Little Matilda is a child of wondrous intelligence. But unfortunately she is different from the rest of her family. Ignored at home all the time, Matilda escapes into a world of reading, exercising her mind so much she develops telekinetic powers. Good thing, too: sent off to a school headed by a cruel hulking monster, principal Agatha Trunchbull, Matilda needs all the help she can get. Amid Crunchem's darkness, Matilda finds a single light in warm-hearted Miss Honey, the first-grade teacher who recognizes the girl's remarkable skills - including a very special talent that allows the spirited girl to turn the tables on the wicked grown-ups in her world.