Boy: Tales of Childhood

a heartwarming tale

Full of delightful stories that will draw from the reader both giggles and tears, Boy is a book that should not be missed. In it, Roald Dahl frames the narrative with his years at English boarding schools though it's not only about the different schools. The reader learns much about this great writer's family and, most enjoyably, about some of the experiences he later based his most beloved books on. Visit Llandaff Cathedral School and the sweets shop run by Mrs. Pratchett where the Great Mouse Plot of 1924. Take a trip with the Dahl family during the summer holidays to their homeland of Norway (especially that one summer when Roald stuffs his half-sister's fiancee's pipe with something that was not quite tobacco). Learn about the awful Boazers and their cruel treatment of the Fags (the poor boys under their command). Take a trip back in time to the first half of Twentieth Century England with Roald Dahl and come out in the end feeling like you've just spent several hours with an old, very dear friend. If you're familiar with the novels and short stories of Mr. Dahl, you'll be especially delighted with Boy - Tales of Childhood. The reader will find himself or herself in disturbingly familiar situations that itch at the brain until finally the light dawns and the connection is made. If you're anything like me, you'll find yourself shouting out the names of the stories that come to mind when it clicks! I won't tell you which stories I mean. You'll have to read this excellent book for yourself.

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Simply The Best

This book was awesome! I was so happy to read it to find out what Roald's life was about! I laughed, i cried! Everyone who loves Roald should read it!

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The Story behind the mind of the Author

A Great book revealing Roald Dahl's boy-hood. Being one of my favourite authors it was quite an interesting journey. It also teaches you about their culture, life-style and and the hardships children had to go through back then.

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THE BEST

ONE OF DAHLS BEST YET!! OUT STADING AND VERY FUNNY, HEARS A BOOK THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER PICKING UP AT ANY TIME.

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Very Good Book. I thought it kicked!

I thought this book was excelent funny and awesome to read. I definetly recomend picking it up!

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Entertaining autobiography

I'm not much of a biography reader, but a long time ago I read a somewhat autobiographical short story by Roald Dahl in his collection The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More---I believe it was called "A Piece of Cake." It was so fantastic, so funny, that I've actually been wanting to read more about Dahl's life ever since. While this was enjoyable, certainly more enjoyable than many other biographies I've read, the tone was a little too avuncular for my taste. Much of the spice and outrageous humor I remember from "A Piece of Cake" is missing. That said, I did enjoy the glimpses he offered of Norway, British boarding schools, and a child's life at the start of the 20th century.

Roald Dahl's childhood memories that gave him his story ideas

Boy, by Roald Dahl, is a book about his childhood memories as a boy growing up in England and Wales. He started his school years by going to a public school, but left after getting in trouble for scaring a sweet shop owner and getting punished. He left the school in Wales because his mother didn't like how he was punished so she took him out after him term was over. He went to an English prep school from then on and only got in trouble once more and became a successful student. Roald Dahl was Norwegian, every summer holiday they went to Norway to visit his grandparents and travel to "a magic island" off the coast of Norway, which was the thing he looked forward to each summer. His whole family went, his half brother, his half sister, his two sisters, his mother and their nanny, His father died when Roald Dahl has young, so he only knew his father a few years, not long enough to really know him in such a big family, but his father's wish was that one of his children went to an English school and that is what Roald Dahl did. Most all of Roald Dahl's childhood memories gave him his ideas for his books.

If you like Roald Dahl and his books this book could be right for you. The book does have some gross parts that were descriptive, so if you don't mind that kind of detail and like to learn how authors get some of their ideas this book could be a good read for you. In many chapters you see some of his letters he wrote home from the boarding school he was at, one of the first ones was a list of things he wanted his mother to send him. "Please could you send me some conkers as quick as you can, but don't send to many, just send them in a tin and wrap it up in paper." Some of the letters are hard to read because they are written out. This book was a good and interesting read for me and I recommend it to you if you often wonder how authors get some of their ideas.

A Great Book

I really like this book! I think this is one of Roald Dahl's best books. I like how he finds his book stories from his childhood memories. I also like his adventures as a kid. I don't think kids these days would do crazy things like that but you do have to admit they are funny. You would wonder how this man would get his ideas for his book but when you read this, you know all about it. Again I really like this book and how he describes his childhood.:p

The most memorable book of my childhood.

Dahl's wit and sensible humor impress me beyond belief. I wish I had the knack for description that not only amuses children but adults as well. The stories of his childhood have stuck with me and have become a part of my own childhood memories.

goodish bookish

This book is mainly obout R.Dahl's life as a child. It talks about his school's when he was a kid, his vacations, and some of the exciting things that happened when he was a kid.R.Dahl was good at engaging me because some of the stuff he talked about was kind of cool, like when his nose almost got snapped all the way off. I liked that some of the stuff that happened were crazy and unbelievable, but I also question whether some of these things really happened. I reccomend this book to anybody who like R.Dahl because it is about R.Dahl's life as a child.

Humorous tale

This story is about Roald Dahl's childhood adventures. Whether it's going to boarding school, or putting a rat into a jar of candy. This adventurous tale will keep you reading till the very last page, while laughing the whole time. I liked how it was real. It did not seem to have any added things in it. However I did not like how it was simple. I would recommend this book to others as time filler. I would also recommend this book to younger kids. It would be a good read for them, not to hard, not to easy.

A hilarious, yet depressing book about the long road through a boy¿s childhood

¿When my father was fourteen he was up on the roof of the family house replacing loose tiles when he slipped and fell. He broke his left arm and lower elbow. Somebody ran to fetch the doctor, and a half and hour later this gentlemen made a majestic and drunken arrival in horse-drawn buggy. He was so drunk he mistook the fractured elbow for a dislocated shoulder.¿ Boy, is the true story about Roald Dahl, a boy who grows up with three sisters and he¿s the only boy. He has to go through some hard times, including his father committing suicide shortly after his favorite sister Astri had died from appendicitis. Also, his beating he gets at school. So from that point on it was him and his remaining sisters and his mother. They moved from Norway to the United States and went to a private school called St.Peters, were he started his educated journey. This book is a very funny and sad the book is funny because he pulled many pranks on people, and the book is sad because he loses many people that are close to him. I would recommend this book to most kids who like to read about growing up. His life was pretty hard but he made the most of it. When I was reading this book I felt that Roald Dahl had a very good education but he didn¿t get to spend a lot of time with his family. One of the relationships between my life and his is when he faked sick so he could stay home for a couple of days. Roald Dahl has written many books and he has won lots of awards. I think Roald Dahl is a fantastic author. Another book by Roald Dahl including The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Witches.

Good Stories, however

This book is certainly different from Mr. Dahl's other tales such as Matilda or the BFG. It is about his life as a boy growing up. There are a lot of times in Mr. Dahl's life that were not very pleasant. It makes me realize just how good life for a child can be today. For example, the terrible paddling a child recieved when suspected of breaking school rules. It terrified the others. It's a good book just with a different flavor.

Reeeeally boring.

This book was good in the beginning, and then it went on and on and on and on and on and on and... well you get the point. But, he could of figured out a way of making it more interesting instead of just laying it out there. I know it may be a true story but... I've heard better non-fiction books about Buildings :]

Boy Review

Ok I thought that this book was a little bit boring but its still a good book but i lost interest in it. I felt that the book was not able to grasp my attention enough so that I would read more and that is what books are supposed to do.

this book is great

i love this book it's a great one for kids and grownups alike. fun family reading

read it because it is good

Boy is about Rold Dahl and his chilhood and his friend

I really liked the book.

It was a great book. He did a lot of funny things. He got a lot of spankings. When his adenoids came out, they didn't put him to sleep.

great stuff

this book is amazing, i read it in 5th grade and now i am in college. i have read this book many times, and it keeps getting better and better

ITS THE BEST BETS THE REST

this book is awsome. It is so funny that it gave me a headache i was laghing so hard. If you need to know some pranks READ THIS BOOK