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Roald Dahl

The BFG Kindle Edition

by Roald Dahl (Author), Quentin Blake (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition

6,266 ratings

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Roald Dahl's beloved novel hits the big screen in July 2016 in a major motion picture adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg from Amblin Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures.

When Sophie is snatched from her orphanage bed by the BFG (Big Friendly Giant), she fears she will be eaten. But instead the two join forces to vanquish the nine other far less gentle giants who threaten to consume earth’s children. This beautiful hardcover gift edition of Dahl's classic features the original illustrations by Quentin Blake, as well as a silk ribbon marker, acid-free paper, gilt stamping on a full-cloth cover, decorative endpapers, and a sewn binding.

Reading age

8 - 12 years
Print length

208 pages
Language

English
Grade level

3 - 7
Lexile measure

720L
Publisher

Puffin Books
Publication date

August 16, 2007
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ISBN-13

978-0142410387
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From the Publisher


Matilda Wormwood is only five years old, but she is a genius. Unfortunately, her parents are too stupid to even notice. Worse, her horrible headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, is a bully who makes life difficult—especially for Matilda's teacher, Miss Honey, and her friends. However, what Miss Trunchbull doesn't know is that Matilda is an incredibly clever child and has a trick or two up her sleeve...	Nobody has seen Willy Wonka—or the inside of his amazing chocolate factory—in years. When Wonka announces his plans to invite the winners of five Golden Tickets to visit his factory, the whole world is after those tickets! Little Charlie Bucket longs to find a Golden Ticket and get the chance to visit the mysterious factory and well, he has just as much chance as anyone else, doesn’t he?	James Henry Trotter lives with his two horrid aunts, Spiker and Sponge, who never let him have fun or play with other children. He hasn't got a single friend in the whole wide world. That is, not until he meets the Old Green Grasshopper and the rest of the insects aboard a giant, magical peach!	The Big Friendly Giant, BFG, is unlike other giants. For a start, he’d rather eat repulsant snozzcumbers than chomp on innocent children—lucky for little Sophie, he is far too nice and jumbly. It's not long before the BFG becomes Sophie's very best friend, and the pair are hatching a clever plan to deal with the cruel and nasty giants—with a very exceptional ally.


	Matilda	Charlie and the Chocolate Factory	James and the Giant Peach	The BFG	The Witches

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Evidently not even Roald Dahl could resist the acronym craze of the early eighties. BFG? Bellowing ferret-faced golfer? Backstabbing fairy godmother? Oh, oh ... Big Friendly Giant! 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?

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, squib-fangled patois; or whizzpopping for the Queen, he leaves an indelible impression of bigheartedness. (Ages 9 to 12) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From AudioFile

In a perfect combination of plot and narration, Natasha Richardson has created a splendid rendition of a true children's classic. Dahl's ability to twist words into a clever and creative new language is fascinating to children, and an enjoyable challenge to adults. The gruesome descriptions of the horrid giants and the subtle allusions to other stories will entertain children young and old. Richardson's narration adds the final perfect touch--her voices are marvelous, investing Sophie with the innocence and longing of a lonely but proper little girl, creating a lovable if sometimes irascible giant, and even finding the exact tones for the imperious yet understanding queen. Even the narrator is absolutely right--objective yet compassionate! With voices full of emotion, indignation, and humor, Richardson builds and maintains the story, bringing it to its charming end. A true gem! W.L.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

“Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake are uncanny in their understanding of what children like to read and see. Sophie, an eight-year-old orphan, is kidnapped by the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) and taken to Giantland, where [her] alliance with the BFG and the queen of England results in the capture of the nine evil giants. Children will enjoy this book.” ―The New York Times Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Quentin Blake has illustrated more than three hundred books and was Roald Dahl's favourite illustrator. In 1980 he won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal. In 1999 he became the first ever Children's Laureate and in 2013 he was knighted for services to illustration. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Witching Hour

Sophie couldn't sleep.

A brilliant moonbeam was slanting through a gap in the curtains. It was shining right on to her pillow.

The other children in the dormitory had been asleep for hours.

Sophie closed her eyes and lay quite still. She tried very hard to doze off.

It was no good. The moonbeam was like a silver blade slicing through the room onto her face.

The house was absolutely silent. No voices came up from downstairs. There were no footsteps on the floor above either.

The window behind the curtain was wide open, but nobody was walking on the pavement outside. No cars went by on the street. Not the tiniest sound could be heard anywhere. Sophie had never known such a silence.

Perhaps, she told herself, this was what they called the witching hour.

The witching hour, somebody had once whispered to her, was a special moment in the middle of the night when every child and every grown-up was in a deep deep sleep, and all the dark things came out from hiding and had the world to themselves.

***

The moonbeam was brighter than ever on Sophie's pillow. She decided to get out of bed and close the gap in the curtains.

You got punished if you were caught out of bed after lights-out. Even if you said you had to go to the lavatory, that was not accepted as an excuse and they punished you just the same. But there was no one about now, Sophie was sure of that.

She reached out for her glasses that lay on the chair beside her bed. They had steel rims and very thick lenses, and she could hardly see a thing without them. She put them on, then she slipped out of bed and tiptoed over to the window.

When she reached the curtains, Sophie hesitated. She longed to duck underneath them and lean out of the window to see what the world looked like now that the witching hour was at hand.

She listened again. Everywhere it was deathly still.

The longing to look out became so strong she couldn't resist it. Quickly, she ducked under the curtains and leaned out of the window.

In the silvery moonlight, the village street she knew so well seemed completely different. The houses looked bent and crooked, like houses in a fairy tale. Everything was pale and ghostly and milky-white.

Across the road, she could see Mrs Rance's shop, where you bought buttons and wool and bits of elastic. It didn't look real. There was something dim and misty about that too.

Sophie allowed her eye to travel further and further down the street.

Suddenly she froze. There was something coming up the street on the opposite side.

It was something black . . .

Something tall and black . . .

Something very tall and very black and very thin.

Who?

It wasn't a human. It couldn't be. It was four times as tall as the tallest human. It was so tall its head was higher than the upstairs windows of the houses. Sophie opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Her throat, like her whole body, was frozen with fright.

This was the witching hour all right.

The tall black figure was coming her way. It was keeping very close to the houses across the street, hiding in the shadowy places where there was no moonlight.

On and on it came, nearer and nearer. But it was moving in spurts. It would stop, then it would move on, then it would stop again.

But what on earth was it doing?

Ah-ha! Sophie could see now what it was up to. It was stopping in front of each house. It would stop and peer into the upstairs window of each house in the street. It actually had to bend down to peer into the upstairs windows. That's how tall it was.

It would stop and peer in. Then it would slide on to the next house and stop again, and peer in, and so on all along the street.

It was much closer now and Sophie could see it more clearly.

Looking at it carefully, she decided it had to be some kind of PERSON. Obviously it was not a human. But it was definitely a PERSON.

A GIANT PERSON, perhaps.

Sophie stared hard across the misty moonlit street. The Giant (if that was what he was) was wearing a long BLACK CLOAK.

In one hand he was holding what looked like a VERY LONG, THIN TRUMPET.

In the other hand, he held a LARGE SUITCASE.

The Giant had stopped now right in front of Mr and Mrs Goochey's house. The Goocheys had a greengrocer's shop in the middle of the High Street, and the family lived above the shop. The two Goochey children slept in the upstairs front room, Sophie knew that.

The Giant was peering through the window into the room where Michael and Jane Goochey were sleeping. From across the street, Sophie watched and held her breath.

***

She saw the Giant step back a pace and put the suitcase down on the pavement. He bent over and opened the suitcase. He took something out of it. It looked like a glass jar, one of those square ones with a screw top. He unscrewed the top of the jar and poured what was in it into the end of the long trumpet thing.

Sophie watched, trembling.

She saw the Giant straighten up again and she saw him poke the trumpet in through the open upstairs window of the room where the Coochey children were sleeping. She saw the Giant take a deep breath and whoof, he blew through the trumpet.

No noise came out, but it was obvious to Sophie that whatever had been in the jar had now been blown through the trumpet into the Coochey children's bedroom.

What could it be?

As the Giant withdrew the trumpet from the window and bent down to pick up the suitcase, he happened to turn his head and glance across the street.

In the moonlight, Sophie caught a glimpse of an enormous long pale wrinkly face with huge ears. The nose was as sharp as a knife, and above the nose there were two bright flashing eyes, and the eyes were staring straight at Sophie. There was a fierce and devilish look about them.

Sophie gave a yelp and pulled back from the window. She flew across the dormitory and jumped into her bed and hid under the blanket.

And there she crouched, still as a mouse, and tingling all over.

The Snatch

Under the blanket, Sophie waited.

After a minute or so, she lifted a corner of the blanket and peeped out.

For the second time that night her blood froze to ice and she wanted to scream, but no sound came out. There at the window, with the curtains pushed aside, was the enormous long pale wrinkly face of the Giant Person, staring in. The flashing black eyes were fixed on Sophie's bed.

The next moment, a huge hand with pale fingers came snaking in through the window. This was followed by an arm, an arm as thick as a tree-trunk, and the arm, the hand, the fingers were reaching out across the room towards Sophie's bed.

This time Sophie really did scream, but only for a second because very quickly the huge hand clamped down over her blanket and the scream was smothered by the bedclothes.

Sophie, crouching underneath the blanket, felt strong fingers grasping hold of her, and then she was lifted up from her bed, blanket and all, and whisked out of the window.

***

If you can think of anything more terrifying than that happening to you in the middle of the night, then let's hear about it.

The awful thing was that Sophie knew exactly what was going on although she couldn't see it happening. She knew that a Monster (or Giant) with an enormous long pale wrinkly face and dangerous eyes had plucked her from her bed in the middle of the witching hour and was now carrying her out through the window smothered in a blanket.

What actually happened next was this. When the Giant had got Sophie outside, he arranged the blanket so that he could grasp all the four corners of it at once in one of his huge hands, with Sophie imprisoned inside. In the other hand he seized the suitcase and the long trumpet thing and off he ran.

***

Sophie, by squirming around inside the blanket, managed to push the top of her head out through a little gap just below the Giant's hand. She stared around her.

She saw the village houses rushing by on both sides. The Giant was sprinting down the High Street. He was running so fast his black cloak was streaming out behind him like the wings of a bird. Each stride he took was as long as a tennis court. Out of the village he ran, and soon they were racing across the moonlit fields. The hedges dividing the fields were no problem to the Giant. He simply strode over them. A wide river appeared in his path. He crossed it in one flying stride.

Sophie crouched in the blanket, peering out. She was being bumped against the Giant's leg like a sack of potatoes. Over the fields and hedges and rivers they went, and after a while a frightening thought carne into Sophie's head. The Giant is running fast, she told herself, because he is hungry and he wants to get home as quickly as possible, and then he'll have me for breakfast. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00INIXTKY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Puffin Books; Reprint edition (August 16, 2007)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 16, 2007
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 14259 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #64,390 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #22 in Children's Orphans & Foster Homes Books (Kindle Store)
- #80 in Children's Classic Literature
- #243 in Children's Popular Culture Literature

Customer Reviews:
6,266 ratings

About the author

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Roald Dahl

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The son of Norwegian parents, Roald Dahl was born in Wales in 1916 and educated at Repton. He was a fighter pilot for the RAF during World War Two, and it was while writing about his experiences during this time that he started his career as an author.

His fabulously popular children's books are read by children all over the world. Some of his better-known works include James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, The Witches, and The BFG.

He died in November 1990.

Customer reviews

5 star		87%
4 star		8%
3 star		2%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from the United States

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cece

Scary for little ones

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2020

Got for: 8 years oldVerified Purchase

I thought this book was great but I had to quit reading it to my granddaughters because it scared them too much. We had loved Matilda so I thought this would be a winner, but not for 8 & under.

8 people found this helpful

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Annie B

Beautiful edition

Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2018

Verified Purchase

I bought for my 6 year old nephew but after seeing the lovely design of this hardcover book, I decided to keep it! I’ll give him the paperback version instead :) The cover has black and gold Art Deco type designs. A great read for kids & grownups alike, with large text and all the excellent illustrations throughout, and an attached ribbon bookmark. Plus it looks super cool on the shelf.

9 people found this helpful

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Claude Forthomme

Possibly one of Dahl's best...

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2020

Verified Purchase

If you haven't read it yet, don't hesitate, get it and read it! You won't be disappointed. A great read - as always. I just love Roald Dahl, and here, he is at his best, with irony, humor, and of course the needed twists and turns to keep you and your kid reading as fast as you both can!

5 people found this helpful

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sarah423

Absolute Classic, must read!

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2021

Got for: 9 years oldDifficulty level: ModerateVerified Purchase

This book is an absolute gem! It was one of my favorite books to read when I was a kid, so I couldn't wait to read it to mine. My girls were hanging on every word and always wanted to read "just one more chapter, pleeeeaaassseee!!" We did watch the movie after finishing the book, and we weren't huge fans. We're reading James and the Giant Peach now. The BFG is a must-read for all kids. Makes a great read aloud if you do silly voices. ;)

Helpful

writergrl

Just wonderful!

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2016

Verified Purchase

One of the best kids' books ever written. The BFG is a lovely creature whose demeanor and presence validates young readers' fears without pandering or being overly scary. Dahl had a great eye for the ludicrous in the world and invites kids in on the ridiculousness. A joy to read aloud, for as long as the young reader will let you! They almost always want to take it on for themselves before you want to let it go. Get your own copy, mom, dad...

6 people found this helpful

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KCD

25 years later

Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2021

Got for: 13 years old and upDifficulty level: ModerateVerified Purchase

I haven’t read/heard this book read in over 25 years. It was mentioned in a show I was watching and I thought “hey, I should get it and reread it”.
Well, it was just as good as it was back then. It’s a great book from my childhood and I was happy I could revisit it.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Pages 96-128 are missing from my new paperback copy!

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2016

Verified Purchase

This is a six-star story by one of the all-time best authors ever. My 6-year old says it is his favorite book in the world so far and has been using words like scrumdiddliumptious for the last week we have been reading it.

However, the copy of the book I received new gets one start because it IS MISSING THE MIDDLE 32 pages!!! I just got to page 95 reading out loud to my 6-year old, and the next page in the paper-back is 193! The book proceeds 193 to the end including the ads for other Roald Dahl books, then goes page 129 through to the end again, including a repeat of the 193 onward section. Pages 96 through 128 are missing entirely. This kind of misprint happens sometimes, but it is such a bummer in the middle of the story! I wish Amazon could send me the kindle version so I can get back to our favorite bed-time story tonight, and eventually a replacement paperback so we can have a complete copy for our younger child when he is old enough for it!

18 people found this helpful

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Quill

Charming

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2016

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed reading the BFG. It was charming, as every Ron Dahl book I have read has been. My only discomfort was with the scary giants eating people (especially children). I am not sure my young grandsons would be able to get that out of their minds. I also struggled with the giant's garbled language. However, I do think kids would find that part silly and fun.

7 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

Amazing book for children who love giants.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book was about a giant and his friendship with Sophie. This is Class 3D from Cann Hall Primary School and these are some of the things that we liked about the book. We liked it when the BFG drank the frobscottle. We liked how the BFG and Sophie became friends. The other giants were mean and vicious. We really liked it when the BFG and Sophie went dream catching together. The part where the helicopters took the mean, vicious giants away was very exciting. Sophie has breakfast with the Queen and that was well written. The part where the BFG gave the Queen a dream and it was a real dream was really good. The beginning of the book where the giants were eating the children was quite scary. It also has a chapter dealing with bullying. This is where the other mean giants are bullying the BFG. Mrs Clonkers was a scary character and even though you didn't see her she was still scary. It's quite a tricky book to read because it has lots of made up words which you have to work out the meaning of. This book would be good for 6-10 year olds.

8 people found this helpful

Cliente Amazon

Book perfect

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2021

Verified Purchase

this writer never fails. I am in love with this author. I have given all his novels to my daughters, and I was missing this one. an intelligent and very funny read. It is perfect for introducing teenagers to reading. I will always recommend Roald Dahl.

One person found this helpful

Marcolorenzo

AGS: A GREAT STORY

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 28, 2017

Verified Purchase

A Great story. A classic in Dahl's ouvre. Some consider this work Dahl's best. All the elements of his style and technique are highly developed. I rather like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" better.

3 people found this helpful

Paul Haynes

Dahl's least troubling book - a good bedtime read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 13, 2011

Verified Purchase

Not a fan of Dahl, after The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - both highly disturbing stories. But this is different, very easily digestible, and no odd 'Dahlisms' going on.

My 5 year old daughter saw a one-man performance/reading of this at school and wanted the book, so I ordered it and, to my very pleasant surprise, discovered it was a good and enjoyable bedtime read. Once you've got your tongue round the way the BFG speaks that is!!

5 year olds are very literal though, so be prepared for some difficult questions on what happened to the nasty giants (not to mention the children they ate) and Dahl's bizarre understanding of size - how does a 24' giant have hands bigger than an 8 year old girl, for instance, not to mention ears so vast she can hide in one minor fold of them!

2 people found this helpful

Lee Davies

Brilliant !!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 23, 2013

Verified Purchase

I bought the BFG audio book for my daughter. I have to travel a far distance to pick her up for the school holidays and she gets bored in the car.
She has seen the BFG film so I knew she liked the story. The audio book is brilliant, we listen to it together in the car and then another four times in the week she stayed.
Brilliantly read by David Walliams, he was the perfect choice to read the book. My daughter now picks fault with the film saying bits are missing !
I highly recommend this audio book to all BFG lovers !

One person found this helpful