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Title: Not suitable for younger girls
Review: It is most unfortunate that the only girl role models are such horrid brats!My 4 year old daughter kept asking about and referring back to Veruca Salt and Violet Beauregarde. But can one say anything positive about those ill-fated characters? At this critical time in her development, when she's looking to women and girls (real and in literature) as role models, the only girls in sight are punished and humiliated for their aggressiveness.I don't begrudge Charlie and his spiritual journey with Grandpa Joe, or his final reward. But there's nothing in the book of redeeming value for girls to identify with, unless one counts long-winded railing against spoilt kids with very bad habits?The underlying message of this book is that girls have no part in larger adventures and rewards, that men and boys and male Oompa Loompas run the show. Mothers are either shrill, hysterical harpies or passive, feckless shadows.
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