During the next six months, Matilda read fourteen 'famous books' by different writers, and Mrs Phelps watched with surprise and excitement. "You can borrow books from libraries and take them home Matilda, she said one day. Did you know? "Can I?' said Matilda. And after that, she visited the library once every week to borrow new books and to return the old ones. And every afternoon she read. The books took her to Africa with Ernest Hemingway,* to India with Rudyard Kipling.t and to many other wonderful places.