James and the Giant Peach – Hardship

Many people believe that one must suffer in order to achieve success and happiness, or that people can only appreciate success once they’ve known true hardship. Before reading James and the Giant Peach, in which a young, mistreated orphan embarks on an adventure and finds a new family, I could use the conversation about the relationship between hardship and success inspired by Sophocles. The discussion might naturally lead into sharing their feelings on gratitude and appreciation.

Level: Elementary English/Language Arts

Subject Area: British literature

Author: Tiffany Heitman