Reviews

The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams

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meli0207's review

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5.0

Very nice and very heartwarming, very easy to read and yet complex! One of my favorite books

buzzinfly's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Content Warnings

What Walliams thinks is humour is actually just mean spiritedness. Sad that this book was ever considered progressive given how backward it is. Very sad that given how backward it is, it’s being read to H in school.

claire_84's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

2.0

laurennlesliex's review

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This is the first time I’ve read a David Walliams book in a while (since I was a child) and the first time I have finished a book in one sitting in a while. The book was very easy to read and I really enjoyed it. It follows a boy called Dennis who’s mom leaves the family, his dad is severely depressed and Dennis and his brother John who are trying to keep his dad's spirits up. Dennis is a brilliant footballer and is always very fascinated in women’s clothes (I think either curiosity brings him to women’s clothes as his mom isn’t around or it’s just genuinely always been who he is) and when the popular girl in school, Lisa, finds out his secret, she makes a dress for him and he wears it to school pretending to be an exchange student. It all comes out in the end and he is expelled from school and he can no longer play in the football game that the whole team knows they will lose without Dennis. At the game, the rest of the football team come to the pitch in dresses in protest to let Dennis play. Dennis’s dad comes to the game to support his son and accepts that he likes wearing dresses. They let Dennis play, they win the game and he is allowed back to school and dad isn’t so depressed anymore.

This book is such a good story for young people, especially children, to read and I am glad to read a children’s book that shows so much acceptance to a boy wearing a dress. It will teach children to be more open minded and accept everyone for who they really are regardless of gender identity, sexuality, or what they decide to wear. We are all the same and I think this is a very important message that needs to be shown more to children of this generation. I will be reading this to my children and spreading the word as much as possible.

chelseamayxxx's review

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adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is such a good book as it teaches children they can do anything they put their mind to and they can be whoever they want in a good way. I felt sorri for this boy in this story with how his life was with his dad and brother it was so to read. I really like it when he meet his new friend and she brought the other side in him out. The ending was such a lovely ending as the little boy got his dad and brother back and his dad ended up being the dad he so desperately needed. David knows how to right a children’s book xxx