The Chocolate Touch is a 1950s young adult novel written by American author Patrick Skene Catling. It is based on the story of King Midas who turned everything to gold just by touch. Due to limitations of space, I will concentrate on the character of John Midas, the protagonist of the story.

John is a happy young boy who lives with his parents and his sister. He would be a good child other than his obsessive love of chocolate. John wants to eat chocolate all of the time despite the protestations of his parents and his doctor. John is overjoyed when, due to the power of magic, he is given the gift of turning everything to chocolate just by touching it. He wakes one morning and his toothpaste turns to chocolate, then his breakfast, a glass of water, his gloves, his trumpet, everything he touches turns to chocolate. John thinks this is wonderful at first until he becomes thirsty but is unable to quench it.

Once during geography and once during art, he was excused to get a drink of water. Both times, however, he swallowed nothing but sweet chocolate. His mouth was getting stickier and drier by the minute.

Things get even worse for John at a schoolfriend’s party and then when he kisses his mom and turns her into a chocolate statue. John returns to the source of the magic where he is given the choice, chocolate or his mom. He chooses his mom.