james and the giant peach - harvey road school pta...chapters 1 and 2 to help you draw them as...

James and the Giant PeachGuided Reading Discussion Points and Activities Chapters 1-2

(AF2) What evidence can you find to explain why James is so unhappy?

(AF3) Why do you think Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker treat James so cruelly?

(AF4) Roald Dahl chooses to open the story with a tragic accident. What effect

does this have on the story? What effect does this have on the reader?

(AF5) What techniques does Dahl use to create tension at the end of Chapter 2?

(AF6) How does the song in Chapter 2 develop our understanding of the

characters of Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker?

(AF7) Have you read any other Roald Dahl books? How is James similar or

different to other central child characters you know about?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. Draw a detailed character sketch of Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. Use the descriptions in

Chapters 1 and 2 to help you draw them as accurately as possible. Label your drawings with evidence from the text, e.g. Aunt Sponge has ‘small piggy eyes’.

2. Find examples of ambitious vocabulary used in the first two chapters. Make a ‘Word Bank’ and use a dictionary to find and note down the definition of each word, e.g. ramshackle, badly or untidily made and likely to break or fall down easily. Try to use some of these words in your own writing this week!

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(AF2) Why does James’s mood change from ‘terribly excited’ to feelings of

‘unhappiness and despair’ over the course of Chapter 5?

(AF3) Do you think James should trust the old man? Why? Why not?

(AF4) Look at the ending of each chapter? Do you want to read on? Why?

(AF5) Why do you think Roald Dahl uses lots of questions in Chapter 5?

(AF6) What would you do in James’s situation and why? Do you agree with him?

(AF7) Why do you think Roald Dahl likes to write about peculiar things?

What do you think is the most peculiar thing that happens in this section?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. Read the description for making the crocodile tongues magical at the end of Chapter

3. Can you write your own weird and wonderful recipe for a magic potion? Think about what you want the magic to do, write a list of ingredients and describe in detail how to create the powerful magic. Try to use some Roald Dahl-like words and phrases, e.g. ‘the eyeballs of a lizard’ or ‘let the moon do the rest’!

2. ‘What is going to happen…if they do meet an earthworm? Or a centipede? Or a spider?’ Think about how the magic might affect these creatures. Draw a picture of what might happen to each of them, and write a paragraph to describe the changes that occur.



(AF2) Why does a ‘sudden stillness’ fall on the garden in Chapter 6?

(AF3) In Chapter 7, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker tell James that the peach is

none of his business. What do you think their motive is for this?

(AF4) What techniques does Roald Dahl use in these chapters to create an image

of the peach growing ‘larger and larger’ before our very eyes?

(AF5) Chapter 6 uses lots of short bursts of dialogue. What effect does this have?

(AF6) How does this section make you as a reader feel?

(AF7) How do you think Roald Dahl feels about people who think money is the

most important thing in the world? How do you feel about this?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. Find all the imagery and similes used to describe the peach in Chapters 6, 7 and 8.

Draw a sketch of the peach and write down the evidence you have found around the edge. When you have finished, create some similes of your own to describe the peach, e.g. the skin of the peach was as soft as newly fallen flower petals.

2. Imagine you are Aunt Sponge or Aunt Spiker and you want to persuade as many people as possible to pay to see the giant peach, in order to make you both millionaires. Design a poster advertising the spectacle. Make sure it is eye-catching, exciting and includes plenty of evidence from the text, e.g. the peach is ‘as big as a house’ (Ch. 8).



(AF2) What evidence is there to suggest the garden is ‘alive with magic’ (Ch. 9)?

(AF3) What do you think draws James towards the peach?

What makes him brave?

(AF4) Why do you think Roald Dahl spends a long time describing James’s crawl

through the tunnel in Chapter 10?

(AF5) In Chapter 11, some words are written in italics. What effect does this have?

(AF6) How does James’s opinion of the creatures change in Chapter 11?

(AF7) Can you think of any other ‘creatures’ in stories that are ‘terrifying to

behold’ at first, but actually turn out to be kind, friendly or helpful?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. ‘Hungry and trembling…’ (Ch. 9) is a great way to open a chapter and a sentence.

‘Hungry’ is an adjective, and ‘trembling’ is a powerful verb. Can you write some super sentences beginning with an adjective and followed by a powerful verb, e.g. Tired and confused, James drifted slowly towards the peach.

2. Choose one of the magic ‘creatures’ described in Chapter 11. Draw a character sketch and label with evidence from the text, describing their appearance and personality. Use what you find out about your ‘creature’ to make a prediction about something they might do later in the story, e.g. The Centipede is bossy and a bit of a rascal, so I think he might play a trick on another character, and…



(AF2) Do you think the Earthworm and the Centipede get on well? Explain why.

(AF3) Why do you think the Centipede is so proud of being a pest (Ch. 12)?

(AF4) How does Roald Dahl use dialogue to show the reader what the ‘creatures’

are like? Do you think this is an effective technique?

(AF5) Can you find some alternative words to ‘said’ in this section, e.g. ‘roared’?

Why do you think Roald Dahl uses a range of words for this purpose?

(AF6) Which of the ‘creatures’ do you like the best, and why?

(AF7) Can you find examples to show how the ‘creatures’ help each other? Do

you think working as a team might be important in this story?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. The Centipede is described as speaking ‘proudly’, and the Earthworm as ‘primly’.

Look up these adverbs and make sure you understand what they mean. An adverb is a word used to describe how the verb or action word is done, e.g. ‘I glide,’ said the Earthworm primly. Make a list of adverbs to describe the way each ‘creature’ speaks and behaves during Chapters 12 and 13.

2. The Glow-worm emits ‘a brilliant greenish light as bright as the brightest electric bulb’ and lights up the whole room (Ch. 13). Design an invention, making use of the Glow-worm’s particular skills that might be of use in the adventure ahead of James. Your machine or creation must use light in some way that might help James later on.



(AF2) What evidence can you find in Chapter 14 that everyone is excited?

(AF3) The Ladybird tells James, ‘we are about to roll away…to a land

of…of…of…to a land of – ’ (Ch. 14). Why does she stop there?

(AF4) Why do you think Roald Dahl chooses to signal the end of Aunt Sponge

and Aunt Spiker using a simile?

(AF5) Can you find examples of words and phrases in Chapter 16 that show the

peach is ‘travelling at tremendous speed’?

(AF6) What do you think is happening inside the peach as it travels along?

(AF7) In Chapter 16, Roald Dahl sometimes speaks directly to the reader.

Can you find an example of this? Why do you think he does this?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. Instead of using numbers for the chapters you have read (14, 15, 16), can you think

of an appropriate name for each of them? Think carefully about what happens and create something short, snappy and memorable. Can you think of names for all the other chapters you have read so far too? Remember – don’t give too much away!

2. Draw a detailed map to show the journey of the giant peach from the tree to the sea. Remember to include its encounter with Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker on the way through the garden. Label your map using evidence from the text, e.g. straight through the chocolate factory! Ask a partner to check you have included all the landmarks.



(AF2) Can you find a complex simile in Chapter 17 to describe how James and the

‘creatures’ felt as the peach rolled relentlessly towards the sea?

(AF3) Why do you think everyone cheered when the peach squashed Aunt Sponge

and Aunt Spiker? Do you think they were right to cheer?

(AF4) What important fact are James and the ‘creatures’ unaware of in Chapter 17?

(AF5) Is ‘awkward’ a good word to describe the predicament (Ch. 18)?

(AF6) What effect does the Centipede’s song have on the characters and reader? (AF7) Why do you think Roald Dahl chooses to include songs and poems, which

are often funny or silly, in his stories? Do you enjoy reading them?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. Read the Centipede’s Song (Ch. 18) carefully, making a note of all the weird and wonderful

foods he has tasted in his time. Design and create your own Menu for a ‘Centipede Restaurant.’ Include dishes from the song, and provide a detailed description of each one. Ask a friend to order a meal using your menu,what delicious delicacies will they choose?!

2. When faced with a crisis, the Old-Green-Grasshopper believes that ‘everything will be all right in the end’, but the Earthworm cries ‘nothing is ever all right in the end…!’ Who do you agree with and why? Give at least three good reasons to support your choice.



(AF2) Why are all of the characters so worried when they spot sharks (Ch. 19)?

(AF3) Why does James introduce his idea so hesitantly at the start of Chapter 20?

(AF4) How does Dahl create an atmosphere of ‘panic and pandemonium (Ch. 19)?

(AF5) The Earthworm repeats the same words again and again in Chapter 20:

‘stop, stop, stop!’ and ‘I-I-I-I-’. What effect does this have?

(AF6) The Centipede says ‘The boy’s dotty!’ (Ch. 20). Is he right?

(AF7) Why do you think Roald Dahl gives James the chance to prove himself to

the ‘creatures’ in Chapters 21 and 22? How do you think this middle

section of the story, or climax, links the whole book together?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. James comes up with a brilliant plan to ‘lift this peach clear out of the water’ in

Chapter 20. He does this by harnessing thousands of seagulls with silk thread. Imagine you are James, and this time there are no seagulls in the sky. Can you come up with your own fantastic scheme to save the peach from the sharks? Be as creative as possible, and think about the skills of each of the ‘creatures’ on the peach.

2. What type of story do you think you are reading? For example: comedy,

3. adventure, crime, romance, thriller, or a combination. Describe the type of story using at least 5 sentences and find a quotation or a section of the text to show why you think that.



(AF2) Why hadn’t the sharks done very much damage to the peach (Ch. 23)?

(AF3) How do you think the people on the Queen Mary felt when they saw the

peach and its passengers sailing through the sky in Chapter 23?

(AF4) Dahl seems to pause the story at this point so that the characters can get to

know each other better. What effect does this have?

(AF5) Why do you think there are so many questions in this section?

(AF6) How does Chapter 25 help us see the world from a different point of view?

(AF7) Why do you think Roald Dahl takes time out from the story to describe the

wonderful things each of the ‘creatures’ can do (Ch. 25)?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. At the beginning of Chapter 23, James and the ‘creatures’ all have a ‘marvellous

feeling’ because they are so proud and happy that they worked together to save the peach. The Glow-worm is ‘glowing with pleasure’! Can you think of a time when you have felt like this? Describe an achievement you are really proud of, and how it made you feel when you managed to succeed. This might be something where you worked with others, or something you did on your own.

2. The Old-Green-Grasshopper says to James, ‘there are a whole lot of things in this world of ours that you haven’t started wondering about yet.’ (Ch. 24). What do you wonder about? Write down 5 wonderful questions that you would like to know the answer to!



(AF2) Why do Miss Spider, the Glow-worm, the Ladybird and the Earthworm

begin to cry in Chapter 26?

(AF3) How do you think the Centipede feels when James saves his life (Ch. 26)?

(AF4) How is travelling by peach different to travelling by aeroplane (Ch. 27)?

Find the comparisons used by Roald Dahl – do you think these work well?

(AF5) Can you find 5 effective pieces of description in Chapter 27?

(AF6) How do you think the Cloud Men feel when they first see the peach?

(AF7) Do you think the Cloud Men are a good explanation for how our weather is

created? Do you like the idea of explaining the world using stories?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. Read Chapter 27 carefully and note down all the descriptive language Roald Dahl

uses about the Cloud Men. Draw a detailed character sketch of a Cloud Man, showing him doing his job in the clouds. Write the evidence you find in the text around the edge of your sketch, using quotations and page numbers if possible.

2. Chapter 26 and 27 are full of powerful verbs, e.g. teetering, dashing, hurling. Make a list of all the examples you can find. Now use them in some sentences of your own.



(AF2) How do the ‘creatures’ describe the rainbow before they know what it is?

(AF3) Why does the Old-Green-Grasshopper say he’d ‘rather be fried alive’ than

meet another Cloud Man again (Ch. 28)?

(AF4) Roald Dahl often allows all the ‘creatures’ to voice their opinion just before

a big event, e.g. crashing into the rainbow. What effect does this have?

(AF5) What vocabulary is used to show the Centipede is ‘hardening’ after he is

covered in rainbow-paint (Ch. 29)?

(AF6) In this section, the characters encounter disaster after disaster. Why do you

think Roald Dahl chooses to put them through these difficulties?

(AF7) The clouds are an unusual setting for a story – can you think of some

amazing adjectives to describe the backdrop to the action?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. When the Centipede is frightened of the Cloud Men, he shouts, ‘It’s no good eating me!

I’m full of bones like a kipper!’ (Ch. 28). All the passengers on the peach are afraid of the Cloud Men. Can you create an excuse for each of them, like the Centipede’s, making it clear to the Cloud Men why they wouldn’t be much good to eat?

2. Using some of the powerful verbs describing the ‘deluge’ in Chapter 30, e.g. swirling, surging, whirling, write a poem to describe the experience of ‘being pinned down underneath the biggest waterfall in the world’.



(AF2) When the ‘creatures’ finally spot land, where do they think they are (Ch. 32)?

(AF3) Why is ‘pandemonium’ breaking out in the City of New York (Ch. 32)?

(AF4) Why does Dahl choose to describe a long, frightening night just before his

characters finally, excitedly spot land (Ch. 31)?

(AF5) Chapters 33 and 34 are very short and concise.

What effect does this have?

(AF6) Read the description of the Cloud-Men’s City (Ch. 31). Do you think it is

fair that they are presented as the villains in the story

(AF7) The end of Chapter 34 is very dramatic – a real cliffhanger! Is this an

effective technique? Can you think of any other examples of cliffhangers?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. In Chapter 31, we learn about the snow machine, the thunder drums, the frost factories

and the wind producers used by the Cloud Men to control the weather. Design your own weather machine to help the Cloud Men produce your favourite kind of weather. Make a detailed plan, with clear labels, and use evidence from the text if you can.

2. At the end of Chapter 34, the Old-Green-Grasshopper cries, ‘this is the end!’ and all the characters believe they are going to die. If you thought you only had a few seconds left to live, what would you say and who would you say it to? How would you feel if you then survived? Would you live your life differently? Explain how.



(AF2) In Chapter 35, what vocabulary is used to show the peach is falling fast?

(AF3) What do you think is going through James’s mind as the peach his falling?

(AF4) Why do you think Chapters 35 and 36 are so short and to the point?

(AF5) Why do you think there are so many exclamation marks in Chapter 37?

(AF6) How do you feel as a reader when you hear about all the important people

in charge in New York being so wrong about the passengers on the peach?

(AF7) In the end, it is a little boy (James) who saves the day, not the adults in

charge. How do you think Dahl feels about adults with important jobs?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. At the end of Chapter 37, James sings a song about all his ‘creature’ friends, explaining

to the citizens of New York that they are all kind, friendly and helpful, despite their terrifying appearance. Write an extra verse to add to the song, about how kind, friendly, helpful and brilliant James himself is, e.g. And here is James, our hero, who used to live in fear/But he saved us from the sharks with his brilliant idea!

2. We are now very near the end of the story. Use what you know about the setting, plot and characters so far to write your own ending for the story. What do you think will happen next? What will happen to all the characters? Will it be a happy or a sad ending?



(AF2) What happens at a ‘ticker-tape parade’ (Ch. 38)?

(AF3) Which of the creatures do you think will be the happiest with their new life?

(AF4) Is this an effective ending? What do you like about it or dislike about it?

(AF5) What word choices show that James is very happy at the end of the book?

(AF6) When you find out at the end that James himself has written this book, does that change the way you think about the adventures?

(AF7) Can you think of an alternative ending for this book, that still makes sense?

It could be another, different happy ending, or perhaps a sad ending?

Follow-up Reading Activities1. Design a peach stone house for James. Draw a diagram to show the outside and the

inside, and label all the different features. Think about James’s character and what he likes doing. Remember to include a special place for writing down the stories of his adventures, as well as plenty of room for playing with all his new friends!

2. You have read the whole story now and discussed what you enjoyed about it, as well as what happened and how it was written. Use your understanding of the story and of Roald Dahl as a writer to create your own blurb for the story. Remember to keep it short and sweet, tantalising your reader without giving too much away!


james and the giant peach - harvey road school pta...chapters 1 and 2 to help you draw them as...

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