Poor James Henry Trotter, stuck in a wicked house with two wicked aunts, Sponge and Spiker, who treat him just wickedly. James is a boy with a big heart and big dreams, who one day goes into the yard to do some work for his ghastly guardians. In the yard he meets a little old man who promises James happiness beyond his wildest dreams. He gives James a small bag of glowing green things and instructs him to drink them right away.

James, presented with a wonderland all his own, is so overcome with excitement that he runs inside, only to trip over the roots of an old peach tree, as shriveled and barren as his two wicked aunts. The glowing green wonders are swallowed by the ground, and James is forced to return empty-handed.

But by the following day, the magical green things had already begun to work. A peach was growing ripe at the tippytop of the old, ugly tree. It grows and grows, until the tree bends at the trunk and the peach is the size of a small house!

What could be more delightful than a bite of such a sweet, beautiful peach? Under the cover of darkness, James sneaks out of the house to take a bite of the peach. But when he gets there, he sees the most peculiar tunnel leading inside...

James meets six friendly, newly gigantic insects living in the center of the giant peach. Together they set out on a wild adventure even James couldn't have imagined!

Written by Roald Dahl in 1961, James and the Giant Peach is a classic children's book and recipient of a Caldecott honor. It has all the ingredients of great children's literature: villainous adults, a sad orphan, a magical mystery, talking animals, and a trip to New York City! What else can you ask for?

Recommended for readers in 3rd grade (age 8) and above.

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