The BGF, short for ‘the big friendly giant’, is a children’s book written by renowned British novelist Roald Dahl in 1982. The excitement kicks start when a giant who is as friendly as his name suggests teams up with a young orphan called Sophie to save the kids of England from a man-gobbling squad of his kind.

In this book Dahl introduces his young readers to a new world of vocabulary with make-up words like ‘scrumdiddlyumptious’ and ‘frobscottle’. Why are most readers still able to grasp the idea of these words well, if not better than actual ones? Can you make up a word that other people understand too? The BGF explains that he mixes up words because he didn't go to school. Does his justification change the way you think about schooling?

The BGF does not seem to blend in well with the other giants. In which ways is his personality and beliefs different from others of his kind? How is that related to the bullying he experiences? Do you think he reacted well to the bullies? How would you have dealt with it if you were in his shoes? 

With the help of the Queen, Sophie and the BGF successfully halt the evil plans of the other giants. Why is the Queen’s role important for the plot? How do the giants’ greed and thirst for humans essentially result in their downfall? Is this the best punishment for them, and why do you think so?