Advantages: A further entertaining read in the Giants Saga
Disadvantages: Not to everybodys taste

...The story so far. The finding of a dead man on the moon was the first link in a chain. A gigantic spaceship was found frozen into the Moon Ganymede and other evidence of human occupation on the moon was discovered. All this lead to the conclusion that a Planet named Minerva had once existed where the Asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter now is. It was destroyed by a combination of a massive nuclear war and its own thinner crust. But there are still outstanding questions. This new book starts where the previous volume left off. First a glimpse into the past where a group of the Giants are experimenting on a Sun to try to increase the heat output with disastrous effects. The giants escape the resulting explosion, but there craft had been undergoing maintenance and cannot slow down easily. That is going to take time, lots of it... Read review

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Advantages: Nice story and pictures
Disadvantages: - - - - -

...~~~~ Once there were giants ~~~~ Once there were giants is written by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Penny Dale and published by Walker. ~~~~ Martin Waddell ~~~~ Martin Waddell lives with his wife Rosaleen. He is twice winner of the Smarties Book Prize (for Farmer Duck and Can't you sleep little bear?), he has also won the Kurt Maschler Award (The park in the dark) and the Best book for babies award (Rosie's babies). ~~~~ Penny Dale ~~~~ Penny Dale has illustrated many books for Walker as well as illustrating her own stories (these include Bet you can't!, The elephant tree and Wake up Mr B!). For this book she asked her friends and neighbours to model for the illustrations and then imagined what each person will look like as they age. ~~~~ Other books by Martin and Penny ~~~~ ~ Night night, cuddly bear ~ Rosie... Read review

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Advantages: tender and poignant
Disadvantages: slow, depressing, not the best book in the world

...Advantages can be quite tender and poignant Disadvantages not the best book I ever read. Quite depressing at times There are not many giants featured in the general fiction section of the libary. They tend to be confined either to the children's section or perhaps fantasy. They are usually blood thirsty, cruel monsters (well apart from the Big Friendly Giant). There is an exception James Sweatt in the Giant's House is a normal teenage boy except that he is eight feet tall. The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken is a novel set in 1950s small-town America. Peggy Cort is the town's librarian who becomes emotionally attached to James Sweatt, the giant of the tittle. At first it is a general interest as James is barely out of childhood. As time goes by and James grows into a young man Peggy begins to see James in a different light... Read review

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Advantages: good story, nice rhyme, excellent ilustrations, feel-good factor
Disadvantages: can't think of any

...How come we got it? ------------------------------- When we were living in Poland there came a point where we got fed up with reading the same English books again and again to our daughter. What else to do but log on, take advantage of the free UK postage over orders of 25 GBP and order 50 pounds worth of children's books from Amazon to be delivered to Granny's address. They arrived at the UK address after a few days and were with us in Poland after another 10 days or so. 50 GBP buys you actually quite a few children's books and with rationing the excitment of getting out a new one could be extended for more than a week. One of definite hits in the whole package was selection of Julia Donaldson's books. 'Gruffalo' reviewed already on Ciao was one of the winners, but an equaly good one was 'The Smartest Giant in Town'. What... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to read, Great characters
Disadvantages: too easy

...bent over. They charged people to come and see the peach which made them rich. But one night James sneaks out to see the peach and finds a giant hole behind it I wonder what he will do. ~~~Cost~~~ This book costs £4.79 from Amazon new and costs £0.01 new and used. http://www.amazon.co.uk/James-Giant-Peach-Roald-Dahl/dp/0141311355/ref=sr1 1/202-5773925-5747056?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175980990&sr=1-1 is the website to get it on. ~~~My Opinion~~~ Overall I think is book it good. It is exciting and has loads of events in it. I think this book is worth the money. I would read this book again but only once. It's a good story and the characters are great. It's not addictive but it's readable. Compared from similar stories from this author it's quite good. Compared to other works it's also quite good... Read review

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Advantages: a fabulous adventure
Disadvantages: quite scarey and a bit episodic

...If your child is new to Roald Dahl then they may be in for a shock. Poor James loses both parents in the first few pages in a hideous Rhino incident which happens when they are on a day trip away from him (no increase in seperation anxiety there then!) And just when you thought things couldn't get any worse for poor James he is left in the 'care' of two vicious and abusive aunts who beat him and starve him of food, affection and books. His fortunes turn when he meets a strange little man in the garden with a bag of magic glowing bean things. Cue a giant peach, some outsized insects, two squashed aunts and a whole host of wild adventures. Those of you who have encountered Roald Dahl before will be well used to his world view in which most adults are evil and most children are abandoned/abused/ generally badly treated but it can... Read review

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Advantages: An excellent, well wriiten sequel
Disadvantages: The last ever fully finished Dirk Gently Novel

...Douglas Adams has always written fine works of fiction in my opinion. This book is no exception. The Dirk Gently novels seem to take a swing in the other direction from the Hitch Hiker series; the Hitch Hiker series has always concentrated on making science fiction a lighter funnier subject, whereas the Dirk Gently novels have tried to do the same thing but looking at the real world rather than something imaginery. This time round we concentrate on Dirk's adventures rather than those of Richards (He was in the previous book). Richard has inadvertently disappeared with no real explanation, and Dirk is left on his own. Dirk is already in a bad mood when he wakes up hungover and remembers that he was supposed to be visiting a potential client nearly 6 hours ago. He arrives a little later than he would have prefered at the client... Read review

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Advantages: Douglas Adams wrote it, very clever plot, satisfying coming together of diverse oddness
Disadvantages: it is a finite experiance, as are all books, shame really,

...... Read review

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Advantages: Imaginations run free, humour, language
Disadvantages: wanting more and not going to bed

...I read his books when I was still a small girl in primary school. Now I still keep his collections and have an omnibus.The only regret I have is not bringing my books over. Fret not, cos holidays just started and I FOUND Roald Dahl's treasury in my university's library. I don't think I'll feel shy because I love his books alot. I've learnt english by reading his books as well and now? writing a review on it.lol. The BFG is a friendly giant in the land of giants who does not eat small human beans( human beings). But one day, having no choice, he had to kidsnatch (kidnap) Sophie, who is an orphan from the orphanage. he brought her to his scary world of giants where fat ugly giants always go out at night to countries to find different human beans to eat according to their selection of their food taste. According to this story, human... Read review

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Advantages: A lovely read imagination is well used.
Disadvantages: Story concept could be a litlle frightening for a very young reader.

...I thought I would write my first book review not sure if it will be any good but will try. I have always loved Roald Dahl since being a child his childrens books are fantastic. I have read them all but this one is one of my favourites The BFG or (big friendly giant) to you. Is one that will always stick in my mind and something I believe even children now should read and my daughter has and really enjoyed it. So abit about the author first. WHO IS ROALD DAHL~~~~~~HISTORY~~~~~ I felt this warrented adding as Roald Dahl is sadly no longer with us. His father Harald Dahl moved here to England from Norway around (1900) the turn of the century. Roald was born in 1916 he had four other siblings. They lived in Wales at this time the book Boy wrote by Roald is an account of his childhood. His mother made sure they never forgot... Read review

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