James and the Giant Peach

James Henry Trotter leads a happy life until his parents are eaten by an escaped rhinoceros and he is thrust into the world of his nasty aunts, Sponge and Spiker. Then he becomes “the saddest and loneliest boy you could find.” When a little man in a dark green suit gives James a bag of magic crystals, the story takes off. James finds an “ancient peach tree that never gave any peaches,” but with the magic crystals, it suddenly does! A single peach grows and keeps growing until James can climb inside and roll away from his horrible aunts to a whole new life. James befriends overgrown garden dwellers, Grasshopper, Earthworm, Miss Spider and Centipede. James and the Giant Peach is considered by many to be one of the finest children’s books ever written.

Want to see the movie? The 1996 adaptation combines stop-motion and live action, plus a few musical numbers.

Perfect for: Kids who like classic stories.

Find James and the Giant Peach at your local library.