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Stig of the Dump
Clive King
1963
March, 2016
The story is about a boy named Barney and his adventures with a caveman named Stig who lives in a dump by Barney’s grandmother’s house.
Who was your favourite Character and why?
My favourite character was Barney. He is a brave and adventurous boy who is resourceful and friendly, even though Stig doesn’t look like him or speak
.
What was your first favourite part of the book?
My favourite part of the book is when Barney discovers Stig living in the dump and is amazed by all the interesting stuff that Stig had found or made. I also like how they built the chimney together out of old tin cans and made a window out of jam jars.
What was you second favourite part of the book?
My second favourite part of the book is when Barney scares away the thieves from his grandmother’s house and inadvertently drives the getaway car into the dump. Then Stig happily decides to ransack it for supplies, ‘skinning’ the leather seats and using other parts for things in his hut.
What was your least favourite part of the book?
My least favourite part of the book is when Lou and Barney ride out in the night and end up back in time at the caveman camp. It was lucky for them that Stig was there too but the story didn’t give much detail about how this happened, how they got back or how Stig travels back and forth in time, or why he doesn’t just stay back in time with his own people. I also didn’t like the part where Stig and Barney went hunting and Stig almost shot Lou’s pony with a bow and arrows. Barney’s attitude toward the fox was a little bit unpleasant but I had to remember that at the time the book was written, things were different and fox-hunting was tolerated more than it is now.
How would you feel if you were the main character?
I think being Barney would be interesting. He’s a little braver than me because I don’t think I would have been able to scare away the robbers or climb trees like Barney.
Is the story believable? Yes and no. I think the parts in the dump where Stig and Barney find and make things for Stig’s hut were fun and interesting. I enjoyed the part where they came across the three brothers who were really quite naughty at first but then became friends with Stig and Barney. I didn’t find the parts where Barney and Lou went back and forth in time very believable because they weren’t really explained very well in the book. I also didn’t like how Barney ‘forgot’ about Stig between visits.
Describe a positive moral in the story?
I think the main moral was about friendship and not judging other people on their appearance or ability. Ultimately, Barney was a kind and tolerant little boy who made friends with an unusual hairy boy who lived in a dump.
What advice would you give the main character?
I would tell Barney to share more of his adventures with his sister. I think he thought Lou wouldn’t believe him, but in the end, Lou was part of the story and much more accepting than he probably expected.
Did you enjoy the book/would you change anything?
I would give this book a 3 out of 5. I think the story was a bit disjointed because it only followed Barney during his brief holidays with his grandmother. It reads more like a series of very short stories that are connected only by virtue of the characters. It never expanded on Stig or how he got stuck in the dump. It also never expanded Stig’s feelings or whether he enjoyed Barney’s visits or wondered where Barney was when he didn’t show up between holidays.
Additional thoughts/comments
I think this story would be more difficult to reproduce in our more modern world. It is definitely a product of its time. Today, Barney would have a mobile phone and when the robbers came around he could have rung the police. I also think that his grandmother wouldn’t let him go and play by himself in the dump because it would be considered dangerous.
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