I couldn\’t have known it would come to all this when we found that note by W.W. inside an old book at the yard sale:

 

From there the adventure began into one of our all time favorite books, \”Charlie and the Chocolate Factory\”.  Chapter by chapter we explored the world of Willy Wonka.

What We Encountered Along The Way

• We won our own golden tickets by sheer wit. 
• We entered into the jungle to learn how chocolate and gum were made and even got to make some of our very own.
• We met Oompa Loompas and even had a wardrobe exchange. We\’ve never truly been right since then as they have very short legs.
• We learned the true secrets of gobstoppers. We\’d tell you but our mouths are full. 
• Willy Wonka\’s factory is a masterwork of mazes. We had to utilize our skill at them to work our way through this enchanting chocolate factory, including but not limited to the ever famous scissor maze where we walked clean through a piece of paper. Of course we haven\’t kept that info to ourselves but have happily shared it with all of you.
• 
• After all that we were truly thirsty and so very glad to discover that fizzy lifting drinks are real. Not only that but we came away with many new recipes for you to try as well as the science behind them so you can make up your very own fizzy concoctions. The best part is the burping of course.
• Square candies looking round aren\’t just for the Chocolate Factory but they can look round your very own home or classroom too.

• One of our more hilarious encounters happened to be made in the Nut Room where a bunch of very ingenious squirrels taught us a very fun snatching game. We still play it all the time. No special occasion needed.
• Do you think we spied Mike T.V. in the Television Chocolate Room ? No we did not, but we did shrink the shadow of Willy Wonka into a miniature size and made him into a night-light or decorative luminary. 
• The real excitement came when we got to go up and out of the Chocolate Factory in the glass elevator. We had to investigate how it was done. This led to an afternoon of tower and shaft building trying to figure out how such a thing can move up and down, sideways and forwards, and definitely we wanted to know how does one move diagonally ? 

Alas it was now time to go, all that was needed was Willy Wonka\’s top hat to make all of our memories complete. Though Willy Wonka wouldn\’t give us his top hat, he did provide us with the instructions for our very own.

 

All of these adventures we\’ve taken together and now you can too. Although The Ultimate Guide to Charlie is a beautifully illustrated interactive e-book, the entertainment comes from doing the crafts, recipes, and games once the book is shut. It\’s good old fun ,21st century style. We loved creating a balance between the virtual world and the actual world. Magic comes from our inspirations and imagination. The Ultimate Guide to Charlie will lend itself to hours of fun again and again.

It\’s been nearly one year since our \”Charlie\” hit the virtual shelves of the iTunes iBookstore and what a year it\’s been! We have much to celebrate:

• We\’ve seen \”Charlie\” top the charts to #1 on the iTunes iBookstore no less than 7 times in the months of November/December. 
• We won the coveted QED award for innovative design. 
• We won a Bronze medal in the E-Lit Book Awards.

Along with our formatter and distributor KiteReaders, we are so very thankful and we want to share that gratitude with you. It\’s all of you who have made The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory so successful.

Just in time for summer too! Charlie will keep your children busy for hours with exciting and educational FUN. Go HERE or click the iTunes logo to grab your copy of \”Charlie\” at this exceptionally low price. Hurry! The sale ends 6/16!

Something To Do:

I thought I\’d get you started inside the wonderful pages of this interactive guide with our Chocolate River Covered Pretzels.

 

Ingredients

• 24 pretzel rods
• 12 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• An assortment of your favorite sprinkles
• 1 tbsp. shortening

 Cooking Utensils

• waxed paper
• Non-metal spatula or spoon
• Double boiler, or a pot and a non-reactive heat-proof bowl.

 Step 1: Tempering Chocolate

 Set a long piece of waxed paper on your work surface. (if it slides too much, place a damp paper towel or dish towel beneath it.)

Place the chocolate chips and the shortening in a double boiler or in a non-reactive bowl set on top of a pot containing an inch or so of simmering water. It’s very important to make sure the double boiler insert or bowl does not touch the water. Stir the chips and shortening until completely melted and well blended.

 Step 2: Dipping the Pretzels

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. If you don’t have a cookie sheet, just place a sheet of waxed paper on your work surface.
2. Take a pretzel rod and hold it by one end.
3. Starting at the top of the chocolate River, roll the pretzel down toward the bottom. Repeat until the pretzel rod is well-coated.
4. Place the coated pretzel on the waxed paper to cool.
5. Continue with the remaining pretzel rods.
6. shake your favorite sprinkles all over them quickly before they dry or they won’t stick.

 
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnUJkXK2AFE]

**This book is not affiliated or associated with the author, publisher, or distributors of Roald Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.