James and the Giant Peach
About
James Henry Trotter loses his parents and is forced to live with his evil aunts. Luckily, he is given magic crystals, which he accidentally spills on his aunts' decrepit peach tree. One of the peaches begins to grow, and grow, and grow. Finally, James climbs into the peach and it rolls away from his aunts' yard and his miserably lonely life. With the giant peach, he begins a new life, making friends along the way with hilarious characters like the Grasshopper and the Earthworm.
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
Describe James’s situation.
Page 1 — He lived near the ocean with his parents until he was 4 years old; his parents were killed by a rhinoceros in London one day and he went to live with his two horrible aunts who wouldn’t allow him to leave the garden where they lived; a peach tree was in the garden, but it never bore fruit
1
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
Describe the main character’s aunts.
Page 5 — Selfish, lazy, thought they were beautiful, mean to James; Aunt Sponge was fat and short with piggy shaped eyes and sunken mouth; Aunt Spiker was tall and lean, would spit when she talked
5
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
Who approached James and what did he give him?
Page 10 — An old man; magic crystals
10
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
What instructions did the man give James and what did he promise him?
Page 12 — Put the crystals in a large jug of water with ten hairs from his head and drink; wonderful things will happen to him
12
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Where did the crystals disappear to? Why?
Page 13 — James tripped and the crystals all disappeared into the ground near the peach tree
13
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
What was peculiar about the peach tree?
Page 16 — A peach was growing on it
16
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
What did Aunt Spiker want to do with the peach?
Page 24 — Make money by charging people to see it
24
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
Think of a party that you have held at your home and your role during and compare it to James's role during their event.
Page 26 — James was locked in his room and had to clean up the garbage after everyone left. Listen to your child's answer about what role they play during an event at your home
26
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
What did James feel in the moonlight?
Page 28 — Something more peculiar was going to happen to him
28
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 30 — James found a hole in the peach and climbed into it, crawling down a tunnel to the middle of the peach, through a doorway into the peach pit
30
Chapter 11
Comprehension questions
Why was James terrified in this chapter?
Page 34 — He thought the human sized insects were going to eat him
34
Chapter 12
Comprehension questions
How did the insects get to be so large and human like?
Page 38 — The magic crystals
38
Chapter 13
Comprehension questions
Describe how James felt about his new friends?
Page 43 — He liked them, they were kind and helpful
43
Chapter 14
Comprehension questions
Where were the creatures and James going?
Page 45 — They didn’t know, they just wanted to go somewhere to get away from James’s aunts and the hill they were on
45
Chapter 15
Comprehension questions
What happened to James’s aunts?
Page 48 — The peach rolled over them and they were smashed
48
Chapter 16
Comprehension questions
What book, also written by Roald Dahl, was referenced in this chapter?
Page 50 — Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
50
Chapter 17
Comprehension questions
Describe the journey James and the creatures had to the ocean?
Page 53 — They were tossed around, hitting into each other until they landed on the water
53
Chapter 18
Comprehension questions
What good news did James have for the creatures in this chapter?
Page 60 — They wouldn’t starve because they had the peach to eat
60
Chapter 19
Comprehension questions
What attacked the peach and why were the creatures worried?
Page 66 — Sharks; with each bite from the sharks, the peach will be eaten away
66
Chapter 20
Comprehension questions
What was James’s plan to save them from the sharks?
Page 70 — Take string from the spider and silk worm and tie it from the peach stem to seagulls to lift the peach out of the water
70
Chapter 21
Comprehension questions
Why did James become the captain of the peach ship?
Page 75 — He took charge
75
Chapter 22
Comprehension questions
What word would you use to describe James in this chapter?
Page 75 — Listen to your child’s answer; determined, hard worker, clever, smart
75
Chapter 23
Comprehension questions
Why do you think the peach wasn’t damaged by the sharks?
Page 83 — Listen to your child’s answer; magic, the sharks couldn’t get their teeth into it
83
Chapter 24
Comprehension questions
List one thing James learned in this chapter?
Page 87 — How grasshoppers play music; where their ears are; where crickets and katydids ears are
87
Chapter 25
Comprehension questions
Summarize what James learned in this chapter?
Page 89 — How each of his insect friends helped the world
89
Chapter 26
Comprehension questions
How did James help Centipede in this chapter?
Page 95 — He saved him; the centipede fell over the edge of the peach into the water and James asked Silkworm to spin rope and went in after him
95
Chapter 27
Comprehension questions
Should Centipede call people names? Why, or why not?
Listen to your child's answer
What was the consequence of him calling the Cloud-Men names?
Page 104 — they threw hail stones to hit the peach
104
Chapter 28
Comprehension questions
What danger were the friends in this chapter?
Page 112 — The Cloud-Men saw them and threw whatever they could at them
112
Chapter 29
Comprehension questions
Why is Centipede upset in this chapter?
Page 113 — The Cloud-Men hit him with paint and he was stuck
113
Chapter 30
Comprehension questions
What freed Centipede?
Page 118 — The Cloud-Men dumped water on them and it washed the paint off
118
Chapter 31
Comprehension questions
What did the author say the weather is a result of?
Page 120 — The Cloud-Men working their sinister magic upon the world below
120
Chapter 32
Comprehension questions
What’s James’s plan to get the peach down to the earth?
Page 122 — Cut a few of the strings holding the peach
122
Chapter 33
Comprehension questions
What did the people in America think the peach was?
Page 123 — A bomb
123
Chapter 34
Comprehension questions
Why did the friends think they were going to die?
Page 126 — An airplane came through the air and sliced through every string holding the peach
126
Chapter 35
Comprehension questions
Summarize this chapter.
Page 127 — People in the city thought they were going to die along with those in the peach
127
Chapter 36
Comprehension questions
What saved the peach?
Page 128 — It fell onto the Empire State Building
128
Chapter 37
Comprehension questions
What helped the fire fighters and police officers not be afraid of the creatures in the peach?
Page 134 — James spoke up for them
134
Chapter 38
Comprehension questions
Why was James so happy in this chapter?
Page 141 — 10,000 Children asked if they could try the peach; he’d never seen so many children in his life
141
Chapter 39
Comprehension questions
Summarize the conclusion of this story.
Page 145 — It describes what happens to each of the creatures and James; James was so happy to have so many children who wanted to meet him and hear his story
145
What is a theme of this story? Explain.
Courage and friendship; James and the insects become friends that take care of each other and help each other
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