This is a great book that I would use as a teacher for either a novel study or for a piece to participate in when my students transition well. I think this story could bring about good and valuable classroom discussions about how to treat people in all situations in life. I think it would be appropriate for the upper grades within the elementary grades. ( )

Cute and easy read - imaginative as most of Dahl's works tend to be. ( )

Roald Dahl has done it again! After Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, and Matilda, Dahl wrote another wonderful and magical children's story. ( )

The big, friendly giant mixes up his words in a very funny way, which I suspect is aimed more at the adults who read the book rather than the 8-to-12-year-olds for which it was intended. . The story revolves around Sophie, an orphan, who is snatched up out of her bed by a Giant. She can see that he's Big, but she doesn't know he's Friendly until later when she finds out he doesn't intend to eat her after all. They have an adventure together and become good friends. They even get to meat the Queen of England. I would think it is just a wee bit scary for 8-year-olds, what with children getting eaten up by Giants, right out of their beds, but it's pretty funny for adults! ( )

This was a funny story of giants and little girls and the Queen of England. It's also a story about doing the right thing even though it can be scary. ( )

No one will ever beat Roald Dahl as King of Children's Fiction. I absolutely despise what passes these days for children's books, which I think lack imagination and basic morals (be kind to people, share with your friends, etc), save for a rare few (I have a seven year old sister so I take an interest in what happens). This book engages readers, young and old, and I also love it 'cause it roots for the underdog. Go BFG! ( )

I enjoyed Esio Trot so much I picked up the last Dahl book I’ve been able to find used to purchase and read it, too. (I do have three more stories on the discs the LT friend sent but don’t own those books.) I’ve enjoyed them all, but this one was my favorite and I could imagine myself being entirely enthralled by it if had read it as a child. Not only is the story about Sophie and the Big Friendly Giant delightful but the word play is fabulous and fun—something I have always loved. Some of the ways that Dahl describes people and events often reminds me of Mark Twain’s satiric humor, which may explain why adults can also enjoy his children’s stories. Highly recommended for adults and intelligent children who enjoy quirky, humorous stories with lots of word play. ( )

This book was one of my favorites when i was in elementary school! I love it, I think that it is funny, and is a great book for kids. ( )

I liked this quite a bit more than Matilda, maybe because it is obviously fanciful from the start. It’s hard to fault its “nice guys win” message. I loved the language in this… the whimsy instantly brings Dr. Seuss to mind. In fact, I may have to add “whizzpopper” to my own vocabulary (what a fun word to introduce to my niece and nephew!).

As a side note, this audio book was narrated by the tragically departed Natasha Richardson, and she did a wonderful job. ( )

My husband and I listened to this as an audio book during a long driving trip to the American Southwest. I was skeptical, even though I love Roald Dahl, and at first I thought much might be lost in not being able to see the spelling of the BFG's adorable malapropisms. But the reader was talented and brought the voices of the giants to life. And this book is indeed adorable. Not sickly-treacly adorable, but just plain heartwarming.

I think it was this exchange between Sophie (the protagonist, a young girl) and the BFG (giant) toward the beginning of the book that won me over. Sophie is concerned that she is about to be eaten:

‘Do you like vegetables?’ Sophie asked, hoping to steer the conversation towards a slightly less dangerous kind of food.

‘You is trying to change the subject,’ the Giant said sternly. ‘We is having an interesting babblement about the taste of the human bean. The human bean is not a vegetable.’

‘Oh, but the bean is a vegetable,’ Sophie said.

‘Not the human bean,’ the Giant said. ‘The human bean has two legs and a vegetable has no legs at all.’

When I was child I adored Dahl, but now I realize that his writing is timeless in its endearing quality. Much recommended. ( )

A fabulous story about a little girl that gets kidnapped by a Big Friendly Giant (The BFG). Once in giant country she catches site of the other giants, which she finds out are man eatting giants. The BFG and Sophie have many adventures, the last of which, is the one where they capture the man-eating giants and lock them up for life. This story is bound to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Great book! A little girl is captured by a vegetarian giant and must be hidden from the carnivorous giants. Lots of interesting and silly discussions, including what children from around the world taste like and what a vegetarian giant eats. ( )

Very instesting and fun to read. ( )

This BFG doesn't seem all that F at first as he creeps down a London street, snatches little Sophie out of her bed, and bounds away with her to giant land. And he's not really all that B when compared with his evil, carnivorous brethren, who bully him for being such an oddball runt. After all, he eats only disgusting snozzcumbers, and while the other Gs are snacking on little boys and girls, he's blowing happy dreams in through their windows. What kind of way is that for a G to behave?

Sophie is lucky to have been captured by the BFG-- Big Friendly Giant. He's no guzzler of people (known in Giantspeak as "human beans"-- giants don't go to school and their grammar is somewhat lacking) but is rather a gentle soul who has a special trade to ply in the human world. Instead of saying, "Cross your fingers," he says, "Cross your figglers." These words force the reader to figure out what he really means. The way the BFG talks is also funny and grammatically wrong: "I is hungry." "Am I right or left?" "Bonecrunching Giant only gobbles human beans from Turkey."

Every adult should read this book to escape the stress of the real world. I especially recommend it to people who love playing with languages and making up their own words. I love the made up words, such as "phizzwizard" for a great dream or "trogglehumper" for a nightmare.

There's only two small problems for the BFG & Sophie: the BFG lives in the land of giants where the other louts would only be too glad to guzzle her right up, and there's no food other than a strange, disgusting vegetable called a snozzcumber (it tastes like frog skins and dead fish). So, while Sophie's happy not to have been eaten up, she's none to happy to find that there's always that threat of being discovered and noting for her to eat. Besides, the other giants (much bigger than the BFG) are constantly running to other countries to guzzle human beans by the cartload. Something must be done... but what? Maybe she should go tell the Queen of England.

The BFG is one of Dahl's most lovable character creations. Whether galloping off with Sophie nestled into the soft skin of his ear to capture dreams as though they were exotic butterflies; speaking his delightful, jumbled giant-speak or whizzpopping for the Queen, he leaves an indelible impression of bigheartedness.

Book Details:

Title The BFG
Author Roald Dahl
Reviewed By Purplycookie ( )

I just started reading this to Ethan. I could have sworn I read this as a child, but am realizing this is my first time...I have absolutely no recollection of this. I'm only about 5 pages in, but it is very good british (I think so far) tale. My favorite imaginary game as a child was called orphanage, so I am wondering how I could have missed this?...12/21/08 We had gotten through the first few chapters and I decided to put it away until Ethan was older. At 3 years old, the story could hold his attention but was beyond his comprehension. It is a great book and I look forward to revisiting it later when he can appreciate it. For now we've started Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary instead. ( )

Sophie is an orphan who is awakened at night by a sound from outside her bedroom window. It turns out that she has heard a giant sneaking through town, and when he figures out she has seen him, he kidnaps her away to giant country. Once there, Sophie learns that she has been kidnapped by the one friendly giant in the world: the Big Friendly Giant. She also learns that the other nine giants are monsters that dwarf the BFG and sneak around at night to diet on humans (in the BFG's terminology "human beans").

Unfortunately, the BFG, being half the size of the other giants, outnumbered, and not nearly as fast, can't directly do anything to stop their nighttime culinary activities. However, after learning all about giants, and dealing with the BFG's garbled grammar, use of words, and pronunciation (he never went to school, he explains) Sophie comes up with a plan to foil the evil giants that involves the Queen of England, helicopters, and a big pit. In the end, all ends well, except for the children consumed by the evil giants during the preparation of Sophie's plan.

As with most Dahl's books, this one has a dark edge to it underneath the obvious humor. Most kids harbor fears that something will snatch them from their homes while they sleep and eat them, and the villains in this book do just that. Not only that, the heroes are helpless to prevent the villains from carrying out their stated intention to gobble down a collection of children. Overall, this is pretty strong stuff for a children's book. However, the story manages to also carry off a lighthearted tone as the BFG misuses words, explains some oddities about how giants perceive the world (for example, people from Wellington taste like boots, and people from Panama taste like hats), collects dreams, and finally (with Sophie's help) outsmarts the bigger, man-eating giants. Somehow, Dahl is able to combine silly goofiness with a story about children being stolen from their beds and eaten and come up with a book that works.

I wouldn't hand this book to a very small child, as they might get freaked out by scenes such as the one where Sophie and the BFG watch the evil giants returning with bellies full of small children. A child who is 9 or 10 should find the book very funny and enjoyable. In the end, the mixture of silliness and scariness adds up to one of Dahl's best books. ( )

Fantastic! This is, according to critics, Roald Dahl's best work (although I AM a little partial to Matilda, but that's also perhaps because it was the first Dahl book I ever read on my own!) Anyway, this is about a girl who can't sleep one night so decides to look out her window to see the streets and houses, when she sees a giant!! The giant sees her looking at him so he kidnaps her from the orphanage and takes her to his lair! It's a good thing he turns out to be the BFG, The Big Friendly Giant...phew! ( )

this is such a fabulous, well written story. my friend gave it to me for my birthday so i can stop checking it out of the library which i had as a tradition to do every friday. the BFG (Big friendly giant) reminds me of the jolly green giant. and to think, hes small for his age! some of the other giants are so scary when they describe them. i love roald dahls storys. always have and always will ^.^ ( )

By far, my favorite of all the Dahl books I've read to date.

Orphaned, bespectacled, tiny Sophie creeps out of bed during the witching hour when all is dark and quiet. She observes a BIG giant blowing something in windows. She later finds that the giant is blowing dreams into the bedroom of children.

She is then kidnapped by the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) and taken to a far away land where she observes that all other giants are bigger and nastier and eat human "beans!"

There is an incredible beauty in the development of the relationship between the BFG and Sophie as together they plot to undo The Fleshlumpeaters, The Bonecrunchers, The Manhuggers, The Meat drippers and The Butcher boysl. The creativity and the play on words made it a book I hated to see end.

Highly recommended. Five Stars!!!! ( )

all great writers respect coveted authors. and ones who had a way of masking what they really wanted to say so brilliantly through persona's or characters or visionary worlds. Roald Dahl is a shining member of this school of thought. BFG is just another classic every young reader should get off on. I certainly did in 2nd grade. ( )

My absolutely favorite book. Dahl's Chickens are gonna be famous someday. ( )

I love Roald Dahl's books very much, and I think this was the third one I read ('Esio Trot' and 'George's Marvelous Medicine' were definitely first, and then there was either 'Matilda' or 'The BFG'). I love 'The BFG'; I especially love the way that he talks and the way he protects Sophie. The nice twist and revenge against the bigger giants at the end is nice too. ( )

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in a sentence: sophie, a little girl on the top floor of an icky orphanage, is awake during the witching hour and knows something is up...and then she meets a big, friendly, giant! let the adventure begin!

oh man, i absolutely love this book. it just makes me feel like snuggling up under a blanket and cozying with a teddy bear. sophie is scooped up by the BFG (big friendly giant) while he is doing some very suspicious things - blowing some liquid into people ears? after being gently carried to the land of the giants, things really start to get interesting. sophie realizes that not all giants are quite so nice as the BFG, in fact, they are downright awful. sophie is ultimately appalled when she learns that giants eat...CHILDREN!

the BFG and Sophie are on a mission to save any other children from getting gobbled by the giants. the BFG and his interactions with the other giants are absolutely heartbreaking - but a glimmer of hope in that he never lets them get him down, despite their nasty ways.

this book is bursting with creativity, love, frustration, exploration, mystery, friendship, laughter, and many other heartwarming aspects. you can read it at 5 to 95 and love it just the same, and want to read it over and over again!

faves: how the giants talk - Roald Dahl is certainly one creative man. also, the illustrations were perfect for the book - a little odd but still make you smile. finally, the ending was AMAZING (what ultimately happens to Sophie and BFG).

fix er up: i want to say i wish it were longer, but really that's only because i loved it SO MUCH i want to read it again and again. ( )

A young orphan named Sophie is snatched from her bed in the night by a Big Friendly Giant. The BFG doesn’t normally take children while they are sleeping, but since Sophie “caught “ him peering in her window, he had to take her. Sophie is taken to Giant country, scared at first but then comes to find the giant is indeed friendly as he protects her from the other 9 giants who do eat children. Since the BFG has not been educated, he speaks muffled English sometimes making the text difficult to follow, although Sophie always seems to easily understand him. She learns that the BFG bottles thousands of dreams that he blows into children’s bedrooms at night. The BFG is kinder and scrawnier than the other giants, with crazy names such as Fleshlumpeater, Bonecruncher and Bloodbottler, who tower over the BFG in height (50 feet tall vs. the BFG at 24 feet) and strength. To stop the children from being eaten, Sophie and the BFG leave Giant country to head to England for the Queen’s help. Black and white sketches are spread throughout the story, and complement the text. Upper elementary and middle school readers would be the best fit for this fun, fantastical story. ( )