Chapter 5 Riddles in the Dark:
What a great chapter. This is a chapter I wish I could read for the first time without any prior knowledge, because he introduces the ring so blithely and inoffensively, when we know SO Much about what that ring will do.
Bilbo the chain smoker having a bit of a nic fit was amusing to me. Which is how I think the smoking should be framed in reading to children. Great beginning with several rhyming terms scattered about. It felt fun and interesting, even as we acknowledged the danger Bilbo was in.
Tolkien can't help himself but world build. we learn about hobbits and their underground skills and sneaking skills throughout this chapter, and it just adds to the richness. Gollum himself is as Gandalf later describes him "a pitiable creature". which gets deeper into Tolkien's views on mercy and pity. We have a fairly negative view of pity in our modern culture, but here pity is seen in a compassionate light. Even when we known Gollum is going to kill Bilbo, he is a still deserving of our pity.

The riddles are fun and surprisingly tricky, especially the dinner table riddle. Not sure why in my book that it wasn't put it its own paragraph like the others.

The flight from gollum is handled quite well. it has good pacing and tension throughout the whole not-chase scene, and even continues it after we are "safe" with the goblins.