James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
It has been years since I’ve read a Roald Dahl book, one of the most beloved children’s authors of all time, so I was looking forward to reading James and the Giant Peach. James is sent to live with his two horrible aunts after his parents die a quick but very horrible death (by a rhinoceros no less!). Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge were “selfish and lazy and cruel” and beat James for no reason at all. When he wasn’t working, he had no friends, no toys, and wasn’t allowed to leave the house on top of a little hill where he could see the ocean and friends that he longed for.
But that all changes when a magical little old man gives James a bag of magical crystals that are sure to change his life forever if only he can eat them before his Aunts catch him. But instead he accidently drops them at the roots of on an old peach tree that never bears fruit. A peach begins to grow, grow and grow and there is no sign of stopping!
When it grows to the size of the house, the adventure really begins when James discovers that he can crawl inside where he meets a bunch of new friends – who just happen to be oversized insects – including a spider, ladybug, grasshoper, and earthworm. James and his new friends begin to roll away and are sent on an adventure that takes them into the ocean, through the sky and across the ocean to New York City!
Overall, I enjoyed this book, it was fun full of irreverant humour. I did get bored in the middle while the seagulls were flying across the ocean and they came into mishaps with the Cloud-Men. I always loved Lane Smith, the illustrator of the version I have, but I can’t decide about these illustrations. Some of them are really nice and some of them are a miss. But regardless, I still love him.
I haven’t seen the movie for James and the Giant Peach but thought it would be worth checking out. The movie trailer:
I read James and the Giant Peach during Banned Books Week. This book has been challenged because it’s too magical, advocates communism (what?!?), and because James disobeys his Aunts, despite the fact that they are abusive, as well as a myriad of other reasons. Relax people! Do you really think a story of a magical, huge peach is going to harm our kids? I think the kiddos are smart enough to figure out that this one is just a story!
Do you read Roald Dahl? I have most of his books, which one should be next?
Edited to add: The whole time I was reading this book I kept reminding myself to share my peach pudding recipe, and what would you know, I published it without the recipe! If you have fresh peaches, this recipe is TO DIE FOR! I’ve made it three times within the last month as peaches are on right now. I’m seriously salivating!
Grandma’s Peach Pudding
2 ½ cups milk
½ cup sugar
salt, pinch
2 heaping T cornstarch
2-3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 or 2 T butter
Fresh peaches with sugar
Graham crackers
Mix and boil milk, sugar, and salt together. Combine separately cornstarch with a little milk and make a thin thickening. When milk mixture boils pour in thickening. Pour a little of this into the beaten eggs and mix up. Add the egg mixture back into main mixture. Add vanilla and butter. Bring to a boil while stirring until mixture has reached pudding like consistency. Chill mixture. Roll out graham crackers. In a bowl layer graham crackers, pudding, fruit, graham crackers, pudding, fruit, and crackers. Let stand 2 or 3 hours. Serve with real whipped cream. I actually don’t use the stove for this and do everything in the microwave. With the exception of peeling and cutting peaches, it only takes about 15-20 minutes.
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Category: Book Reviews, Fiction, Middle Readers
Tags: A-D Author, banned, banned books week, book to movie, I-L Title, movie trailers, videos
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I liked The Witches a lot when I was young. The witches sounded so scary.
on September 30th, 2008 at 10:17 amI absolutely loved this book as a child. I can’t tell you how many times I read it or had it read to me. I can’t wait until my daughters are old enough.
Please check out this post when you get a chance.
on September 30th, 2008 at 10:23 amI loved Roald Dahl as a kid. I should do some rereads too. Matilda was always my favorite. I still have my old,very beat up copy of that book.
on September 30th, 2008 at 10:59 amI have the movie on VHS and my son occasionally likes to watch it.
It amazes me some of the books people try to ban.
They actually used the excuse of the main character disobeying an authority figure as a reason to ban the book?? Um, in how many books does that not happen in some form or other?
I love Roald Dahl. It’s be hard to pick a favorite, but I did particularly like Matilda.
on September 30th, 2008 at 2:12 pmAdvocates communism??! Wow. The reasons people come up with to ban books never cease to amaze me. And as for disobeying an authority figure, is there a single children’s adventure in which that doesn’t happen? It’s because they go wandering some place or other that there’s a story to tell to begin with.
You have to see the movie! I think this is one of those rare cases in which I enjoyed it as much as the book.
on September 30th, 2008 at 2:18 pmoh geez. i’ve read this quite some time ago. idk when.. maybe in 3rd 4th or 5th grade. i honestly don’t remember but i do remember the story, which is odd because i have a terrible memory. lol. i guess some things just stick with you…
on September 30th, 2008 at 2:22 pmI totally forgot to share my peach pudding recipe, which I’ve just added in! Yum!
amy btw M – I really should read all of his books. Would Witches be a good Halloween selection?
Jennifer – Like I said earlier, you are too kind to me!
Jeannette – I have Matilda on the bookshelf, I should pick it up.
Traci – Isn’t that crazy?! What’s even more funny is that there seems to be no objection to the fact that they abuse the poor kid.
Nymeth – If somebody would point out to me how it promotes communism, I’m all ears because I haven’t a clue! I’ve already have the movie ready to pick up from the library!
Ginger – I have a bad memory as well. Now that I’m blogging, it’s easier to remember.
on September 30th, 2008 at 3:23 pmI’m going to be reading The Witches soon. My favorite Dahl books are Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG but this is my favorite Dahl movie adaptation.
I’ll make sure to share your recipe with my mom!
on September 30th, 2008 at 3:38 pmSomehow, I have never read this book! I need to, because not only is it a very commonly read and loved book, but it sounds really good!
on September 30th, 2008 at 4:24 pmI remember liking this book and the movie. I love Roald Dahl!
on September 30th, 2008 at 6:36 pmI’m glad you enjoyed the book. Thanks for the divine-sounding recipe, too. And congrats–again–on what you’ve accomplished this month for Darfur. I look forward to continuing to follow your blog.
on September 30th, 2008 at 7:35 pmLadytink_534 – You’ll have to tell me if your mom makes the recipe. It’s my favorite.
Laura – It was a fun read!
Kim – I hope to be watching the movie this week.
Bea – Thanks! I always appreciate your comments and are happy to have you!
on September 30th, 2008 at 9:10 pmMy favorite childhood ones were Witches & Matilda. I remember I used to really believe what was written in Witches. It scared me hehe.
I’ll try the Peach recipe. Thanks
on October 1st, 2008 at 2:48 amMy daughter LOVED The BFG. She would beg me to read more and more each night. We both also liked Matilda. I have The Witches, and I know I’ve read it…but it has faded from my memory.
My daughters TBR list is getting bigger than mine! She joined a book club at school (yay her first!) and she is really enjoying it so far.
I’m looking at the stack of books on the side table and wondering how I ended up with so many books in the past 2 weeks. Naughty books for coming home with me. Most are library….but some came from Grandma who couldn’t pass up the bookfair.
Just wait until your kids start coming home with scholastic book order forms Natasha….it’s so hard not to spend all of your money.
on October 2nd, 2008 at 1:27 amNatasha, congrats on finishing another book for the Lit Flicks Challenge (and on winning September’s giveaway). Roald Dahl is one of my favorite authors of all time. It has been a while though, since I read James and the Giant Peach. Have you read any of his short stories for adults? They are really interesting – and a different side of Dahl.
on October 2nd, 2008 at 2:20 pm[...] favorite author from my childhood, Roald Dahl, gets reviewed on Maw Books Blog — James and the Giant Peach – and Strollerderby — The [...]
on October 3rd, 2008 at 7:41 amI loved this book as a kid! I remember going out for walks and keeping my eyes open for one of those bright green things, wriggling around on the forest floor or in our garden just in case something magical was about to happen!
On a side note, I had the opportunity to meet the woman who plays Aunt Sponge, Miriam Margolys, when I was in college. She came and spoke at one of my classes; she seemed very nice, and she was a riot!
on October 4th, 2008 at 2:26 pm[...] Alessandra (Persepolis)47. Maw Books (James and the Giant Peach)48. Alessandra (The Turn of the Screw)49. Maw Books (How to Eat Fried Worms)50. Maw Books (A Tree [...]
on October 10th, 2008 at 9:59 pm[...] Dahl is a gifted storyteller and I enjoyed The Witches more than I did James and the Giant Peach. The Witches was a fun read that I look forward to reading with my kids when they are [...]
on October 31st, 2008 at 1:51 pmIn reading one of Dahl’s books to my kids, “Fantasting Mr. Fox”, it was readily apparanet that this author favors a communist system. The story consists of three farmers, who because they have a lot of “stuff”, are evil. The fox, who steals from their farms every night, is the exalted hero. When the farmers hatch a plot to erradicate the fox, he burrows further underground, recruiting several other critters along the way. Together, they develop a system of underground tunnels, connecting the farmers storehouses, and providing them and their families with endless supply from which to loot. The morale is clear – pilfering from others who are charged with “having too much”, is a good solution, so long as it is done in a systematic, subversive manner. I mean really – how can anyone read this story, and not challenge the immorality of the fact that the farmers worked for their surplus and the fox steals from them?? Ridiculous.
on February 26th, 2009 at 7:55 pmhow in the heck does communism have to do with james and the giant peach?? it just boggles me that they are actually thinking about banning this book. . .
on September 28th, 2009 at 9:11 pm