Ever read, (or see) "The Witches"?
My favorite is "James and The Giant Peach".
:-)
I read it while I was in elementary school, and it was probably the first novel that I truly enjoyed.
I've seen the movie of "The Witches" and read the book. The ending differs, but I liked them both.
Roald Dahl had a habit of picking out children who needed someone on their side, and then arranging it. Too bad we don't have a word for someone like that in our language.