The Boy in the Dress
Book - 2009
Dennis, who lives in a boring house on a boring street in a boring town has a passion for soccer - and fashion. When his friend Lisa discovers his stash of Vogue magazines and convinces him to wear a dress to school, trouble begins. A compelling, unusual story offers black and white drawings by Quentin Blake throughout.
Publisher:
London : HarperCollins Children's Books, 2009
Copyright Date:
©2008
ISBN:
9780007279043 (pbk.)
0007279043 (pbk.)
0007279043 (pbk.)
Branch Call Number:
Y WALLIAMS
Characteristics:
231 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm
Additional Contributors:



Opinion
From Library Staff
Twelve-year-old Dennis loves soccer and fashionable dresses in Vogue magazine. After a friend persuades him to wear a sequined dress and wig to school and portray a French female exchange student, the headmaster expels Dennis and forbids him from playing in the soccer Final Cup.
From the critics

Comment
Add a CommentAfter reading this story I can definitely tell you that you’ll never find a book like it. Although it didn’t include anybody with magical powers, this book includes the message of acceptance, which is the best story you can tell. I really enjoyed reading this story and understanding each characters feelings and point of view. Even though this book was exciting, I really didn’t like the fact of how unsupportive the main character’s, Dennis’, brother, John, was. He made Dennis feel unwanted and more emotional, which is a terrible sibling relationship. If John was more open, I believe Dennis would of felt more open. At the end of the day, The Boy In The Dress would for sure open your eyes to a totally different side of things that today’s world definitely needs! @AnythingYellow14 of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library
Such a good , humorous read . Really enjoyed it .
This book is terribly funny. I laughed out loud so many times that it made me happy. It has a great message of anti-bullying. It says don't judge other people.
Review by Bella, 6
A beautiful book! The writing is lovely and the characters are relatable. I loved this story and all the books by David Walliams that I've read so far.
I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone.
The Boy In The Dress is a remarkably funny book. It’s a bit sad at some times but mostly hilarious.
Dennis is boring. He lives in a boring house, on a boring street, in a boring town. Meanwhile, Lisa is the most popular girl in school, and Dennis thinks she is the most beautiful girl in the world.
One day, Dennis and Lisa end up in detention together (what they did is really funny), and they find out that they both read the same magazines, and watch the same TV shows as each other. Maybe they are more like each other than anyone thought?
If you like Roald Dahl books, you love The Boy In The Dress.
I give it 9 out of 10.
Dennis is twelve. He lives with his dad and his older brother, John. He really misses his mom. Dennis loves soccer and he also loves Vogue magazine (which he keeps hidden under his mattress). He becomes friends with an older girl at school, Lisa, who shares his love of fashion. Lisa encourages Dennis to fulfill his desire to wear dresses... which of course brings enormous consequences.
Illustrations by the incomparable Quentin Blake bring Roald Dahl's timeless stories to mind. I also enjoyed Walliams' humorous asides, where he steps outside of third person narration and speaks directly to the audience. "Dennis did play football for his school and was his team's number one... shooter? Sorry, reader, I must look this up. Ah, striker. Yes, Dennis was his team's number one striker, scoring over a million goals in a year. Excuse me again, reader, I don't know much about football, maybe a million is too much. A thousand? A hundred? Two? Whatever, he scored the most goals."
The story is absolutely charming. It is not a story about sexuality, but rather a heartwarming celebration of difference. Highly recommended for Grade 5 up to adult.