Wednesday, December 12, 2007

5-14: Boy


Roald Dahl's semi-autobiographical book 'Boy: Tales of Childhood' tells of the author's childhood. It is full of memories of school-life, pranks, holidays and painful experiences.
Now that you have finished reading the book, try this quiz.

How was it?

I'd like to know some of your thoughts about the book. Using the prompts below, add a comment to this post (instructions on the right-hand-side of this page).
1. What was it about the book you enjoyed (characters / situations / style of writing...)
2. Did it make you think / change the way you think / understand something better?
3. Although it was written a while ago, was there anything about the situations / Dahl's responses that you find familiar?
4. What was your favourite incident / most memorable event from the story? Try to explain why it sticks in your mind.
*** remember to sign your name before posting your comment ***
Reading On and the Roald Dahl Website
The sequel to this book is called 'Going Solo'. You can read a review of it here.
The official Roald Dahl website is here.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the experiences of Dahl’s childhood as some of them were funny, scary, sad or happy.

The book made me think how strict it must have been in those days as they got caned and whipped so hard you couldn’t imagine it.

Even though it was written a while ago I found the getting in trouble part quite familiar to now apart from we don’t get whipped or caned.

The experience of Dahl’s childhood that I like most would have to be the great mouse plot. From all the detail that Dahl gives we can se it stuck in his mind to. As Dahl and there friends were being so mischievous and sneaky and as well from the title “The Great Mouse Plot” made me like it even more.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the situations they get into as it makes me feel as if I have been there before .

The book made me think of the consequences of the actions I am making .

I found the great mouse plot quite familiar as the local shops at my bit are quite similar as the shop owner and the assistants didn’t like us .

My most memorable event of the book was the Goat’s Tobacco as it was funny because this random man has just appeared from nowhere and ruining the family’s small traditions and taking the ancient half sister away from the family .

Anonymous said...

The book by Roald Dahl was very good and I think I liked the kid Thwaites the best. I really liked the letters as you couldn’t read them that good. This book didn’t make me change in the way I thought or help me understand something better. I found the Boazers familiar as we have them in Renfrew High school, the only difference is that we call them Prefects and not Boazers. The most memorable thing from the book for me was The Great Mouse Plot as I thought that was the best part from the story.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the situations that Dahl and his friends got them selfs into such as the chapter on "Mrs. Pratchett’s Revenge" when it starts as a good experience and then turns into a bad experience for Dahl

This book made me think that everything that starts of good might not stay good or if it starts of as a bad experience it can sometimes turn bad.

In this book allthough it was written a while ago there are still some things that happen today such as "A Drive In A Motor Car" and "The Sweet Shop".

My favourite incident in this book was "Mrs Pratchtt's Revenge" because the boys all get caned by the headmaster because the horrible Mrs Pratchett made a complaint to the school because the 3 boys and Dahl had put a dead mouse in one of Mrs Pratchett's sweet jar.I think that this particular event stickes in my mind because he Dahl put a lot of emotion in the chapter and it was very dramatic.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed this book because it was really good and it gave you lots of information about his life when he was younger. When he was younger and in school once in a while every boy in his year would get a plain grey cardboard box and in it there would be twelve different chocolate bars. So Charlie and the chocolate factory was probably based on that. I thought that it was a really good book and it was a good decision that he choose his younger life and that he can still remember all his friends names and his teachers names. If i were him i would have never remembered all his brother and sisters names. When he wrote about all those holidays in Norway i wished i was there. My favourite chapter was goats tobacco, it was funny and disgusting didn't really like Mrs Pratchett's revenge because he ended up getting the belt.