The BFG
by Roald Dahl
Fantasy, Fiction, Classics, Middle-Grade, Young-Adult, Humor
Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It’s lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast. When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!
Recommendations from Common Sense Media
Age Recommendation: 9+
What Parents Need to Know:
Parents need to know that Roald Dahl’s The BFG is a delightful fantasy about a girl named Sophie who makes friends with a Big Friendly Giant. It’s full of vivid characters and hilariously creative language. The BFG uses an abundance of invented words and inverted idioms (“Am I right or am I left?” “Hopscotchy,” “Delumptious,” “Whizzpopping”) that could be challenging for young independent readers to decipher, but the book makes a great read-aloud. There are some scary and suspenseful moments for little Sophie, and readers learn that the bigger giants eat children, but there’s no graphic violence. Alcohol is mentioned a couple of times, but none is consumed “onscreen.” One small warning for parents of impressionable children, though: Sophie and the BFG debate the delights and offenses of burping vs. farting, and a couple of scenes when the BFG passes gas are among the funniest in the book. The book does include lots of humor, as well as a brave hero and heroine, and wonderful, unlikely friendships. The BFG was made into an animated film (1989) and a live action/CGI movie (2016) directed by Steven Spielberg.
Educational Value: 1/5
When the BFG and Sophie discuss whether bubbles should rise up or sink down, it will make kids think about the science of bubbles. When the BFG talks about how humans in different regions taste, readers will learn names of different countries.
Positive Messages: 2/5
Appearances are not always what they seem: The BFG seems very scary at first, but the more he and Sophie get to know one another, the better they understand each other’s language.
Positive Role Models: 4/5
Sofie is a creative and brave hero with a heart of gold. The BFG risks his own safety to save human lives.
Violence & Scariness: 2/5
The bigger giants eat humans, including lots of children. Their names underscore their brutality: Bonecruncher, Fleshlumpeater, Bloodbottler, Childchewer, Meatdripper, Gizzaardgulper, Maidmasher, Manhugger, and Butcher Boy.
Sex, Romance & Nudity: n/a
n/a
Language: n/a
n/a
Products & Purchases: 1/5
Sophie tells the BFG that kids drink Coke and Pepsi.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: 1/5
The narrator says the BFG holds a bottle of frobscottle like it is a “bottle of rare wine.” Three men drink too much beer and fall into a pit of giants.
View Common Sense Media entry:
Search libraries for The BFG:
Purchase The BFG:
