Boy: Tales of Childhood – Roald Dahl's True Story (Session 2027-28)

Boy: Tales of Childhood is not a made-up story. It is Roald Dahl's own account of his boyhood, told in short, funny and sometimes painful chapters about sweet-shops, strict teachers, boarding school and a very famous dead mouse. This Puffin paperback has cover illustrations by Quentin Blake, and it makes an excellent real-life reading book for Class 5 to Class 8 students in the 2027-28 session.

Exams Book House, Shop Number 4, Al Fazal Market, Urdu Bazar, Lahore, supplies it with cash on delivery across Pakistan and delivery to the Gulf countries.

Quick facts about this copy

• Title on the cover: Boy – Tales of Childhood
• Author: Roald Dahl · Cover illustrations: Quentin Blake
• Imprint: Puffin
• Kind of book: autobiography (a true story of the author's early life)
• Years it covers: about 1922 to 1929 (the contents page gives the dates)
• First published: 1984
• Session: suitable for 2027-28 reading

What is Boy: Tales of Childhood?

Most people know Roald Dahl for The BFG, Matilda and Charlie. In Boy he goes back to the people and places that shaped those stories. The book follows him from the "starting-point" chapters about his Papa and Mama, through his first school days in a kindergarten in 1922 and 1923, to the cathedral school in Llandaff where he was between the ages of seven and nine, and finally to the boarding school St Peter's, where he lived from the age of nine to thirteen.

The contents page tells you how the book is organised, because the chapters are grouped under school headings with dates and ages. This helps young readers see that the book moves forward in time, from very small events to a more grown-up view of the world.

It is not a gloomy book. Dahl tells most things with a joke. But he does not hide the pain either, and some chapters (the Matron, homesickness, the boil, the headmaster) are as sharp as anything in his children's novels.

Contents of Boy: Tales of Childhood (with page numbers)

The list continues on the next page of the book with the later chapters, which are not shown on our photo.

A closer look at the sections

Starting-point (pages 11 to 26). Two chapters about Dahl's parents and his earliest school days. They give you the background to the rest of the book and are a good place to talk about what childhood was like in the 1920s.

Llandaff Cathedral School (pages 27 to 74). Seven chapters about a boy of seven, eight and nine. Here you will find the sweet-shop and the bicycle, a prank known as the Great Mouse Plot, a teacher called Mr Coombes, the shopkeeper Mrs Pratchett and her "revenge", and also a family holiday to Norway. "The magic island" and "A visit to the doctor" show a gentler and a more frightening side of childhood.

St Peter's (pages 75 to 130 and beyond). The boarding school chapters are the heart of the book for many readers. First day, writing home, homesickness and the Matron describe what it was like to be sent away from the family. Then the book turns funnier again with a drive in the motor-car, a teacher called Captain Hardcastle and the little boy Ellis who has a boil, and ends this section of the list with goat's tobacco.

Who should read Boy?

• Children aged about 10 to 14. The sentences are simple, but the themes are more grown-up than in Dahl's picture-like novels. Class 5 to 8 is the best range.
• Students who think non-fiction is boring. Each chapter is a short story with a beginning, a joke and an end.
• Teachers who want to teach autobiography, recount writing or "my school days" compositions. The chapter names make good models for children's own memories.
• Parents who want to understand the man behind the stories their children already love.

Why read it?

It shows how real life becomes writing. Many of Dahl's later ideas, such as cruel adults, sweets, and the courage of small people, have their roots in the stories told here. It also teaches how to write about your own life with honesty and humour, which is a useful skill for English compositions.

For students whose schools use British-style English, it is also a quiet history lesson about school life nearly a century ago, with its letters home, caning, tuck boxes and long sea journeys.

When and how to use it

Read it slowly, one chapter at a time. After each chapter ask two questions: what happened, and how did the writer feel? Then ask the child to write three sentences about a memory of their own. By the end of the term the child has a mini memoir.

If your child is a reluctant reader, start with "The Great Mouse Plot" on page 35, which is short, funny and shows the tone of the book.

Is Boy suitable for session 2027-28?

Yes, as a general reading and composition book for the 2027-28 session, especially for Classes 5 to 8. If your school has named a different edition or a different set of Dahl books for the session, send us the list on WhatsApp and we will help you pick the right one.

Books to read next

• Going Solo continues Dahl's life story: Africa and the war years.
• Matilda and The Witches show how some of the school and family experiences became fiction.
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a good companion for readers who liked the sweet-shop chapters.

Buy it in Urdu Bazar, Lahore

• Shop: Exams Book House, Shop Number 4, Al Fazal Market, Urdu Bazar, Lahore 54000
• Urdu Bazar Lahore book shop number: 0317 4846676 (call or WhatsApp)
• Open: Monday to Saturday, 9 AM – 9 PM; closed on Sunday
• Delivery: all over Pakistan with cash on delivery, and to the Gulf countries

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Frequently asked questions

Is Boy: Tales of Childhood a good book for 2027-28?

Yes, as a reading and writing model for the 2027-28 session, mainly for Class 5 to 8. Check your school's list for the edition.

Is it fiction?

No. It is Dahl's own account of his childhood, so it is an autobiography, but it reads like a collection of short stories.

Is it suitable for younger children?

Some chapters deal with school discipline and illness. Adults may want to read it first or alongside a Class 4 child, and it is best from Class 5.

How is the contents page organised?

By school: Starting-point, Llandaff Cathedral School (age 7 to 9) and St Peter's (age 9 to 13), with the page numbers shown above.

Can I order by WhatsApp?

Yes. Message 0317 4846676 with the title, your name and address. We deliver across Pakistan with cash on delivery and to the Gulf countries.

Inside the book — contents and sample pages