Scan barcode
A review by readingthroughthelists
Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
3.0
Boy is a recommended addition to our 6th grade ELA curriculum, in preparation for writing personal narratives. And the 6th graders have indeed enjoyed hearing little snippets so far--Dahl is very descriptive, and irreverent in a way that kids appreciate.
The book is also extremely readable. Dahl breezes through moments of his childhood that were significant to him, mostly his school days. The takeaway seems to be generally that English boarding schools in the 1920s-30s were a terrible place--Dahl, at least, has no fond memories of them. And the lengthy descriptions of corporal punishment and the easily-exploited power imbalance between older and younger students are what push the book slightly out of the realm of a class read-a-aloud.
I, for one, wouldn’t want to read a chapter called “Fagging” to my middle school students, no matter what the context was at the time.
The book is also extremely readable. Dahl breezes through moments of his childhood that were significant to him, mostly his school days. The takeaway seems to be generally that English boarding schools in the 1920s-30s were a terrible place--Dahl, at least, has no fond memories of them. And the lengthy descriptions of corporal punishment and the easily-exploited power imbalance between older and younger students are what push the book slightly out of the realm of a class read-a-aloud.
I, for one, wouldn’t want to read a chapter called “Fagging” to my middle school students, no matter what the context was at the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Child abuse