The BFG – Roald Dahl, Illustrated by Quentin Blake (2027-28)

The BFG by Roald Dahl, with pictures by Quentin Blake, is the story of Sophie, a small orphan who is carried away in the middle of the night by a giant who turns out to be gentle, shy and very bad at talking properly. This Puffin paperback has 23 short chapters, a list of characters and a short note about the author. It is a favourite class novel and read-aloud book for Classes 3 to 6, and this page is written for parents and students choosing books for 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 delivers to the Gulf countries too.

Quick facts about this copy

• Title on the cover: The BFG
• Author: Roald Dahl · Illustrator: Quentin Blake ("Illustrated by Quentin Blake" is printed on the cover)
• Imprint: Puffin (the puffin logo is on the cover)
• Format: paperback novel with line drawings inside
• Parts of the book: List of Characters (page 8), 23 chapters from page 9, and "The Author" on page 204
• First published: 1982
• Session: a good reading book for 2027-28

What is The BFG about?

Sophie cannot sleep. At the witching hour, when everyone else is dreaming, she looks out of the orphanage window and sees a huge cloaked figure walking down the street. He sees her too, and in a moment she is scooped out of bed and carried off to a faraway cave. She expects to be eaten. Instead she finds out that her kidnapper, the BFG, is the only giant in Giant Country who does not eat people, or "human beans" as he calls them.

The BFG spends his nights collecting dreams in jars and blowing them through a trumpet into the bedrooms of sleeping children. The other, much bigger giants are bullies who go out every night to gobble up humans, and the two friends cannot live with that. Sophie's idea for stopping them takes the pair all the way to London and Buckingham Palace, which is where the second half of the book becomes a real adventure with a Queen, a royal breakfast and a plan that needs everybody's help.

It is a story about being small and brave, about friendship between two very different creatures, and about kindness being stronger than size. Because the BFG speaks his own funny language, reading it is also a lesson in how much fun words can be.

Contents of The BFG (with page numbers)

Reading the book in six steps

1. Chapters 1 to 4 (pages 9 to 24) are the night-time opening: the witching hour, the figure in the street, the snatch from the bed and the arrival at the cave. They set up the fear Sophie feels, so they are short and move fast.
2. Chapters 5 to 9 (pages 25 to 63) introduce the BFG himself, the cruel giants who live nearby, his famously large ears and the snozzcumber, the horrible vegetable he has to eat because he refuses to eat humans. The Bloodbottler appears here as one of the bigger bullies.
3. Chapters 10 to 14 (pages 64 to 114) are the funniest stretch. Frobscottle, the fizzy green drink whose bubbles go down instead of up, gives the book its most famous joke. Then comes the trip to Dream Country, the art of dream-catching, a nightmare called a trogglehumper meant for one of the giants, and a long chapter on dreams.
4. Chapters 15 to 17 (pages 115 to 140) are about planning. Sophie and the BFG decide that the only way to stop the giants is to ask for help from someone powerful, mix a special dream, and travel to London.
5. Chapters 18 to 20 (pages 141 to 175) take place at the Palace, with the Queen and a royal breakfast that is quite unlike any other.
6. Chapters 21 to 23 (pages 176 to 203) carry out the plan, with a capture and a feeding time that wrap up the giants' story. "The Author" on page 204 closes the book with a few lines about Roald Dahl.

Who is The BFG for?

Students. The BFG is mostly read between the ages of eight and twelve, which in Pakistani schools usually means Classes 3 to 6. Confident readers in Class 3 enjoy it, and slower readers in Class 5 or 6 find the short chapters easy to manage.

Parents. If you want your child to read in English for pleasure and not only for exams, this is one of the easiest novels to begin with. The chapters are short enough for a bedtime reading of one or two a night.

Teachers. The story is full of material for class work: invented words, character descriptions, dream writing and the contrast between the BFG and the other giants.

Why do so many readers love it?

• The language is playful. The BFG says "human beans" instead of human beings and mixes up words in a way that makes children laugh. It is a gentle introduction to the idea that spelling and word order matter, because the jokes only work when you know the right words.
• The hero is small. Sophie is an orphan, and the story never makes her feel helpless. She thinks, argues and plans.
• The villains are silly and scary in equal parts. The giants have names like Bloodbottler and Fleshlumpeater, but the book never becomes too dark for its age group.
• Quentin Blake's drawings carry half the personality of the book. The giant's big ears and the tiny Sophie give young readers something to look at on nearly every spread.

When should it be read, and how?

Parents can read it aloud to a child in Class 1 or 2 and let the same child read it alone in Class 4 or 5. In a class setting, 23 chapters fit well into a term of short reading periods. To get the most out of it:

• Make a small glossary notebook for the BFG's special words and their normal meanings.
• Ask your child to predict what Sophie will do before turning the page at the start of each part.
• After chapter 12, ask what kind of dream your child would like to catch.
• Finish with a retelling in the child's own words, or a drawing of the Palace scene.

Is The BFG a good choice for session 2027-28?

If your child's English teacher has given a reading list for 2027-28, check whether The BFG is on it and which edition they use. If there is no list, it is a safe, well-loved pick for home reading during the session, and it fits holiday reading as well. We supply the edition we receive; send us your book list on WhatsApp and we will tell you what we can get for you.

Roald Dahl books that go well with it

• Matilda: another child who is smarter than the adults around her, with a headmistress who is as scary as any giant.
• The Witches: darker and better for Class 5 and up.
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: imagination and invention, and also a good first Dahl.
• The Twits and The Magic Finger are shorter, so they are better for younger readers.

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 The BFG right for children in the 2027-28 session?

Yes, as a reading book. Check with your school if the English teacher has named a particular edition for 2027-28.

What age group is it for?

Roughly 8 to 12 years old, which is Classes 3 to 6. Younger children enjoy it when an adult reads it aloud.

Does the book have pictures?

Yes. The cover says it is illustrated by Quentin Blake, and his drawings appear in the book.

How many chapters are there?

Twenty-three chapters, a list of characters at the start and a short piece called "The Author" at the end.

Do you deliver outside Lahore?

Yes, all over Pakistan with cash on delivery, and to the Gulf countries. WhatsApp 0317 4846676 with your name and address.

Inside the book — contents and sample pages