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Summary: Read James And The Giant Peach today
Review: James And The Giant Peach by Roald Dhal is a fiction story with a peach that saves the day. One morning a boy finds a giant peach in his back yard. He finds a tunnel and finds humongous insects.The peach's journey goes for miles of exiting adventure, such as flying and floating on the peach. I would recommend this book because it keeps you on your feet,so you don't know what is happening next!
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Summary: A Review of James and the Giant Peach
Review: James was orphaned as a child when his parents were killed in the streets of London. After this tragic incident, James was sent to live with two of his aunts. While living with his aunts, James endures physical, verbal and mental abuse. He lives in these horrible circumstances for three years before he meets an old man who gives him a bag of magic crystals. The old man says that these crystals will end all of James' miseries if James only follows the instructions the old man has given him. These instructions require James to make a drink using the crystals, but since he is outside, he has no water with him. On his way to the house, James trips and spills all of the crystals. Before he can gather any of them back into his bag, they quickly disappear into the dirt under a peach tree. Devastated, James thinks he has lost his only chance to escape the horrible situation he must endure every day. Little does James know that the effects of these crystals will still end his miserable life with his aunts and transport him into another world.
Roald Dahl uses the talking, oversized insects to represent the various ingredients of a healthy life, which James was missing when living with his aunts. The Old-Green-Grasshopper represents a wise grandparent. The grasshopper often appears to be the leader and the ultimate authority among the insects. The night that James and the insects spend in the peach, the grasshopper tells everyone that it is time for bed (30). Also, when the spider is making beds for everyone, she makes a bed for the grasshopper first (31). This displays the respect typically given to grandparents. The spider represents the mother figure James had been lacking in his life for three years. The spider, polite and soft-spoken, makes beds for James and all of the other insects as a stereotypical mother would.
Caring family figures are not all James lacks while he is living with his Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. James' aunts never show him any affection, but the ladybug fills this void. Just before the centipede chews through the stem of the peach, the ladybug asks James, "'Would you like me to take you under my wing so that you won't fall over when we start rolling'?" (36). This illustrates how the ladybug always considers James' well-being. Dahl uses the centipede to represent the humor James lacks after being orphaned. For instance, when James decides that he likes the centipede, he thinks, "What a change it was to hear somebody laughing once in a while" (31).
Another factor James misses while he is living with his aunts is the hospitality that the glow-worm offers. When James stays up at night to take off the centipede's shoes, the glow-worm "leaves the light on" for him and later has to be told to turn the light off (33). Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker never treat James with such hospitality. When they send him out at night to clean up, they do not even pay attention when James' mentions how dark it is outside.
Dahl uses another insect, the earthworm, to represent loyalty. The earthworm willingly risks his life to save his friends. Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker never do anything to help James out. All they ever do is tell James to do more and more work, and never provide an emotional support system for him. The silkworm represents the support system which James misses after being orphaned. When a huge amount of string is needed to lift the peach from the sea, the silkworm lends its support and helps spin the string.
James and the Giant Peach is on the banned book list because of the verbal, mental, and physical abuse James endures while living with Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. In fact, James' aunts never call him by his name; rather they call him, " 'you disgusting little beast' or 'you filthy nuisance' or 'you miserable creature'" (2). I can understand why some people may object to this content; however, I believe that the abusive relationship is presented in such a way that it benefits those who read the book, especially children. Dahl clearly illustrates the negative impact that this relationship has on James' life and also clearly illustrates how James, a once miserable boy, changes into a happy boy when the ingredients of a happy life-- represented by the insects become a part of his life.
Despite the censorship issues James and the Giant Peach has faced, I believe that it is a great book for children to read. This book has an enormous amount of educational value presented in a way children can understand. James and the Giant Peach not only teaches children some basic science ideas through the dialogue between James and the insects, but it also teaches children how important it is to treat other people with respect.
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Summary: James and the Giant Peach
Review: I gave James and the Giant Peach five stars because it is an excellent book. This book is about a peach that grows in the yard of two nasty old aunts of James Henry Trotter. This peach grows to be so big it becomes a celebrity. And on their journey James becomes friends with five huge bugs.This adventureist book is for the whole family. I absolutely loved it. I would eagerly suggest it to every young reader, especially students in grades 3 through 5.
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Summary: Another great book by Dahl!
Review: Another great book by Dahl! Fortunately, I read "James and the Giant Peach" before watching the movie. Give kids the same opportunity. Let them form their own mental picture without "interference" from having seen the film. Books can open up a whole new world to youngsters. Consider what the lives are of adults who read often as kids as compared to those who didn't. Introduce children to the joy of reading and change their future for the better! Wondering if your child would like reading, "James and the Giant Peach?" Wouldn't it be FUN to travel on an adventure in a humongous peach with several giant insects having human personalities?
Richard W. Carlson Jr., author of "The Feelings and Imagination of a Barefoot Boy Still Inside My Head!"
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Summary: Lane Smith puts a modern twist to a classic.
Review: A classic story but what makes the book a 5 stars selection is the Ilustrations by Lane Smith. It's visual treat looking through the book.
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Summary: WONDEFUL!!
Review: ...
The book was about a little boy named James. He lives with 2 evil aunts. He hates living there! One day, an old man gives him magical things that will make him happy if he eats them. James was about to eat them, but he tripped on a peach tree root, making the magic go into the earth. The next day, the peach tree grows a peach so INCREDIBLY big. James eats a tunnel in the peach, and goes to the core where he finds BIG, but very kind, bugs! Then the peach starts to roll away!!! You will have to read the rest to find out what happenens! This book is so funny, It almost made me cry from laughing so hard! This book may notbe the best book for young children, because some ofthe jokes ae a little grown up, but I'm not saying they are crude jokes, they arn't!!!
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Summary: Best Children Author
Review: In my opinion, Roald Dahl is the best children's author of all time. He has an incredible ability to appease both parent and child. My mother read this book to me when I was 8. It stuck in my head so long, that now at the age of 29, I bought it for my own bookshelf. It was fun to get an adult perspective(my wife loved it as well, being her first time), and it brought back good times as well. He's an excellent story teller, with unique characters dancing off the page! If you like this one...also check out The Twits by the same author...truely amusing.
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Summary: Nancy E. Burkert's illustrations were better
Review: I love James and the Giant Peach, and still do at 35. The shame, though, are the illustrations, which are nothing like the dreamy, haunting pictures of Nancy E. Burkert. This is why I give 3 stars only. (...) (...) If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a used copy of the first edition of this book, you'll immediately see the difference and wonder why this edition was not graced,as it had been before, with Burkert's incomparable art.
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Summary: James and the Giant Peach
Review: James and the Giant Peach is a great book for kids who want a challenging, fun and worthwhile story. This book is a fun-filled adventure book that amuses the minds of every reader that dares to stick their heads in. I think one very unique quality of Mr. Dahl is that he doesn't use any violence and yet you are so intrigued. IF YOU DON'T BELEVE ME THEN READ THE BOOK!!
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Summary: A Wonderful Book!!!
Review: James and the giant peach takes you on a mysterious journey through the Wild mind of Roald Dahl. There is a mysterious man giant animals a huge peach, and to mean aunts. That Christian guy's review is partially right except for that his second grader is going to hear it anyway. This book is filled with imagination and fantasy. Dahl is a wonderful writer with a diverse and twisted style of writing. This is a must read for an adult or child.
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