Product Description

A revised edition of the story of Danny and his father who outwit their greedy, rich neighbour, Mr Victor Hazell.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #67441 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-05
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
: "My father, without the slightest doubt, was the most marvellous and exciting father any boy ever had". Danny feels very lucky. He adores his life with his father, living in a gypsy caravan, listening to his stories, tending their gas station, puttering around the workshop, and occasionally taking off to fly home-built gas balloons and kites. His father has raised him on his own, ever since Danny's mother died when he was four months old. Life is peaceful and wonderful ... until he turns 9 and discovers his father's one vice. Soon Danny finds himself the mastermind behind the most incredible plot ever attempted against nasty Victor Hazell, a wealthy landowner with a bad attitude. Can they pull it off? If so, Danny will truly be the champion of the world. Danny is right up to Roald Dahl's impishly brilliant standards. An intense and beautiful father-son relationship is balanced with subtle escapades that will have even the most rigid law-abider rooting them on. Dahl's inimitable way with words leaves the reader simultaneously satisfied and itching for more. (Ages 9 to 13) --Emilie Coulter

About the Author
Roald Dahl, the best-loved of children's writers, was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. After school in England he went to work for Shell in Africa. He began to write after "a monumental bash on the head", sustained as an RAF pilot in World War II. Roald Dahl died in 1990.

Customer Reviews

The Danny the World Champion
Who are the main characters? Who is your favourite character and why?
Well Danny and his dad are the main characters while the side characters were Doc Spencer, Mr. Hazell, Sergeant Samways, Mr Snoddy the head teacher of Danny, Captain Lancaster, Rabbetts the head keeper and Mrs. Clipstone.

What is the basic plot of the book and how does it develop?
Danny's mum died and his father William looks after him. Not until Danny was ten, he didn't know his father had a passion for poaching; he poached in Mr Victor Hazell's forest of the plumpest pheasants and he fell into a trap set by a keeper and broke leg. He wanted to do something to get revenge. Danny has an idea and they try it. The plan is successful until Mr Hazell comes past in his car and sees all the pheasants...

How would you describe the atmosphere of the book?
This is an exciting book about the relationship of a father and son.

What was the most exciting moment in the book?
It is so thrilling when Danny drives the Baby Austin Seven from the workshop to the forest to find his father at 2:30am.

What were the best and worst things about this book?
There are lots of good things about the book. One of them is that Danny knows his father loves him with all his heart and he really appreciates that. One bad thing is that Sergeant Samways tries to let Mr Hazell have his pheasants back.

Did this book change the way you thought or felt about anything?
Only that you shouldn't go and try to take something that doesn't belong to you from someone that doesn't like to share.

Who do you think would like this book?
Well about 9-11 year olds who love adventure stories

Danny Champion of the World
Danny the Champion of the World was adapted into a children's book from one of Roald Dahl adult short stories. This book is perfect for slightly older children (aged 8 to 12). I first read it when I was nine and it was so exciting at the time I had to read some of it standing up because I could not sit still and read it at the same time. I still remembered the sheer excitement and tension when Danny was in the car. This is a gripping book for children to read.

It is also hugely touching as we see Danny's relationship to his Father develop. The sparky, enthusiastic and loving Father is an absolute joy to read about. Roald Dahl never had a Father himself (he died when he was young) and the figure in this book is obviously his ideal figure. I reread this book recently and I went for a walk though the autumn countryside afterwards because of it. It made me remember some important things that matter about life that I'd previously forgotten when I was lost under adult work and bills to pay. It left me profoundly affected.
The message at the end about what a Father should be should be a message to us all.

This is the most sensitive and well written of all Roald Dahl's children's books. It is also hugely funny. I feel so lucky to have been able to read Roald Dahl as a child. All children will love this book.

Enjoyable..........
Danny the Champion of the World is one of those cross-over books of Roald Dahl: the storytelling is obviously aimed at children, while the subject is slightly more mature. The story, however, is enjoyable to read even for young children. Do not get me wrong though: this can be rather fun to read if you are slightly older (e.g. 11 or 12). There is a slight Henry Sugar-ish touch in Danny the Champion of the World: Danny could drive at the age of 9, thought up a great idea, and so on.

The story is mainly about a boy called Danny, who, at the age of 9, finds out his father's deepest darkest secret. Poaching. At first, Danny thinks it is not a good idea to steal 'valuable' birds from rich men, but he soon catches the 'poaching bug' and falls in love with poaching.Danny even develops his own poaching method, which he uses to try to take all the pheasants from Victor Hazel's wood............

I think that the end was a little too abrupt: most children will want to keep reading! However, this is not much, and doesn't take much away from the book. There is a little message at the end of Danny the Champion of the World and to be honest, everyone could learn from it.

Overall, this is a quality book that you should buy for your children (if you have any, that is!)