James and the Giant Peach - Roald Dahl

We have a very old copy of James and the Giant Peach. I believe it was my wife's when she was a little girl. Now, we have started reading Roald Dahl books to our son, with him reading bits and bobs for himself as we go along. The latest one is Jame sand the Giant Peach, and it really is a very well created and told story. Dahl is one of the most celebrated children's authors ever. His storytelling was amazing in my eyes when I was a kid, and it still is now that I am an adult. I had never read this one before we started reading it to Will, so it was as much of an exciting read for me as it was for him. James is a sad boy. He lives with his Aunt ...  Read the complete review

James lives with his aunts', his parents died when he was young; the aunts' are cruel to him. He is given some magical green things and he accidently drops one on the ground. A giant peach grows where he dropped the green thing, he sees a tunnel in it and climbs in, inside there are giant talking insects that had grown at the same time as the peach. The peach is detached from the tree and as it rolls down the hill it runs over the two aunts'. James and the insects go on a variety of adventures while inside the peach until eventually they end up in New York. Once there they get rescued and all become rich and famous in the new country. James is no longer ...  Read the complete review

This opinion is written especially for Jill. Having just read a comment from you that not enough people write about children's books, here's one for your collection. "Until he was four years old, James Henry Trotter had a happy life. He lived peacefully with his mother and father in a beautiful house beside the sea. There were always plenty of other children for him to play with, and there was a sandy beach for him to run about on, and the ocean to paddle in. it was the perfect life for a small boy." The first time I ever heard that opening paragraph I was five years old. The year was 1977 and I was curled up in bed as my Grandma ...  Read the complete review

James and the Giant Peach is a wonderful children's story depicting the struggle between good and evil, the former being the eventual winner. The hero of this story is a young boy called James Henry Trotter who lives with his two evil aunts after being orphaned at a young age. The adventure that ensues keeps the young reader (and in my case the more mature reader!) entertained from beginning to end. The array of life size creatures, that turn out to be not at all sinister as anticipated, join James on an adventure that ends happily for all except the evil aunts. ...  Read the complete review

James Henry Trotter had a happy life up until he was four. He had lived with his gentle parents in a lovely house beside the sea. There were always many children to play with him and there was many thing he could do. However, one day, disaster struck. Whilst shopping, James's parents were eaten by an enormous rhinoceros which had escaped from the London Zoo. James found himself terribly alone in the world. The lovely house had to be sold immediately and James, carrying nothing more than a small suitcase with a pair of pyjamas and a toothbrush, was sent to live with his two aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. Both aunts were extremely selfish, lazy, vain ...  Read the complete review