Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of James and the Giant Peach

James and the Giant Peach
James and the Giant Peach
Author: Roald Dahl, Nancy Ekholm Burkert (Illustrator)
ISBN-13: 9780140328714
ISBN-10: 0140328718
Publication Date: 10/1/1988
Pages: 112
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 110

4 stars, based on 110 ratings
Publisher: Penguin Putnam
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

19 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed James and the Giant Peach on
Helpful Score: 3
My children and I (5 and 6 years old) loved this book! It's a very enjoyable read for all ages. There is a somewhat bad word used a few times, at least in this older edition that I read, but I just changed it, and for an older child reading it themselves, I did not feel that it was that terrible of a word.
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on
Helpful Score: 2
Well-written and so imaginative. It would be an incredibly fun read for kids. As an adult (reading it for the first time too!), I enjoyed it but not as much as I was expecting--I was hoping to love it as much as I did Matilda. James's aunts were kind of one-dimensional and negligible, and I thought the story could've flowed better and had more depth. But I'm still glad that I read it.
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 38 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
One of the best kid's books ever written. The magic, the wit, the plot! I have seen this enjoyed by a 4 yr. old (read aloud) a 10 yr. old, a 15 yr. old, and adults. Read it and then watch the great movie that almost did it justice.
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 2 more book reviews
Enjoyed the book very much.
gaslight avatar reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 145 more book reviews
My 2nd favorite childhood book (#1 is The Witches). I must have read it over 150 times and it never got dull. Dahl's anthropomorphic bugs and the fantastical device of a peach balloon captivated my imagination. I also love Dahl's adeptness at addressing the awkward stages of adolescence, the feelings of alienation and confusion, and wrapping them up in a great story.
tomanybooks avatar reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 10 more book reviews
Awesome book, my 9 year old loved this book!
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 40 more book reviews
I remember loving this book when I read it in the 3rd grade, so I thought it would be fun to reread. It's definitely a kid's book; I've been spoiled by JK Rowling. I will keep this around for my kids because it's a fun, fantasy tale, but pretty boring for an adult.
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 63 more book reviews
A little magic can take you a long way. One of Roald Dahl's favorite tales.
spiral avatar reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 21 more book reviews
Fantastic!
StoryPower avatar reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 8 more book reviews
A classic
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on
When poor James Henry Trotter loses his parents in a horrible rhinoceros accident, he is forced to live with his two wicked aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. After three years he becomes "the saddest and loneliest boy you could find." Then one day, a wizened old man in a dark-green suit gives James a bag of magic crystals that promise to reverse his misery forever. When James accidentally spills the crystals on his aunts' withered peach tree, he sets the adventure in motion. From the old tree a single peach grows, and grows, and grows some more, until finally James climbs inside the giant fruit and rolls away from his despicable aunts to a whole new life. James befriends an assortment of hilarious characters, including Grasshopper, Earthworm, Miss Spider, and Centipede--each with his or her own song to sing.
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 21 more book reviews
A good kids' book by one of our favorite authors.
angelacisco avatar reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 27 more book reviews
A must-read for all kids!
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 4 more book reviews
A book for younger audience that ignites their thinking to higher levels.
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 176 more book reviews
A young boy escapes from two wicked aunts and embarks on a series of adventures with six giant insects he meets inside a giant peach
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 298 more book reviews
my daughter liked this one..
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 49 more book reviews
Roald Dahl never fails me. :) This book, like all the others of his that I have read as of yet, is just faboulous! The imagery and creativity is just spellbinding. Now I really want to watch the movie and see if it begins to do the book justice. Really a terrific read!
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on + 11 more book reviews
One of my favorites from grade school.
reviewed James and the Giant Peach on
This is the best book you can read to your children.. My kids are 5 and 7 and they loved it and begged me to read more pages every night. They laughed, were worried and had them on the edge of their beds. When I finished it two weeks later they we jumping round the room and wanting more. Thank goodness for Roald Dahl.. there is a reason he's the master of storytelling..