While it certainly isn't educational in any manner, this book is a real gem. The amount of creativity that is contained within is exceptional, even 7 years after reading it I can still see the influence that this book, and all of the other fine books Mr. Dhal has written on my girl. Of course that might also be the reason for her insatiable sweet tooth...
Roald Dahl's stories are among the darkest, most terrifying examples of the horror genre in existence. While they "reward" a so-called "good" child, they nonetheless portray depictions of abuse, including sexual abuse, extreme poverty and deprivation, and so on. They are far darker and more horrific than any "fairy tale", and the film adaptations (Gene Wilder, Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka, specifically) are even darker and more terrifying than the novels themselves. While "Chocolate Factory" is the best known of Dahl's novels, all of them, without exception, are entirely unsuitable for any child under the age of 15 or so. The books have no redeeming qualities for the age groups at which they are supposedly aimed, unless "redeeming" suddenly means nightmarish, upsetting, and terrifying.
I have never read this book but my son, James, always comes up and asks have you read it yet? He is a bit of a reluctant reader, but he really got into this one. He now wants me to read it so I can see how good it is.