Big Sister Help

By Roald Dahl

Illustrated by Quentin Blake

(Paffin Books, 1989)

Snatched from her bed in the middle of the night by a giant, young orphan Sophie begins the adventure of a lifetime. Together with the BFG, the Big Friendly Giant, Sopie devises a plan to rid the world of the nasty giants whose favorite pastime is feasting upon humans- especially young children.

by Stephanie Willett-Smith

Journal Topics Worth Jabbeling About

Encourage students to reflect on and react to sections of The BFG by responding to the following thought provoking journal questions:

Chapter 3: How would you react if you were whisked away by a giant in the middle of the night? What would you say to the Giant?

Chapter 7: How did Sopie feel about the orphanage and Mrs. Clonkers? Were Sophie's feelings about the orphanage justified? Why or Why not?

Chapter 10: How would you react if someone offered you a drink of frobscottle?

Chapter 14: Imagine you're able to become invisible by pushing a button on your stomach. Write a short story describing what your day would be like.

Chapter 19: Do you believe dreams can come true? Why or why not?

Chapter 24: What do you think of the Queen's decision to imprison the nine nasty giants? How would you have dealt with the Giants?

Before Reading: Thanks to Jack and his beanstalk, many children assume that all giants are mean. Sophie was no different. But then she hadn't read some of today's picture books. Give students an opportunity to expand their views of giants by comparing some literacy giants. First gather several picture books that feature a giant as a main character (see the list below for suggestions). Next cut out, label, and mount two large foot patterns on a bulletin board. Give students a picture book. Instruct each to read the story, list the personality characteristics of the featured giant, and write a short summary of the story. Then have the student decide if the giant is a friend, a foe, or some combination of both. Share the conclusions and a short summary of the stories with each other, write the giant's name on the appropriate patterns(s). Finally introduce The BFG as a story that features both types of giants.

Picture Books About Giants

Abiyoyo: Based On A South African Lullaby & Folk Story by Pete Seeger, Macmillan Publishing Company, 1986

Fin M'Coul, The Giant of Knockmany Hill by Tomie dePaola; Holiday Hpuse, Inc.; 1981

The Great Quillow by James Thurber, Harcourt Brace & Company, 1994

The Hungry Giant Of The Tundra retold by Teri Sloat, Dutton Children's Books, 1993

The Mysterious Giant of Barletta adapted by Tomie dePoala; Haracourt Brace & Company, Publishers; 1988

Chapter 8 "Snozzcumbers":The BFG described a snozzcumber as an "ickypoo" vegetable. Similarly he called things that were good to eat "happy eats." Duplicate the Food Guide Pyramid and have the student(s) list his or hers favorite five happy eats and five least favorite, or icky-poo, foods. Then have the student categorize each happy eat and icky poo food into one of the Food Guide Pyramid groups.

Chapter 12 "Dream-Catching": Challenge your student(s) to design their own dream-catcher. First have the student sketch a blueprint of their dream-catcher onto newsprint. Then direct the student to write a descriptive paragraph detailing the special features and components of their dream-catcher. Instruct each student to explain:

why they selected certain materials to make the dream-catcher
how their dream-catcher works
what types of deams it catches
where an individual must go to use the dream-catcher

Provide each student with craft materials and have them construct a model of their dream-catcher. Invite them to share their blueprint, description, and dream-catcher model with everyone. Then display the models and descriptions under the title "Dream-Catcher Gallery."

Chapter 16 "Mixing The Dream": Sopie and the BFG combine different parts of several dreams to create one "knotty plexicated" dream for the Queen of England. Invite your students to mix together their imaginations and creative-writing skills to devise new dreams. Review the story elements characters, time, place, problem, and resolution with your students. Then label each of four bags with one of the first four of these elements. Provide each student with four 2" x 6" paper strips and direct them to label their strips in the same manner.

Instruct each student to recall the setting (time and place), the characters, and the problem of a dream they have had. Then direct the students to summarize each element of their dreams on the appropriate strip. Gather the strips into their matching bags. Shake the bags and allow each student to remove one strip from each bag. Have each student use and embellish the information on the strips they pulled to write an entirely new dream. Be sure to have the student add their own resolution to the story told in the dream. Finally invite each student to share her plexicated dream with the rest of the class.

Character Analysis: The BFG contains characters whom we love to despise as well as characters who warm our hearts. but not all literary characters are so easy to judge. Illustrate this point by reading aloud Rude Giants by Audrey Wood (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers). As students listen, have them list the characters traits of the two giants. then have them go back and circle the positive character traits.

Extend the activity further by asking students, "Can characters posses both desirable and undesirable traits?" Challenge each student to think of a favorite character from another story who has both good and not-so-good personality traits. Direct them to cut out a body figure from both dark- and light colored paper and glue the two patterns back-to-back. Instruct them the students to write the character’s name and list their positive traits on the light side, then list the character’s negative traits on the dark side. Using a hole puncher, put a hole in the top of each pattern’s head. Hang the patterns from a mobile.

Culminating Activity: Author Roald Dahl turns wordplay into an art form. In some instances, Dahl combines known words to invent a new word. For example, by combining catastrophe together with disastrous he creates catasterous. Have your students find other examples in the story. Direct each student to record each example as well as the words that were combined to make the new word.

Point out that Dahl also uses jabberwocky, or words that have no meaning, such as flushbunking. Illustrate the concept of jabberwocky by sharing Lewis Carroll’s poem "Jabberwocky" with your students. Next compare examples of jabberwocky from the poem and from The BFG (see sample list below). Have each student locate and share additional examples of jabberwocky from the story. Then challenge each student to write their own poem or prose about their family using invented words and jabberwocky from The BFG. After each student has shared his writing, bind all the writings into a book titled "Scrumdiddlyumptious Poems and Stories."

Invented Words From The BFG

babblement = babble + argument (Ch.5)
fifthsome = filthy + loathsome (Ch. 9)
disgustive = disgusting + repulsive (Ch. 15)
gigantuous = gigantic + enormous (Ch. 20)
delumptious = delicious + scrumptious (Ch. 20)

Jabberwocky from The BFG

snozzcumber (Ch. 8)
frobscottle (Ch. 10)
grobsquiffler (Ch. 11)
whoppsy (Ch. 15)
slushbungle (Ch. 21)

Credits:

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