James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

James and the Giant Peach is a much-loved children’s book written by the world-renowned Welsh author Roald Dahl. First published in the US in 1961 and the UK in 1967, the book’s rich imagery and amusing characters have made it a firm favourite of both children and parents for over 50 years.

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…

Roald Dahl wrote many excellent children’s books and James and the Giant Peach is up there amongst his very best. This brilliant and hugely popular story of James’s journey to New York alongside his insect friends is a joy for children to read and a delight for parents to read from. The book’s humour is always warm and the story is always engaging, providing a multitude of memorable moments.

When Dahl made up James and the Giant Peach as a bedtime story for his daughters Olivia and Tessa, little could he have know that half a century later millions of parents would have read exactly the same story to their own children. A book that fully deserves the accolade of children’s classic.

9/10 A firm favourite of both children and parents for over 50 years.

Review by

79 positive reader review(s) for James and the Giant Peach

Roald Dahl biography

James and the Giant Peach reader reviews

from Australia

Amazing!
10/10 ()

from India

It is a splendid book. One of my favorite books.
10/10 ()

from LOL really?

Love It!!!! :)
10/10 ()

from South Africa

Best book ever.
10/10 ()

from UK

Love the book.
10/10 ()

from UK

When poor James loses his parent’s because of a rhinoceros accident, he is forced to live with his two horrible aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. After three years he becomes “ the most saddest and loneliest boy” in the country. Then one day, James wanderers in the woods. He sees a wizened, old man in a funny dark green suit who sprung up from the bushes. He gives James a bag of magic crystals that promises to reverse his misery forever. When James accidentally spills the crystals on his two aunts, a withered peach tree strikes into motion . The adventure begins......
10/10 ()

from UK

I loved James and the Giant Peach as it inspires me to be courageous, kind, generous and helpful! This book is amazing!
10/10 ()

from Germany

It's gucci!
9/10 ()

from London, England

I like it�'��'"�'�
10/10 ()

from Nepal

It ia an amazing book. I love the character of James.
9/10 ()

from UK

This book is so nice, I like it.
10/10 ()

from Redding

It's amazing!!!
10/10 ()

from India

A good book but hard word to understand for small children below 10 year
9/10 ()

from India

This book was amazing. It just made me little emotional at first but when James adventure started, it was superb!!!!
10/10 ()

from India

Good book. Recommended to all.
8/10 ()

from England

it was the best book I ever read in my life because it is adventurous book to read and makes me happy and I would like to say thank you to Roald Dahl for writting many books that inspires a lot of people. May God bless all readers!
10/10 ()

from Labanon

Love this story.
10/10 ()

from Sharjah

The book is interesting and funny. Roald Dahl is a great author. This book is good for young children.
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

This is a great book and it's filled with a lot of adventure.
10/10 ()

from South Africa

This book is full of adventures and I really enjoyed reading it
10/10 ()

from South Africa

It was great to read and the story it self was good I definitely recommend this for kids
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

It's an amazing adventure. The best story ever.
10/10 ()

from London

Very very very good
10/10 ()

from South Africa

This book is awesome I love it. Something does not have to be real for it to be real.
9/10 ()

from United Arab Emirates

I loved this book.
9/10 ()

from Amsterdam

Helped me a lot in school.
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

I LOVE it! 😊
10/10 ()

from India

Awsome book. I loved it.
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

Its amazing!! I absolutely love the plot <3
10/10 ()

from India

It is such an awesome book. I love it.
10/10 ()

from England

The book is awesome
10/10 ()

from India

I will read the store in Hindi.
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

It is amazing😍😍😍
10/10 ()

from Ireland

James and the giant peach is a great book and is made by my favourite authors Roald Dahl you should also read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
10/10 ()

from pakistan

James and the Gaint is written by Roald Dahl. Its about a boy James loses his parents and was forced to live with his aunts.one day he met a man who gave him green crystals and promised that his all problems would be solved. Unfortuanately those magical crystals fell on ground and near old peach tree.then the peach grow grow growed who was really famous.then james was totally changed................
9/10 ()

from UK

Very interesting and sometimes funny kids book although some parts are boring.
7/10 ()

from Africa

Amazing book
10/10 ()

from America

The Best Book Ever.
10/10 ()

from UK

James and the Giant Peach is far by one of Roald Dahl’s best books. It is very funny. When James the main character goes to London with his parents a rinocerous gobbles them up. Poor James is taken to his horrible aunts who treat him terribly. Will he escape? Roald Dahl is one of the best writers ever. You will very much laugh when you see what happened to the aunts.
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

This is a great book.I really loved reading it and Roald Dahl is the best author ever. Kids do read this book its amazing!!!!
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

Wow! What a book  Best to read all the time. So intersting Roald Dahl.
10/10 ()

from Singapore

I love the book, it's my favorite.
10/10 ()

from Italy

Love it.
10/10 ()

from America

The book is fantastic and interesting.
6/10 ()

from India

It is my favorite book ever.
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

This is a very good story! You can also read it. It's a bit of a new one for young children 6-9 years. 
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

I love this book a lot. Roald Dahl is the best author of all time.
10/10 ()

from India

I personally liked the book. It is good for young readers as you can have a quick read. Roald Dahl is one of my favourite authors. I love the language he uses, the numerous words he has invented. The theme of the book is hope and friendship. A very important life lesson has been taught to us through this extremely hilarious and wonderful sweet book. I would recommend it.
9/10 ()

from Indonesia

Cool!!!!!!!!!!
10/10 ()

from India

It was an amazing story but I was really sorry and pity full sometimes in the story for James.
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

Wow! Children should read this book.
10/10 ()

from India

The book was amazing but i felt pity for poor james.
10/10 ()

from Russia

Cool !!!!
9/10 ()

from England

Amazing !!!!
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

It is fantastic and very good read for the children.
10/10 ()

from England

James and the giant peach is the best book that I have ever read.I love the animals, they are so funny with their peculiar characteristics.I even find James' two aunties are funny although they were very mean and rude towards James.I definitely recommend this book , specially to young readers like myself.
10/10 ()

from South Africa

AWESOME!!!
10/10 ()

from Canada

The book James And The Giant Peach is a great book that teaches you to have hope. In the book James is an orphan that lives with his 2 cruel aunts in a ramshackle house and a desolate garden. But with a few magical seeds and a dead Peach tree, James' life is about to change forever. Roald Dahl is the author of many great children's books that all teach you to have perseverance and to never give up. The book "Matilda", also by Roald Dahl, is about a 4 year old girl that lives with her cruel parents but escapes with her sheer knowledge. Hopefully James will find a better home, friends to play with, and a welcoming environment. This Roald Dahl book is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats till the last page.
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

Loved it!
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

James and the giant peach is a fictional novel . It is best for kids . James and the giant peach is written by the famous author Roald Dahl . This story is about an orphan boy James Henry Trotter who lived with her aunts and was the saddest and lonniest boy ever . One day while he was working he saw an old man fully dressed in green he gave him magical powder but it was James bad luck that he fell and the powder scattered around an old peach tree . Suddenly a peach as big as an house grew and it was growing much bigger and bigger . James saw a tunnel in the peach and he entered in it . His adventure to a new and lovely place started . This book is amazing for kids to read it . My favourite part was when the Aunts were crushed under the peach . I liked this book as it gives us a lesson of hope and the theme of this book is hope and friendship . I think everyone shoul read this book as it is awesome and you will enjoy .
8/10 ()

from Australia

James and the Giant Peach is the best!
10/10 ()

from America

Such an original, hilarious read. Though it does have some words that are mild for younger viewers, and can make you fall asleep at parts. Overall this book is fantastic. 10/10 WOULD RECOMMEND!!! :)
10/10 ()

from China

Best read ever!!!
10/10 ()

from India

This book is worth reading for young children. I have really enjoyed reading it. This is an adventure and it speaks about facing obstacles with courage. I also recommend other children to read this book.
10/10 ()

from Austrailia

James and the Giant Peach is a very good fairytale which is good for young children. It is very interesting and I would recommend this to anyone which is interested into Fairy Tales and this book has very easy language. It is a good book and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a quick read. Bad luck that James is so miserable.
10/10 ()

from United States of America

I loved it! It was funny. Plus I love fictional books. Any book that has a character who goes on an adventure with friends and has a happily ever after is a book I love!
10/10 ()

from India

I am Jagrut's brother and I liked it alot and I have performed an activity on it. This book is going be a thumbs up.
10/10 ()

from India

It was an amazing book by Roald Dahl. I would recommend this book to other children.
10/10 ()

from India

It is the best book I have ever read.
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

This is the best read ever!
8/10 ()

from India

This is an awesome and amazing novel. Very charming and interesting. :-) It's very fascinating. The made the book good to great and funny. It's too sad the Roald Dahl passed away soon. Just wanted to tell him that we love you now too!!! I love all his books <3
9/10 ()

from India

Best book by the best author.
10/10 ()

from England

It was one of the best books I had ever read. I have to give it a double thumbs up for it's so good. Poor little James is so miserable and I would just like him to stay where I live. It's too disappointing that Roald Dahl died too soon. I've already got the whole collection of Roald Dahl except for Dirty Beasts and Revolting Rhymes. I have to say, the whole story is right in my head. I would just have to go running out of those gates if I were James Henry Trotter myself. Anyway, if Roald was still alive I would have wanted to give him a gift made out of pure gold. His books are stupendous, brilliant, marvellous,superb. AMAZING!!!
10/10 ()

from England

Amazing book!! Seriously becuz it is written by the best author ever!!!! I think it was a very interesting story!!
10/10 ()

from Pakistan

It's a very good book for children. A must read.
10/10 ()

from England

THE BEST BOOK EVER!
10/10 ()

from England

Poor James, I feel so sorry for him because his mean ugly nasty aunties be mean and treat him like nothing but the book is really good. I think people should read it they would enjoy.
8/10 ()

from India

As Dahl's novel begins, the reader is introduced to James, a young boy who is orphaned when his parents are eaten by a rhinoceros. James is consequently sent to live with his two aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. These relatives are very cruel to him, and he is incredibly lonely, since he has no friends yet longs to play with children his own age. But on one particularly hard day, James's luck changes: an Old Man appears in the backyard garden and offers James a packet of magical green objects. If James follows a set of specific instructions (says the Old Man), something spectacular will happen. James is very excited, but as he runs back to his house to execute the instructions, he trips and the magical green objects burrow into the ground. James is incredibly upset, but as he begins to resume his chores, he hears his aunts shouting. James soon discovers the source of the commotion: a peach has begun to grow on a top branch of a previously barren peach tree. As the three of them watch, the peach becomes larger and larger, until it is bigger than the aunts' entire house. Seeking to capitalize on this strange event, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker set up a fence and begin charging admission to see the peach. They forbid James from interfering, fearing that he will ruin their profit-making scheme. The night after the first day of visitors, James sneaks out of the house to visit the peach. He sees a hole at the bottom of the peach, and he realizes that this hole is the opening to a tunnel. He begins to crawl through, and he eventually enters the hollow peach pit at the center of the fruit. When James enters the pit's inner chamber, he meets an odd assortment of creatures, who initially intimidate him: Miss Spider, Centipede, Earthworm, Old-Green-Grasshopper, and others. The next day James and his new companions begin their journey away from Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. Centipede cuts the peach away from its tree and the peach begins to roll, flattening everything in its way - including Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, who are killed. The peach then rolls off of a cliff several miles away and lands in the Atlantic Ocean. From this point forward, James and his friends face a series of obstacles. They must escape attacking sharks, evade the Cloud-Men and their anger, and settle internal disputes. James asserts himself as the leader and frequently saves the day. When sharks attack, he has his companions fasten ropes to nearby seagulls, then to the stem of the peach, the peach rises out of the water and begins flying through the air. After one day of flying, James and his friends realize that they have flown across the entire Atlantic - they can now see New York City below them. They begin to cut the seagull strings one-by-one, when suddenly a passenger plane flies above them and cuts all of the lines at once. Their gradual descent into the city is ruined and they begin to sink rapidly. Everyone holds on for dear life, thinking death is imminent, but they land safely on the pinnacle of the Empire State Building. After explaining their situation to the New York City policemen and firemen, James and his friends are brought to street level and are welcomed lavishly. The city throws a parade in their honor, and by the end of the parade the entire peach has been eaten by local children, who want to taste the giant fruit. After the parade, James and his friends live happily ever after. The remaining peach pit is set up as a monument in Central Park, and James lives inside of it. So many children visit him, hoping to hear his story, that he decides to write a book about the journey. The book that he wrote is the book that the reader has just read.
9/10 ()

from India

Amazing book, just loved it. Watch the book trailer, if you want to know the gist of the book https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgCJQdz6l_U
10/10 ()

from United Kingdom

It was amazing because the insects made it funny.
10/10 ()

from India

It was excellent. Roald Dahl is a great author.
10/10 ()

from England

The book is obviously going to recieve a thumbs up from me due to its originality and because it was written by Roald Dahl who is an excellent author and it is such a shame that he only wrote a limited amount of books in his lifetime, he died too soon! :( Anyway enough of that, in my opinion the book was a great success and I loved it, love it, and will carry on loving it. (past, present, future and nobody can do anything about it,:b).
10/10 ()

9.7/10 from 83 reviews

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