Last updated: July 30, 2026
The BFG tells the story of ten‑year‑old Sophie, who spots the Big Friendly Giant late one night from her orphanage window. Determined to keep his identity a secret, the BFG whisks Sophie away to Giant Country. Although Sophie is frightened at first, she quickly realizes that this giant is gentle, kindhearted, and surprisingly charming. Their friendship grows as Sophie learns about his unusual job: collecting dreams and delivering them to children.
Reading Level
Lexile 720L
Interest Level
Grades 3-8
Length
208 pages
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Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children
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About the Book
Sophie’s presence in the BFG’s cave soon attracts the attention of the other giants — far less friendly creatures who roam the world at night in search of “human beans.” These child‑eating giants pose a serious threat, and Sophie becomes determined to stop them once and for all. She devises a daring plan, but carrying it out requires help from someone with real authority. Sophie must travel to London and convince Queen Victoria to join her mission.
What follows is a humorous, imaginative adventure filled with bravery, teamwork, and clever problem‑solving. Students love the BFG’s silly language, Sophie’s determination, and the unforgettable quest to save children everywhere.
⭐ Book Details
| Publication Date | 1982 |
| Reading Level | Lexile 720L • Scholastic Guided Reading Level U |
| Interest Level | Grades 3–8 |
| Major Awards | 2012 School Library Journal: Best All-Time Children’s Novels (Rank 88) • 2007 Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children (NEA) |
| Length | 208 pages (approx. 68,320 words) |
| Estimated Reading Time | About 4 hours and 33 minutes |
| Audiobook Length | 4 hours, 25 minutes |
| Genre | Fantasy Fiction |
| Setting | Fantasy London • Giant Country |
| Point of View | Third person — the reader knows both Sophie’s and the BFG’s thoughts |
| Themes | Injustice • Morality • Ethics • Appearance • Language • Communication • Friendship • Cunning • Cleverness • The Supernatural • Weakness |
| Memorable Quote | “Two rights don't equal a left.” — and “The witching hour... was a special moment in the middle of the night when every child and every grown-up was in a deep deep sleep, and all the dark things came out from hiding and had the world all to themselves.” |
| First Line | “Sophie couldn't sleep.” |
Activities for The BFG
The BFG Unit Samples
This book unit sample contains the following:
- Vocabulary Practice for Chapters 1-2
- Comprehension Questions for Chapters 1-2
- Constructed Response Question
Teaching Idea #1 – Three Bump Games
These free games will make a great addition to your unit on The BFG. They cover the following:
- literary devices
- characters
- symbols
Full color plus blackline versions are available as well as digital versions created through Google Slides.
Click here to download these three bump games.
Instructions for Playing
- Roll a die to determine which player goes first.
- On a turn, roll two dice.
- Read the sentence that corresponds with the number rolled.
- Place a cube over the correct answer in the bottom boxes.
- If another player’s cube is on that answer, BUMP it off.
- The player takes back the cube and may use it again.
- If your cube is on that answer, link the cubes together and that spot is frozen. This means no other player can bump you.
- If you roll an answer that is not available, this is the end of your turn.
- The winner is the player who uses all his/her cubes first.
Teaching Idea #2 – Watch the Trailer.
Watch the Disney movie version of The BFG. Have students compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the book and the movie.
Teaching Idea #3 – Watch the Animated Movie.
In 1989, The BFG was made into an animated film. This film is full of songs and even won the New York Film Festival for Best Score and Songs. This makes it a great addition to your unit for teaching figurative language. The video below contains the full movie.
Teaching Idea #4 – Anchor Charts
All of the bulletin boards were found on the web. Several came from Pinterest. I have given credit following each photograph that did not lead to a dead link.
This photo comes from Sparklebox in the UK. This is a great website for free printable classroom displays.
Teaching Idea #5 – Bulletin Board Ideas
This is a quick and easy anchor chart to create. Print, cut out, and paste a picture of the BFG or take a few minutes to draw a quick sketch. Students write inner and outer traits on sticky notes and place them on the appropriate side of the BFG forming a T-chart.
This cute idea came from Goldfield Infants’ and Nursery School. It looks like even the little ones love this book.
Teaching Idea #6 – On the Web
Twinkl is a great website for Roald Dahl activities. Students will love the graphics on The Bloodbottler download.
See the product that inspired this post.
The BFG Novel Study includes vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, constructed response writing, and skill practice.
1 comment
Awesome