Despite my love/hate relationship with Dahl, this may be one of his best books next to Matilda.

The IDEA. The CHARACTERS. I loved it!

Even though they are all flat characters, you love them––which is a rare find. I love how the insects cared for/mothered James, but when trouble arrived, they would ask him what to do. Interesting!

This is one to read to offspring or nieces/nephews.

The way Selden describes crickets is stunning, and this "non-insect" person loves them now. <3 Some of the dialect might be seen as offensive now - this book was written at a different time.

Like many, I knew the gist of the plot, but I didn't know *how* it was executed. It unfolded quite differently than I imagined, which made me love it even more. What a twisted tale. What a tragedy.

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Black and white was an excellent choice for this story! Well-deserving of an award.

Srsly, this author is so awesome! The illustrations are way cool, too.

The pigeon series is the kid we all were, and it's funny because it's true! This series is innovative and hilarious!