James and the Giant Peach

2:46 PM


James lives with his two aunts after his parents passed away. He finds himself very lonely because his aunts treat him horribly and he has no friends. However, one day, an old man gives James these magical crystals which he then accidentally drops near a peach tree. A peach ends up growing bigger and bigger, until it almost becomes the size of a house. When James comes across a hole in the peach, he encounters talking insects: a spider, centipede, earthworm, grasshopper. As the peach rolls away, they start on their adventure. In the end, the peach is completely eaten by the citizens and James and his friends are welcomed and famous.

Opinion/Critique 
I remember reading this book a few years ago and I enjoyed reading this book because of its creativity. It's so interesting and insane that there's a peach as big as a house. How delicious! However, the idea that human-sized insects are occupying it kind of make it not as appetizing. Nonetheless, I found this book intriguing because I kept wanting to know what will happen to James, his insect friends, and the giant peach.
Classroom application 
This could be another book used for literature circles. I think students will enjoy reading this book and then talking about the absurdity of this book among their peers. I also think it would a fun idea to show the movie so that students could get a visual representation of the story.
Dahl, R., & Burkert, N.E. (1961). James and the giant peach. New York: A.A. K.
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Published in: 1961
Grade level: 5-7 

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