Module 8: James and the Giant Peach

Book Summary:

When James was younger his parents died and he was made to live with his two mean step aunts. They treated him very badly and made him to all the work at home. One day he runs into a man that hives him a bag of magic worms. On his way home he trips and the magic worms disappear into the ground. He went back home sad that his chance to escape was gone. The next day his aunts noticed a big peach grown in their tree. every minute it got bigger and bigger till hit hit the ground. While picking up one day James notices a hole in the peach and goes in. That is where he meets his insect rescuers and that is where the journey begins to find is parents.

Book Citation:

Dahl, R. (2007). James and the Giant Peach. Puffin.

Impressions:

 A lonely mistreated boy, two mean step aunts, magic, and some insects to the rescue, who would have thought.  I love the idea of insects being the heroes. It seems like insects are always the bad guys since they are perceived as yucky and gross, but in this case they save the day.

Reviews:

From Publishers Weekly

Lane Smith trades stinky cheese for fantastic fruit with his black-and-white illustrations for Roald Dahl's classic 1961 novel, James and the Giant Peach. The reissue is timed to coincide with the release of the Disney animated motion picture based on Smith's suitably subversive visual interpretation.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Library Uses:

This book can be used to teach imagery. I would also use this book in a unit on fantasy. This book would also be great to use when teaching about the power of teamwork.