My nephew talked me into seeing the movie with him a couple years back and I recently found the book at the library and decided to check it out. Has anyone else read this one? I was surprised to find that it was written in the 1970s, I had figured it would be newer than that.

I read it years ago in school and loved and hated it. I know that it's one of those books that's sometimes recommended for a child who has lost a loved one of is losing a loved on. I remember being excited when the movie came out, as I'd really enjoyed the book, though of course I prefer the book.

I prefer the book too, it's very to the point and I think it's better when we don't have this illusion of their monsters coming to life like in the movie. The trailer for that made it seem like it was all real, the giants and everything, and it wasn't, and I like that in the book they keep it as all just being their imagination.

Now this is just my mean vindictive streak shining through, but when Jess goes home and the family is out of their minds because they thought he had drowned with Leslie, I liked it. The mother bitches about he never does anything to help her when he's the ONLY one raising a damn finger to help her out out of 5 kids, they deserved the worry and grief even if it was only temporary.