You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
Book One of my 24 hour READATHON Gratitude edition (originally created by Zoë from ReadbyZoe)
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read this to my eight-year-olds, who were very invested in the storyline. I found the relationship between Danny and his father to be very sweet, especially at the end. I didn't know what to expect from this book going into it, never having read it as a child, so the poaching storyline was a surprise to me. The resolution was clever (they got away with it, but didn't totally win out). We have read a number of Raold Dahl books in a row now, and this is the most true-to-life, despite being larger-than-life in some ways. The relationships in this one really ring true.
Because so many Young Adult stories center on the child finding their independence, the parent child relationship is so often forgotten.
Not here. Oh no. Definitely not here.
Danny the Champion of the World is 224 pages of hyper concentrated bonding. The text even has a post script reminding parents to be open and honest with their children.
And you know what? It works. It works really well.
Danny's father is an instant classic. He's firm and nurturing, kind and serious, playful and intentional. There is a fire hose of love flowing to Danny that is impossible to ignore. He's the father that every kid dreams of.
Perhaps Dahl's greatest achievement in the creation of this platonic paragon of fatherhood, is the rough edges. He is no Gary Stu. Danny's father is irrational and human. He makes mistakes. And you love him even more.
Roald Dahl Is at his best when creating worlds that kids want to be a part of. And he is never better than Danny the Champion of the World.
Not here. Oh no. Definitely not here.
Danny the Champion of the World is 224 pages of hyper concentrated bonding. The text even has a post script reminding parents to be open and honest with their children.
And you know what? It works. It works really well.
Danny's father is an instant classic. He's firm and nurturing, kind and serious, playful and intentional. There is a fire hose of love flowing to Danny that is impossible to ignore. He's the father that every kid dreams of.
Perhaps Dahl's greatest achievement in the creation of this platonic paragon of fatherhood, is the rough edges. He is no Gary Stu. Danny's father is irrational and human. He makes mistakes. And you love him even more.
Roald Dahl Is at his best when creating worlds that kids want to be a part of. And he is never better than Danny the Champion of the World.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I never read much Dahl when I was a kid. I remember being completely enchanted by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, but I also remember (vividly - we were in the car on a family trip to the US) talking to my mom about Roald Dahl's wonderful imagination and way with words, and all she said to me was, "Yes, such a wonderful imagination. He was anti-Semitic, you know," and the anger with which she said it stayed with me whenever I looked at another one of his books, so I stopped reading them. It wasn't a conscious decision or anything. Anyway, Wikipedia tells me that he had some dickish things to say about Jews, it's true, but as he's now dead, I don't see the harm in catching up on some childhood classics. This one never really grabbed me, and it seemed to employ a bit of doublethink about these "wonderful, beautiful, birds, thank goodness they were smart enough to fly away and avoid being shot, but also, let's kill and eat these unlucky ones here," but I guess all of us so-called caring creatures who can't quite bring ourselves to go vegetarian have to do the same thing, so why get worked up about it? Anyway, decent book. Easy read. Didn't grab me. Moving on.
Whole passages of this book were word-for-word from Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life by Roald Dahl and since I just read that one, it was weird. But still a sweet book.