In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, five children receive a golden ticket inside the label of a Wonka candy bar. This ticket entitles them to a tour of the Wonka factory, which closed its doors to the public so spies could not steal the secret recipes.

The five tickets are found by Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, Mike Teavee, and Charlie Bucket. During the tour, the first four children are kicked out of the factory due to their poor characters and personalities. August Gloop, a greedy and gluttonous boy, is sucked into a pipe after falling into the chocolate river trying to take a drink. Violet Beauregarde, who is constantly chewing gum, turns into a giant blueberry after trying an experimental piece of gum still in the testing phase. The gum is invented to replace a three course meal of tomato soup, roast beef, and blueberry pie. Veruca Salt, a spoiled brat, tries to steal a nut-testing squirrel, but the squirrel determines she's a bad nut and throws her down the trash chute. Mike Teavee, who is obsessed with television, tries to become the first person to be sent by television, but ends up shrunk. He is then stretched to return to normal size, but he ends up ten feet tall.

Charlie Bucket, a boy with good morals who lives in poverty, is the only one to survive the tour unscathed. Willy Wonka names him as his successor, and Charlie's family is allowed to come live with him in the factory.