teachers resources

Roald Dahl

NOVEL NOTES
3rd CLASS

READING ZONE
English Language Programme for Primary Schools
Novel Notes
James and the Giant Peach
2012 Folens Publishers
First published in 2012 by:
Folens Publishers,
Hibernian Industrial Estate,
Greenhills Road,
Tallaght,
Dublin 24

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knowledge, information in this book was correct at the time of going
to press. No responsibility can be accepted for any errors.
Contents
Synopsis ________________________________ 1

About the Author ________________________ 2

Objectives ______________________________ 2

Cross-curricular Links _____________________ 3

Suggestions for Classroom Work ___________ 3

Web Links ______________________________ 4

Pre-reading Activities _____________________ 4

Chapter 1 _______________________________ 6

Chapters 2 & 3 __________________________ 7

Chapters 4 & 5 __________________________ 8

Chapters 6 & 7 __________________________ 9

Chapter 8 _______________________________ 10

Chapters 9 & 10 _________________________ 11

Chapter 11 ______________________________ 12

Chapter 12 ______________________________ 13

Chapter 13 _____________________________ 14

Chapter 14 ______________________________ 15

Chapters 15 & 16 ________________________ 16

Chapters 17 & 18 ________________________ 17

Chapters 19 & 20________________________ 18

Chapters 21 & 22 ________________________ 19

Chapter 23______________________________ 20

Chapters 24 & 25 ________________________ 21

Chapters 26 & 27 ________________________ 22

Chapters 28 & 29 ________________________ 23

Chapters 30 & 31 ________________________ 24

Chapters 32 & 33 ________________________ 25

Chapters 34, 35, 36 & 37 _________________ 26

Chapters 38 & 39 ________________________ 27

Book Report Sheet _______________________ 28

Link to Reading Zone James and the Giant Peach
The Talking Horse: Unit 30 - A Lesson in Sharing

Synopsis
James and the Giant Peach
J
ames Henry Trotter lives a happy life until he is four years of age. It is at this age that he
loses his parents who are eaten by an enormous rhinoceros in broad daylight. Following this
incident, James has to live with his two aunts. Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker live in an old
house on a hill which is surrounded by a desolate garden. James is mistreated by his aunts and
as a result is miserable and lonely.

Then one day, a strange thing happens. While James is hiding in the garden a man appears
from nowhere and gives him a handful of green crocodile tongues. James runs to hide them in
a safe place but he falls over and they escape and burrow their way into the ground. This leads
to another strange event. A peach suddenly appears on a barren peach tree in the garden. It
continues growing until it is so big that it touches the ground.

While Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker are initially in shock, they soon devise a plan to make
money from the enormous peach. They build a fence around it and charge people to see it.
While all the excitement is taking place outside, James is locked away in his bedroom. Then at
night, when the crowds have gone home, James is ordered to clean up the rubbish in the garden
that has accumulated from the visitors.

Late one night James finds a secret path into the centre of the peach where he meets a short-
horned grasshopper, a spider, a ladybug, an earthworm, a centipede, a glow-worm and a
silkworm. Together they leave the hillside, knocking over and killing James wicked aunts, and
begin a great adventure together.

On this adventure James becomes the natural leader and a hero. Together, James and the other
creatures experience many wonderful and scary things along the way, such as landing in the sea
and suffering a shark attack, being rescued by seagulls and making enemies of the disgruntled
Cloud-Men who attack the peach relentlessly.

Their amazing journey ends in America. They land high up on top of the Empire State Building
in New York city. Their arrival sends waves of panic throughout the city as an alien invasion
is suspected. However, once they see that James and the creatures are not a threat they bring
them down from the top of the building to safety. A parade is held in the city in their honour.
James and the creatures make a new life for themselves in New York. James converts the stone
from the peach into his new home and welcomes children from far and wide. It is here that he
writes the story of James and the Giant Peach.

Themes and issues addressed in this novel include misfortune, magic, adventure and friendship.

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3rd Class Novel Notes

About the Author

R
oald Dahl is one of the worlds most famous childrens authors. He was born in Wales
in 1916 to Norwegian parents and had a tragic life. Many people close to him died
including, at an early age, his father and elder sister, leaving his mother to raise the
other children alone.
As a child, Dahl loved stories and books. He began writing his own stories for children when his
first born child was old enough to understand them. Some of his most famous novels include
James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, The BFG, The Witches, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
and Fantastic Mr Fox. Many of these stories have won awards and have been made into films.
Dahl died in 1990 aged seventy-four.

Objectives
Curriculum Objectives
The child should be enabled to understand the relationship between
text and illustration; use simple dictionaries effectively, know the
structure and terminology of books, use a knowledge of printing
conventions as an aid to expression and comprehension, engage in
discussion about the book, experience a shared response to fiction
through the use of a class novel.

Learning Outcomes
2 Record events in the story in a reading log.

2 List verbs and nouns found in a selected passage from the book.

2 Write three diary entries from the perspective of one of the characters living in the peach.

2 Compose a poem or song to introduce James to the people of New York.

2 Demonstrate an event from the story using puppets.

2 Create a series of drawings to depict major events in the story.

2 Plan a party that the characters from the story would want to attend.

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James and the Giant Peach

Cross-curricular Links
Gaeilge Drama
Pupils can learn the names of different foods Pupils can work in groups to dramatize
including different fruits and vegetables. different scenes in the book, e.g. James
Colourful posters can be created to display parents being eaten by the rhinoceros,
the new words learned by the class. James living with his aunts, the man with
the green crocodile tongues, meeting the
History creatures inside the peach and so on.
The children can investigate the life of Different dramatic approaches can be
Roald Dahl from a historical perspective. explored, such as still imagery, hot seating
For example, they can create timelines and and conscience alley.
fortune lines, examine what changed in his
life and the causes of these changes. Music
Children can compose music that reflects
Geography the journey that James and his friends
The children can look at forms of transport experienced while travelling on board
and investigate ways to get from England the peach.
to America. Timetables of trains, buses,
flights and ships can be provided to help the
children complete the task.

Suggestions for Classroom Work

2 Keep a reading log for each chapter in the book.

2 Select a paragraph from anywhere in the novel. List all the verbs and the nouns contained in
that paragraph.

2 Imagine you are one of the creatures living in the peach. Write three diary entries about
your adventures.

2 James introduces each of the creatures to the people of New York in a poem/song in
Chapter Thirty-seven. Write a paragraph that introduces James. Use what you know about
how he looks and how he acts to help you.

2 Make puppets of the creatures and act out a scene from the story using the puppets.

2 Make a series of five drawings depicting the major events in the story. Describe each picture
in a short paragraph.

2 Plan a party that the characters from the story would want to attend. Where would they
enjoy going, what kind of food would they want to eat and what would they wear. Write a
description of the type of party you have planned.

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3rd Class Novel Notes

Web Links
Join in the mission to roll James peach around the world:
http://www.followthatpeach.com/

The official Roald Dahl website:

http://www.roalddahl.com/

Link to Roald Dahls Revolting Rhymes:

http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=7428

A resource that explores adapting the novel for the stage:

http://www.watermill.org.uk/uploads/documents/education/40_020009_James_and_the_Giant_
Peach_Education_Pack.pdf?download=true

Website for the illustrator of the novel, Quentin Blake:

http://www.quentinblake.com/en/

Pre-reading Activities

Oral Pre-reading Questions

Chapter 1 Chapter 12
Look at the illustrations in this chapter. What Do you think James will become friends with
do you think the chapter will be about? the creatures in the peach?
Chapters 2 and 3 Chapter 13
Do you think anything will happen to change Do you think James will spend the night in
James life? the peach? Why?/Why not?
Chapters 4 and 5 Chapter 14
What are the green stones, do you think? What do you think will happen in the
morning?
Chapters 6 and 7
Why, do you think, were James aunts Chapters 15 and 16
screaming? Where do you think the peach will roll to?
Chapter 8 Chapters 17 and 18
Do you think the peach will bring good Where might the peach travel to next?
fortune to James aunts? Why?/Why not?
Chapters 19 and 20
Chapters 9 and 10 Who, do you think, will become James
Do you think James will get revenge on his closest friend? Why did you pick that
cruel aunts? Why?/Why not? creature?
Chapter 11
Who, do you think, lives inside the peach?

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James and the Giant Peach

Chapters 21 and 22 Chapters 30 and 31

How do you think James will catch the What do you think James heard?
seagulls?
Chapters 32 and 33
Chapter 23 How do you think they will stop the peach
Where do you think the seagulls will take the from flying?
peach?
Chapters 34, 35, 36 and 37
Chapters 24 and 25 What reaction, do you think, will James and
Why do you think James cried look out? the creatures receive when they land?
Chapters 26 and 27 Chapters 38 and 39
Predict what you think will happen next in Look at the illustrations for the last two
the story. chapters. How do you think the novel will
end?
Chapters 28 and 29
How long, do you think, will the peach
continue to fly for?

Vocabulary
The illustrations in Roald Dahls books were created by Quentin Blake, a well-known illustrator.
These illustrations and the cover of the book can provide a context for building vocabulary. Ask
children to describe each illustration using as many adjectives as they can. Dictionaries and
thesauruses can be used as aids. Further activities include pre-teaching new vocabulary and
adding new vocabulary to the word wall.

Comprehension Activity Sheets

Presented on the following pages are a selection of both
lower and higher order questions for each section of this
novel, which the teacher may choose from.

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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 1

Chapter 1 One
Activity sheet

1. What happened to James parents while they were shopping in

London?

2. Who is James sent to live with?

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3. How is James treated in his new home?

4. Why is James not allowed to leave the garden?

5. What sort of people are Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, do you
think?

6. How, do you think, did James feel when he had to move in with his
two aunts?

7. James is badly mistreated by his aunts. Why, do you think, does

he stay in their house? What are the advantages of staying with
them?

6 NAME: DATE:
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 2

Two & Three Chapters 2 & 3

Activity sheet
1. What is James doing in the garden with his two aunts?

2. Describe Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker.

2
3. What does James request to do with his aunts?

4. What unexpected thing happens that day?

5. How are the tiny green crocodile tongues inside the bag made?

6. Do you think James is scared of the old man?

7. If you were James, what questions would you have asked the man?

NAME: DATE: 7
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 3

Chapters 4 & 5 Four & Five

Activity sheet

1. What does James need to do to the little green crocodile tongues

to get them working?

2. How does James feel when the man leaves him with the bag?

3 3. What happens to the green crocodile tongues when they hit the
ground?

4. What punishment does Aunt Sponge suggest for James?

5. If you were James, what questions would you have liked to ask the
man about the green crocodile tongues?

6. What do you think will happen next in the story?

8 NAME: DATE:
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 4

Chapter XSix & Seven Chapters 6 & 7

Activity sheet
1. What do James aunts see on the peach tree?

2. What do James aunts order him to do?

3. What surprises James aunts about the peach?

4. How does the author describe the peach?

4

5. How, do you think, does Aunt Spiker plan to make money from the
peach?

6. What thoughts are going through James mind when he sees the
enormous peach, do you think?

NAME: DATE: 9
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 5

Chapter 8 Eight
Activity sheet

1. How do James aunts make money from the peach?

2. How much does it cost to see the giant peach?

3. Where is James during all the excitement? Why is he there?

4. Why would James aunts not feed him that day?

5 5. Do Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker remind you of characters from

other stories? Explain your answer.

6. If you were in James situation how would you cope with being
mistreated by Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge, do you think?

10 NAME: DATE:
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 6

Nine & Ten Chapters 9 & 10

Activity sheet
1. How does James feel when he was outside at night?

2. How does the peach feel when James touches it?

3. What did James find inside the peach?

4. If you were James, would you have gone into the peach? Give a
reason for your answer.

5. What makes James go into the peach?

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6. How would Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge react if they knew James
had climbed into the peach?

NAME: DATE: 11
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 7

Chapter 11 Eleven
Activity sheet

1. Name the creatures James finds inside the giant peach.

2. What creatures are sitting on the sofa?

3. What is lying on the floor?

4. Why does James look ill with fear?

5. What does the Centipede need help with?

6. What, do you think, did the creatures mean when they told James he
was one of the crew?

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7. If you were James, would you believe the creatures?

12 NAME: DATE:
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 8

Chapter X Twelve Chapter 12

Activity sheet
1. How many feet does the Centipede have?

2. Why did the Earthworm think he was better off than the
Centipede?

3. How does the Centipede get to be so big?

4. Why does James like the Centipede?

5. Which character would you like to learn more about? Why?

6. Why, do you think, do the creatures have a tough day ahead of

them?

NAME: DATE: 13
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 9

Chapter 13 Thirteen
Activity sheet

1. What type of beds does Miss Spider make?

2. Why is it difficult for James to take off the Centipedes boots?

3. How was James old bed different to his new bed?

4. What noises do the creatures make as they sleep?

5. What did James see on the ceiling?

6. How, do you think, does James feel about spending the night with
the creatures in the peach?

7. Rewrite this scene from the Centipedes point of view.

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14 NAME: DATE:
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 10

Chapter X Fourteen Chapter 14

Activity sheet
1. What is happening when James wakes up?

2. Who is trying to break the peach away from the tree?

3. What do the creatures sing about as the peach begins to move?

4. What effect does the moving peach have on the creatures inside?

5. Are you surprised that James doesnt think about his aunts feelings
before leaving? Give a reason for your answer.

6. If you were travelling in the peach, what things would you like to
see on your journey?

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NAME: DATE: 15
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 11

Chapters 15 & 16 Fifteen & Sixteen

Activity sheet

1. Do Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker seem worried about James? How
do you know?

2. What causes the noise in the garden?

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3. What happens when the peach rolls over James aunts?

4. What obstacles did the peach pass as it travelled downhill?

5. What happens when the peach passes through the factory?

6. Imagine you were asked to give an interview to a newspaper about

what happened when the peach began rolling down the hill. What
would you say to the reporter?

7. Do you think the illustration in chapter sixteen is a good one?

Why?/Why not?

16 NAME: DATE:
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 12

Chapter
Seventeen &XEighteen Chapters 17 & 18

Activity
Activitysheet
1. Why is the journey inside the peach a terrible one for the creatures?

sheet12
2. Where do the creatures predict they are located?

3. Why does the Centipede not want to go upstairs?

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4. Write some adjectives to describe the Earthworm.

5. What would the creatures have done if James had not been there,
do you think?

6. Would you like the diet of the Centipede? Why?/Why not?

7. Write a summary of the journey on the peach so far.

NAME: DATE: 17
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 13
1

Chapters 19 & 20 Nineteen & Twenty

Activity sheet

1. What approaches the peach from the water?

2. Which of the creatures can make string?

3. How does James plan to rescue the peach?

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4. What does the word martyr mean? Write a sentence using the
word.

5. What role, do you think, does James play in the group?

6. Do you think James plan will work? Why?/Why not?

18 NAME: DATE:
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 14

Chapter X
Twenty-one & Twenty-two Chapters 21 & 22

Activity
1. What is the Earthworm afraid of?

Activity
sheet
sheet 12
2. What orders does James give to the creatures?

3. Where is the Earthworm positioned?

4. What makes the sharks attack the peach more furiously? 14

5. Who, do you think, is the biggest hero in this chapter? Explain your
answer.

6. If you were on board the peach, where would you like to go next?

NAME: DATE: 19
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 15

Chapter 23 Twenty-three
Activity sheet

1. How do the creatures celebrate their flight?

2. Why is James worried about the peach?

3. What sort of condition did Miss Spider find the underside of the
peach in?

4. Why were the sharks not able to do much damage to the peach?
15

5. Why, do you think, did the crew of the ship not believe the captain?

6. Imagine you were on the ship when the giant peach flew by. Write a
postcard to your friend about it.

20 NAME: DATE:
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 16

Chapter X
Twenty-four & Twenty-five Chapters 24 & 25

Activity
Activitysheet
1. What causes the creatures to become spellbound?

sheet12
2. What does James learn from the Old-Green-Grasshopper?

3. How are earthworms and ladybirds useful for farmers?

4. What does Aunt Sponge do to Miss Spiders father?

5. Do you think creatures such as Miss Spider and the Earthworm

deserve more respect from humans?
16

6. Imagine you are a spider. Describe a typical day you might have as a
spider.

7. Who is your favourite character in the story so far? Why?

NAME: DATE: 21
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 17

Chapters 26 & 27 Twenty-six & Twenty-seven

Activity sheet

1. How does James try to help the Centipede?

2. Why does the Old-Green-Grasshopper play the Funeral March?

3. How is travelling by aeroplane different to the journey on the

peach?

4. What did the Cloud-Men do?

5. Why, do you think, is the Centipede unkind to the Cloud-Men?

6. If you were one of the other creatures living in the peach how

17 would you feel towards the Centipede?

7. If you were travelling over your area on the peach what things
would you see?

22 NAME: DATE:
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 18

Chapter X
Twenty-eight & Twenty-nine Chapters 28 & 29

Activity sheet
1. In what way do the Cloud-Men make the peachs journey more
difficult?

2. What does the peach collide with?

3. How does the peach become trapped?

4. Describe the appearance of the Cloud-Men.

5. Do you feel sorry for the Centipede when he is covered in paint?

Why?/Why not?

18
6. Do you think a spider could really live for six months upside down
on the ceiling while stuck in paint? Explain your answer.

NAME: DATE: 23
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 19

Chapters 30 & 31 Thirty & Thirty-one

Activity sheet

1. What are faucets?

2. How do the peach and the travellers on it escape the water?

3. How does the Centipede become clean?

4. What sort of activities were the Cloud-Men doing that night?

5. Pick your favourite description from this section of the book.

Say what it is and explain why you like it.

19 6. When morning comes, where will the giant peach and its travellers
be, do you think?

24 NAME: DATE:
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 20

Chapter X
Thirty-two & Thirty-three Chapters 32 & 33

Activity sheet
1. What did James and the creatures see when they looked down?

2. Where are they flying over?

3. How will they lower themselves to the ground?

4. How do the Americans react to the arrival of the peach?

5. Why, do you think, are the people of New York so afraid of the
peach?

6. If you saw a giant peach flying in the sky how would you react?

20

NAME: DATE: 25
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 21
Thirty-four,
Chapters 34, 35, 36 & 37 Thirty-five, Thirty-six
& Thirty-seven
Activity sheet

1. How does the Centipede help the peach to land?

2. What causes the peach to suddenly hit the ground?

3. Where does the peach land?

4. Who first spoke to the Chief of Police on behalf of the visitors?

5. Do you like James descriptions of each of the creatures?

Why?/Why not?

6. Do you think people will like the creatures once they come down to
the ground? Why?/Why not?

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26 NAME: DATE:
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James and the Giant Peach: Comprehension Activity Sheet 22

Chapter X
Thirty-eight & Thirty-nine Chapters 38 & 39

Activity sheet
1. How is the peach lowered to the ground?

2. What does the ticker tape parade involve?

3. Why are children chasing the peach on Fifth Avenue in New York?

4. What do each of the creatures go on to do?

5. How was James life different at the end of the novel to his life at
the start of the novel?

6. What would happen to James today if he lived by himself without a

guardian?

7. Did you like the ending of the novel? Why?/Why not?

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NAME: DATE: 27
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Book Report Sheet
If you dont have enough space to write your answers, use the notes section on the following pages.

Pupils name: Class: Date:

Title of book: Author: Illustrator:

book report sheet

Setting (where the story took place):

List the main characters:

1. 2.

3. 4.

Describe your favourite character:

Describe your favourite part of the story:

This book was: Exciting Boring Complicated

Interesting
( tick all that apply) Slow-moving Imaginative

Scary Fast-paced Amusing

Did you like the book? Why?/Why not?

Grade the book ( Tick one)

Easy to read Just right A little difficult Difficult

Rate the book out of ten: /10

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James and the Giant Peach: Notes

Notes

Notes

NAME: DATE: 29
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