The BFG
by Roald Dahl
Grades 5-6; Genre - Fantasy; GRL U; AR pts. 6.0
Kidsnatched from her orphange by a BFG (Big Friendly Giant), who spends his life blowing happy dreams to children, Sophie concocts a plan with him to save the world from nine other man-gobbling cannybull giants.
Comprehension Questions
Chapter 1
- Describe Sophie. She’s an orphan; isn’t supposed to get out of bed but she did to close the curtain; couldn’t sleep; curious and looked out the window p.9
Chapter 2
- Describe the thing Sophie saw. Very tall human like person that walked in the shadows, peeking in the second story windows; pale wrinkly face with huge ears, fierce and devilish eyes, wearing a black cloak and carried a thin trumpet p.14
Chapter 3
- Predict what will happen to Sophie. Listen to your child’s answer p.21
Chapter 4
- Describe the cave. The giant’s home; a gigantic rock blocks the opening; pitch black until the giant lit a light; gigantic with a high rocky roof; shelves on the walls filled with glass jars; a 12 foot table and chairs to match p.22
Chapter 5
- What good news did Sophie hear in this chapter? The giant who captured her doesn’t eat humans p.34
Chapter 6
- What did Sophie learn about giants in this chapter? They travel every night and eat humans p.40
Chapter 7
- What can the BFG hear with his marvelous ears? Dreams; plants, trees, spiders, butterflies, etc. p.50
Chapter 8
- Summarize this chapter. The BFG pulled out some food that he and Sophie thought was disgusting; giants aren’t born, they just appear and are only men; Sophie complimented the BFG and how he talks; he said he wouldn’t steal vegetables from gardens p.54
Chapter 9
- How is Sophie clever in this chapter? She hid from the Bloodbottler in the snozzcumber p.65
Chapter 10
- Describe frobscottle. A green fizzy drink; the bubbles go down instead of up; delicious; causes whizzpoppers (flatulence) p.72
Chapter 11
- Did the BFG have a good argument on page 91? Why, or why not? Listen to your child’s answer
Chapter 12
- Describe how the BFG captures dreams? He uses his net like a butterfly net, puts them in jars with lids p.94
- Why is the BFG so excited and then so upset in this chapter? He’d caught a wonderful dream, but then he caught a nightmare p.96
Chapter 13
- How did the BFG put the nightmare to good use? He gave it to Fleshlumpeater; he dreamt of Jack the Giant Killer p.107
- Why did Sophie smile that Fleshlumpeater thought the beanstalk killed giants? Jack used the beanstalk to climb up to the world of giants, not as a weapon to kill them p.108
Chapter 14
- Summarize one of the dreams the BFG has captured. P.120-131
- How has the BFG learned to write? He borrowed a human’s book p.131
- Predict how Sophie and the BFG will stop the other giants from eating children in England. Listen to your child’s answer p.133
Chapter 15
- Were you correct in your prediction? Listen to your child’s answer
- Describe Sophie’s plan. The BFG will mix a dream for the Queen of England; Sophie will be on her windowsill and when she wakes up, she’ll tell her giants are real; Sophie’s hoping the queen will send her army to defeat the giants p.141
Chapter 16
- Why did the dream given to the queen need to be a nightmare? Giants eating children is nightmarish p.151
Chapter 17
- Summarize this chapter. Sophie rode in the BFG’s ear to London; they saw the giants as they ran home from their feast and Sophie was resolved to go forward with the plan; Sophie guided the BFG to the palace p.157
Chapter 18
- How did Sophie and the BFG find the queen’s room? The BFG can hear the difference between men and women breathing; when they looked in the room, it looked stately and Sophie recognized the queen p.168
Chapter 19
- Did Sophie’s plan go as she hoped? Explain. Yes; there was an article in the paper about the children disappearing and bones below the windows that supported her and the BFG p.174
Chapter 20
- What did the queen do to verify Sophie’s and the BFG’s story? Called the countries the giants had visited recently p.202
Chapter 21
- How did the BFG help solve the issue of finding the giants? He said the soldiers in the helicopters could follow him p.211
Chapter 22
- Summarize this chapter. The BFG led the helicopters to the giants’ land; they drove to the sleeping giants and tied them up only waking up one; Sophie stabbed him with her brooch from the queen and the BFG pretended the giant has been bit by a snake and tied him up; they loaded up all the dreams and the helicopters came to pick up the giants p.213
Chapter 23
- What did the queen prepare for the giants when the helicopters arrived in London? A large pit they couldn’t climb out of
- How did the BFG solve what would be fed the giants? He brought snozzcumbers and snozzcumbers plants to be planted p.237
Chapter 24
- What did you like about the conclusion of this story? Listen to your child’s answer p.239