom TollboothandThe Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics.The Dot and the Lineeventually became a short film that won an Academy Award, andThe Phantom Tollbooth*was made into a musical play.

“So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.”

Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

5. Andy Stanton, 1973 - present

Andy Stanton is a children’s author from England known for his Mr. Gumbook series. He attended Oxford briefly, where he studied English but did not graduate. Instead, he left college to work as a scriptwriter and cartoonist. Stanton started as an author when he published *You’re A Bad Man, Mr. Gum!*in 2006.

The famous book is the first in a nine-book series that won the Red House Children’s Book Award, two Blue Peter Book Awards, and the first Roald Dahl Funny Prize. He also has several standalone books, including Danny McGee Drinks the Seaand The Story of Matthew Buzzington. You might be interested in our round-up of the best books for five year olds).

“He would much rather hear a piano being demolished by illegal bulldozers than a Mozart concerto.”

Andy Stanton, You’re a Bad Man, Mr. Gum!

6. Louis Sachar, 1954 - present

Louis Sachar is the author of the Sideways Stories from Wayside Schoolseries. This funny series explores what happens in a school accidentally built on its side as a 30-story skyscraper. This architectural mistake means it simply makes sense that the students in the school would be just as crazy as the building itself, and the result is a collection of stories that keeps kids laughing.

Sachar graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in economics but quickly found his passion was in writing. He publishedSideways Stories from Wayside Schoolin 1978, and 11 years later, he earned enough with his books to retire from his career and write full-time. He also wrote*Holes**, a Newbery Award-winning book about a mystery that spans several generations. You might be interested in exploring children’s books, such as these best Dr. Seuss books).

“They had never had a nice teacher. They were terribly afraid of nice teachers.”

Louis Sachar, Sideways Stories from Wayside School

7. Astrid Lindgren, 1944 - 2002

Astrid Lindgren is a Swedish author of both fiction books and screenplays. She grew up in Nas, and many of her stories are based on the people of her childhood memories. Lindgren’s most well-known series is the Adventures of Pippi Longstocking, which has been translated into 60 languages. She also wrote*Mio, My Son**, which won the Children’s Book Award in 1956. Her books have sold over 170 million copies in 109 different languages, making her the 18th most-translated author in the world. In 1997, on her 90th birthday, Lindgren was named International Swede of the Year.

“I have noticed several times that people don’t think I know how to behave even when I’m trying as hard as I can.”

Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking

8. Polly Horvath, 1957-present

Polly Horvath is an American-Canadian author who writes books for young readers. She was born in Michigan and began writing as a child, and she also studied dance in Toronto. Her book The Trolls, published in 1999, was a finalist for the National Book Award and won an honor from the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. Four years later, she won the National Book Award for her 2003 novel*The Canning Season**.

Another of Horvath’s books, Everything on a Waffle,won a Newbery Honor. Many of her books end up on theNew York Timesbestseller list, and she has had works translated into 25 languages. Horvath’s books are known for their unpredictability and odd but likable characters, which makes her an author similar to Roald Dahl. Looking for more children’s books? You might also enjoy our list of the best books for six year olds).

“It’s not the natural disasters you have to fear. It’s the ones that are inside of you, waiting to happen.”

Polly Horvath, The Trolls

9. Maryrose Wood, 1962-present

Maryrose Wood is the author of The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, a series about three children raised by wolves tied to a mansion known as Ashton Place and their brave nanny who helps them discover the truth about their history. NPR named these the Best Books of 2015. The six-book series, which starts with The Mysterious Howling, has plenty of platitudes and long monologues but an ample amount of humor, which makes them quite similar to the books of Dahl.

“A well-organized stocking drawer is the first step toward a well-organized mind.”

Maryrose Wood, The Mysterious Howling

10. William Steig, 1930-2003

William Steig is a prolific children’s author with many National Book Award finalist works. Steig is the author of well-known stories likeDoctor De Soto, Dominicand Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. He started drawing illustrations and cartoons forThe New Yorkerand didn’t start writing children’s books until age 61. One of his picture books,*Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, won the Caldecott award. He also wroteShrek!**, which became the basis for the motion picture of the same name. Loved this?

“I wish I were a rock,’ he said, and he became a rock.”

William Steig, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble