James and the Giant Peach
***Roald Dahl's first and most widely celebrated book for young people continues to thrill readers around the world.*** **When James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, strange things start to happen.** The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it's as big as a house. When James discovers a secret entrance-way into the fruit and crawls inside, he meets wonderful new friends--the Old-Green-Grasshopper, the dainty Ladybug, and the Centipede of the multiple boots. ***After years of feeling like an outsider in his aunts' house, James finally found a place where he belongs. With a snip of the stem, the peach household starts rolling away--and the adventure begins!*** "This is a stunning book to be cherished for its story, a superb fantasy."***--Chicago Tribune*** "A beautifully written, fantastic book."***--Christian Science Monitor***
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about James and the Giant Peach
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Orphaned James lives miserably with his cruel aunts Sponge and Spiker until a wandering man hands him a bag of glowing crystals. He spills them, an enormous peach grows, and a strange new family rolls inside.
Yes. Henry Selick directed a 1996 stop-motion and live-action hybrid film adaptation. It is widely considered one of the most successful Roald Dahl adaptations of the era.
Yes. James and the Giant Peach has been challenged in some American schools, primarily for occult themes (the magic crocodile tongues), the death of James's parents in the opening, and language. It remains widely read.
James and the Giant Peach was written by Roald Dahl, published in 1961 by Bantam Books.
James and the Giant Peach is 144 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, James and the Giant Peach takes most readers 2 to 3 hours to finish.
James and the Giant Peach is a standalone novel by Roald Dahl, not part of a series.
James and the Giant Peach is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.