2016 marks 100 years since the birth of Roald Dahl—the world’s number one storyteller. There will be celebrations for Roald Dahl 100 throughout 2016, delivering a year packed with gloriumptious treats and surprises for everyone.
Roald Dahl said, “
If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
The Roald Dahl Literary Estate believes in doing good things. That’s why ten percent of all Roald Dahl income goes to charity partners.
In honor of Roald Dahl's 100th birthday, Penguin Young Readers will publish new collectible hardcovers editions of some of Roald Dahl's beloved stories on September 6, 2016, including
Matilda,
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator,
Fantastic Mr. Fox, and
James and the Giant Peach. Here's a look at the new covers:
I've loved Roald Dahl's stories since the very first time I picked up
Matilda as a kid, and I find that as an adult, I might love them even more, especially because I have the opportunity to share them with my own daughter. The wonderful people at Penguin and Wunderkind PR sent me a copy of
James and the Giant Peach to review, so I've got our thoughts below, plus more about Roald Dahl and the 100 Year Celebration, along with a giveaway.
Title: James and the Giant Peach
Author: Roald Dahl
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Puffin Books
Publication Date: February 11, 2016 (first published 1961)
Source: paperback received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon |
Barnes & Noble
Phizzwhizzing new cover look and branding for the World's NUMBER ONE Storyteller!
James Henry Trotter lives with two ghastly hags. Aunt Sponge is enormously fat with a face that looks boiled and Aunt Spiker is bony and screeching. He's very lonely until one day something peculiar happens. At the end of the garden a peach starts to grow and GROW AND GROW. Inside that peach are seven very unusual insects - all waiting to take James on a magical adventure. But where will they go in their GIANT PEACH and what will happen to the horrible aunts if they stand in their way? There's only one way to find out . . .
"A true genius . . . Roald Dahl is my hero" - David Walliams
Now you can listen to James and the Giant Peach and other Roald Dahl AUDIOBOOKS read by some very famous voices, including Kate Winslet, David Walliams and Steven Fry - plus there are added squelchy soundeffects from Pinewood Studios!
Also look out for new Roald Dahl apps in the App store and Google Play- including the disgusting TWIT OR MISS! and HOUSE OF TWITS inspired by the revolting Twits.
It's not every day that you read a story of a boy orphaned when his parents were killed by a rampaging rhinoceros. I've always loved how imaginative the story of
James and the Giant Peach is, and I really loved the movie adaptation, but there is just something about sharing the story with a child that can't compare.
This was by no means our first time reading
James, but I think it was the first time Katie was able to contribute to the reading, which made it all the more special. It's amazing how much heart and spirit Roald Dahl put into this book. It's a timeless story of triumph and perseverance, and it will always be a favorite of mine...and now Katie's.
When I asked her what her favorite part of the story was, she told me that it was when the peach crashed through the fence to flatten the evil aunts. And I don't think I could honestly pick a better favorite scene from the story either.
GIF it to me straight:
About the author:
Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. In 1951, Roald Dahl met his future wife, the American actress Patricia Neal, who starred in films including The Day the Earth Stood Still, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Hud, for which she won an Oscar. After establishing himself as a writer for adults, Roald Dahl began writing children's stories in 1960 and wrote two of his best-known novels, James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in the U.S.
In September 1964, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was published initially in the U.S. with the U.K. following a few years later. It would go on to become one of the most famous and best-known of Roald's stories. The idea for the story grew out of his own well-documented love of chocolate and his school-day memories of acting as a taster for a famous chocolate factory. These first stories were written as entertainment for his own children, to whom many of his books are dedicated.
Today, Roald Dahl’s stories are available in 58 languages and have sold more than 200 million books. With more than 40 million Roald Dahl books in print in the U.S. alone, Dahl is considered one of the most beloved storytellers of our time and his popularity continues to increase as his fantastic novels, including James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delight an ever-growing legion of fans.
Find Roald:
Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube
a Rafflecopter giveaway
ROALD DAHL 100 CELEBRATORY BLOG TOUR
September 6 -
Lost In Lit - The Witches Feature - Revisiting The Witches as an adult
September 8 -
Cuddlebuggery - Quentin Blake's Illustrations of Roald Dahl's Books Feature
September 9 -
Paper Cuts - The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me Excerpt
September 10 -
Novel Novice - George's Marvelous Medicine Excerpt
September 11-
Who R U Blog - Charlie and the Glass Elevator Feature - Trivia
September 12 -
The Book Swarm - Danny, The Champion of the World Excerpt
September 12 -
Book Belles - James and the Giant Peach Feature - Book to Movie
September 13 - Roald's birthday! -
Mundie Kids - The BFG Review
September 13 - Roald's birthday - I Am A Reader - James and the Giant Peach Excerpt
September 13 -
The Novel Life -
Lessons that Roald Dahl has taught me feature
September 17 -
Book Briefs - Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
September 17 -
Andi's ABCs - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Feature - ABCs
Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was one of the world’s most imaginative, successful and beloved storytellers. He was born in Wales of Norwegian parents and spent much of his childhood in England. After establishing himself as a writer for adults with short story collections such as Kiss Kiss and Tales of the Unexpected, Roald Dahl began writing children's stories in 1960 while living with his family in both the U.S. and in England. His first stories were written as entertainment for his own children, to whom many of his books are dedicated.
Roald Dahl’s first children’s story, The Gremlins, was a story about little creatures that were responsible for the various mechanical failures on airplanes. The Gremlins came to the attention of both First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who loved to read the story to her grandchildren, and Walt Disney, with whom Roald Dahl had discussions about the production of a movie.
Roald Dahl was inspired by American culture and by many of the most quintessential American landmarks to write some of his most memorable passages, such as the thrilling final scenes in James and the Giant Peach - when the peach lands on the Empire State Building! Upon the publication of James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl began work on the story that would later be published as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and today, Roald Dahl’s stories are available in 58 languages and, by a conservative estimate, have sold more than 200 million copies.
Roald Dahl also enjoyed great success for the screenplays he wrote for both the James Bond film You Only Live Twice in 1967 and for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, released one year later, which went on to become a beloved family film. Roald Dahl’s popularity continues to increase as his fantastic novels, including James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, delight an ever-growing legion of fans.
Two charities have been founded in Roald Dahl’s memory: the first charity, Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, created in 1991, focuses on making life better for seriously ill children through the funding of specialist nurses, innovative medical training, hospitals, and individual families across the UK.
The second charity, The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre – a unique cultural, literary and education hub – opened in June 2005 in Great Missenden where Roald Dahl lived and wrote many of his best-loved works. 10% of income from Roald Dahl books and adaptations are donated to the two Roald Dahl charities.
On September 13, 2006, the first national Roald Dahl Day was celebrated, on what would have been the author’s 90th birthday. The event proved such a success that Roald Dahl Day is now marked annually all over the world. September 13, 2016 is Roald Dahl 100, marking 100 years since the birth of the world’s number one storyteller. There will be celebrations for Roald Dahl 100 throughout 2016, delivering a year packed with gloriumptious treats and surprises for everyone.
*Excerpted from NPR’s November 14, 2013 interview with Lucy Dahl, “Roald Dahl Wanted His Magical Matilda To Keep Books Alive”
Lucy: “I remember waking up in the night and going to the bathroom and seeing the glow of the light in the little [writing] hut while it was still dark outside.
“His hut was a sacred place. ... We were all allowed to go in there, but we only disturbed him when we absolutely needed to because he used to say that his hut was his nest. You would walk in and the smells were so familiar — that very old paper from filing cabinets. And he sat in his mother's old armchair and then put his feet up on an old leather trunk, and then on top of that he would get into an old down sleeping bag that he would put his legs into to keep him warm.
“He then had a board that he made that he would rest on the arms of the armchair as a desk table and on top of that he had cut some billiard felt that was glued on top of it, and it was slightly carved out for where his tummy was. When he sat down ... the first thing he did was get a brush and brush the felt on his lap desk so it was all clean.
“He always had six pencils with an electric sharpener that he would sharpen at the beginning of each session. His work sessions were very strict — he worked from 10 until 12 every day and then again from 3 until 5 every day. And that was it. Even if there was nothing to write he would still, as he would say, ‘put his bottom on the chair.’"
Thursday, September 8, 2016
{Blog Tour} Reading Without Walls
Welcome to my stop on the Reading Without Walls Blog Tour! Per the publisher:
I am a big proponent of influencing children to become STEM students and nurturing their love of science and math and all things technology into something great. And that includes my own kiddo. Not that I really have to do anything more than put her on the right path because she's naturally very curious and industrious. ;0)
For my stop, my daughter and I are discussing Paths & Portals (our review is below) and chatting about STEM titles in general and what they mean to (and for) kids.
Author: Gene Luen Yang & Mike Holmes (illustrator)
Series: Secret Coders, book #2
Publisher: First Second
Publication Date: August 30, 2016
Source: received from publisher for review
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
I sat Katie down to read Paths & Portals one evening while I was cooking dinner. One of her nightly assignments is to read for 20 minutes, and I thought that this book would last her all week and then she could help me review it. But she loved it so much that she read it all in one sitting! She's already shown quite the interest in coding -- which is why we're looking at getting her this for Christmas -- so it really shouldn't have been any surprise how easily this story captured her attention.
This book is a graphic novel, which isn't altogether my favorite format for reading, but I knew it would probably interest Katie even more than her usual reads because it was illustrated. And she agreed that it was definitely more fun to read than a regular novel. Katie also had fun pointing out that it was utilizing subject matter that she was already learning in school, such as rounding and patterns/repetition.
We both enjoyed the fact that Hopper is a girl who codes because it shows that anyone can code and that it's fun for both boys and girls. Katie said, "I liked the girl the best because she was kinda nerdy and basically always happy. She showed that girls can code, too. She actually does most of the coding, creating commands to make a robot do what she wants, even her homework."
And the fun thing is, you don't have to read the first book in this series to read this one, but Katie's already asking to read it AND when the next book comes out. And I just know that my nephews are going to want to borrow her copies because it's already a subject they enjoy and relate to.
I'm so proud that Katie is already of the mind that girls can do anything they set their minds to, but I'm even more excited about her love of all things science and technology. She's constantly asking for science kits and loves watching the girls of Project Mc² and visiting Minecrafters coding on their YouTube channels.
But she also loves that there are increasingly more STEM titles being made available for kids. She says that having these kinds of books makes it easier for kids to get into those activities, and I have to agree that they definitely make the subject more accessible. Not every kid starts off as science- and technology-minded as Katie, but books like these are a great start.
Check out what others are saying about Secret Coders: Paths & Portals and then be sure to follow the rest of the Reading Without Walls Blog Tour:
September 2: Samantha at Forest of Words and Pages
Monday, September 5, 2016
{Blog Tour} Roald Dahl 100 Year Celebration & Giveaway #roalddahl100
2016 marks 100 years since the birth of Roald Dahl—the world’s number one storyteller. There will be celebrations for Roald Dahl 100 throughout 2016, delivering a year packed with gloriumptious treats and surprises for everyone.
Roald Dahl said, “If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
The Roald Dahl Literary Estate believes in doing good things. That’s why ten percent of all Roald Dahl income goes to charity partners.
In honor of Roald Dahl's 100th birthday, Penguin Young Readers will publish new collectible hardcovers editions of some of Roald Dahl's beloved stories on September 6, 2016, including Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and James and the Giant Peach. Here's a look at the new covers:
I've loved Roald Dahl's stories since the very first time I picked up Matilda as a kid, and I find that as an adult, I might love them even more, especially because I have the opportunity to share them with my own daughter. The wonderful people at Penguin and Wunderkind PR sent me a copy of James and the Giant Peach to review, so I've got our thoughts below, plus more about Roald Dahl and the 100 Year Celebration, along with a giveaway.
Author: Roald Dahl
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Puffin Books
Publication Date: February 11, 2016 (first published 1961)
Source: paperback received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
It's not every day that you read a story of a boy orphaned when his parents were killed by a rampaging rhinoceros. I've always loved how imaginative the story of James and the Giant Peach is, and I really loved the movie adaptation, but there is just something about sharing the story with a child that can't compare.
This was by no means our first time reading James, but I think it was the first time Katie was able to contribute to the reading, which made it all the more special. It's amazing how much heart and spirit Roald Dahl put into this book. It's a timeless story of triumph and perseverance, and it will always be a favorite of mine...and now Katie's.
When I asked her what her favorite part of the story was, she told me that it was when the peach crashed through the fence to flatten the evil aunts. And I don't think I could honestly pick a better favorite scene from the story either.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, May 13, 2016
A Beautiful Rediscovery of Fairy Tale Classics by the Brothers Grimm
Author: Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm
Narrator(s): Jim Dale, Janis Ian, Alfred Molina, Katherine Kellgren
Series: n/a
Length: 3 hrs 39 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: May 10, 2016
Source: audiobook for review from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
Even though I know that these are all classic tales, I feel like I'm reading them for the first time, like they've been reinvented with a grown-up me in mind: dark and macabre and grotesque. But that's probably because I grew up with the watered-down Disney versions for the most part. Not that I haven't read my fair share of these sometimes bloody lessons in morality, but I love having them all in one place like this, and narrated by such a fabulous all-star cast.
I love the narration of these stories. This collection kicks off with the incomparable Katherine Kellgren reciting Rapunzel and her performance is perfection. She really nails that witch. And January LaVoy delivers a heart-breaking rendition of Cinderella. Her narration always features so many varied voices and emotions. As does Jim Dale's, whose account of Rumplestiltskin is on par for what I expect from such a talented narrator. From the delightfully whimsical to the perfunctory yet magical performances, this well-rounded cast lends the perfect voice to each of these tales.
The musical interludes between each tale were lovely and magical and added just that extra something to the collection. I would love to have these tales bound up with that artwork from the cover to share with my daughter, but I know she'll love this audiobook just the same...when she's read for such grim tales. ;)
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
{Blog Tour} Reading at the Kids Table: Max the Brave by Ed Vere + Giveaway
For our stop, Katie and I both share our thoughts on the book below. We've read the book several times together already, and I swear each and every time, Katie couldn't help but say, "Awwwwww!!! He's so cute!"
But before we get to her actual thoughts on the story, here's a little about the book:
Author: Ed Vere
Series: Max
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication Date: September 8, 2015
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Jen's thoughts: Max the Brave was absolutely adorable. The story and illustrations were simple and appealing, with vibrant colors that were very eye-catching and pictures that just popped on the page. It was a bit on the younger side for my little reader -- who's 7 and reading at twice the level as her classmates -- but we both enjoyed it all the same. I love that it's a story about a kitty trying to be big and brave, only to discover that sometimes life is more about knowing who and when to trust rather than simply being brave. It had a very Are You My Mother? vibe, but I have to admit, I much preferred this book and it's simplistic illustrations, besides the fact that it focused on an adorable kitty who dislikes bows. =) We'll definitely be checking out the rest of Ed Vere's work!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I hope you and your little one are brave like Max and take on this adorable little adventure! Here are some other resources for you and your little reader:
Max the Brave website
Max the Brave activity kit
Max the Brave educator kit
Current Giveaways
A Starry-Eyed Prize Pack!
Subscribe by Email
Follow Via Bloglovin
Follow Jen on Instagram
Jen's Currently Reading
Sabrina's Currently Reading
2019 Reading Challenge
Followers
Search This Blog
Ratings
Twitter
Quotes We ♥
Blog Archive
Labels
About Me
-
starryeyedjen
- I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
View my complete profile