You can listen to this episode online! 

Sophie's lucky that she's been captured by the BFG, since he's the only giant in the place that doesn't eat humans. In fact, like Sophie, he's an outcast...unlike the other giants, he's big and friendly. The other giants travel around the world at night eating children. The BFG ("Big Friendly Giant") captures dreams, bottles them and then travels the earth blowing sweet dreams into children's head. See—we told you he was different! When Sophie discovers that giants are planning to eat the children of England, she and the BFG cook up an ingenious plot to free the world of guzzle-swallomping kid-eating giants forever!

The BFG was read by Tony Scheinman 
Tony Scheinman is beginning to be a Camel's Hump Radio regular! He also read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer from Season 5. His acting career has included regional productions of Waiting for Godot, Arsenic & Old Lace, Godspell  and My Fair Lady. Off-Broadway, he's appeared as "Falstaff" in Henry IV Pts. 1 & II, and on Broadway itself in Phantom of the Opera and Fiddler on the Roof. His television credits include Henry VIII on the History Channel.

Some of Tony's favorite books include Call It Courage by Armstrong Perry, Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett and The Pyrates by George MacDonald Fraser. 

What do you think?

In a way, our excerpt ends just as the  story starts to unfold—you'll have to read the book to see how it all turns out! For now, here are a few things to ponder:

The BFG kidnapped Sophie because she had seen him. He's afraid that if people knew giants were wandering around at night,  he'd wind up in a zoo. Do you think that's true? Why?

Both Sophie and the BFG are considered outcasts. Why? 

Why did Sophie feel helpless?

What would life be like if you were as big as a giant, or an orphan like Sophie? What would be good about it? What would be bad about it? What would you do differently?

What did you like about the story?

Why do you think the BFG has such a terrible time with the English language? What was your favorite BFG word?

The BFG mixed up a real nightmare. What kind of dream would you want the BFG to mix up for you?

Do you think the BFG and Sophie are heros? Why?

What do you think is the message author Roald Dahl wants you to take away from this book? Do you think there's another important message to consider as well?

Fun & Adventure Beyond the Book

Roald Dahl's official website is incredible!! You'll find games, clips of the author answering questions, photos, interviews...even a clip of an interview with Dahl's daughter about her dad telling her bedtime stories. It's worth a visit just for the illustrations and sound effects!

So you've read every book ever written by Roald Dahl, hmm? See if you can answer these trivia questions. Want to keep playing? Here's another quiz.

Dahl had a difficult childhood, served as a pilot during World War II, and first succeeded as a writer for adults before he began writing children's literature. You can learn more about his life here.

Want to present a play of The BFG? Check out this adaptation for readers' theater.

Wouldn't it be cool to mix up a dream just like the BFG? What kind of dream would you create? Write a recipe for your dream. Have your friends create dream recipes, and make a book of them!

Learn about giants, and then learn a little more about giants.



If You Like This Book, Check Out...

Grace Greene, from the Vermont Department of Libraries, says if you liked The BFG, you'll probably enjoy these books as well:

Other books by Roald Dahl:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Random, 2001. rev. ed.)
Each of five children lucky enough to discover an entry ticket into Mr. Willy Wonka's mysterious chocolate factory takes advantage of the situation in their own way.

Witches (FSG, 1983)
A young boy and his Norwegian grandmother—who is an expert on witches—together foil the witches' plot to destroy the world's children by turning them into mice.

Matilda (Viking, 1988)
Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.

Danny, the Champion of the World (Random, 1975)
A young English boy describes his relationship with his father and the special adventure they share together.

James and the Giant Peach (Knopf, 2002. rev. ed.)
A young boy escapes from two wicked aunts and embarks on a series of adventures with six giant insects he meets inside a giant peach.

Boy (FSG, 1984)
Humorous anecdotes from the author's childhood, including summer vacations in Norway and an English boarding school.

Companion Titles:

Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift (Rand, McNally, 1912)
The voyages of an eighteenth-century Englishman carry him to such strange places as Lilliput, where people are six inches tall, and Brobdingnag, a land peopled by giants.

The Great Quillow, by James Thurber (HBJ, 1994)
Quillow, a tiny toymaker, defeats a ferocious giant named Hunder and saves his town from destruction.

Gregor the Overlander, by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, 2003)
When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, rats, cockroaches and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy.

The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster (Random, 1961)
A journey through a land where Milo learns the importance of words and numbers provides a cure for his boredom.