James and the Giant Peach

James and the Giant Peach was written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. This chapter book is a fantasy novel written for children from ages 8 and up. The book was published by Puffin and reissued in 2011. The main theme of this book is friendship can be found anywhere. The main character of this book is James Henry Trotter. He lives with his two aunts, after his parents were killed, who are incredibly horrible to him. One day he meets a man who gives him a bag of magical crystals, which he accidently spills on his aunts' withered peach tree. When that tree starts growing a single peach, it grows bigger and bigger. When James climbs into the peach it rolls away and into the sea. While inside the peach he discovers that he is sharing his new-found home with gargantuan insects. He befriends them and they become like a new family to him. This book is another really great story for students transitioning from picture books to chapter books.