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The Best of Shakespeare: Retellings of 10 Classic Plays

by Edith Nesbit

Ten Shakespeare plays retold for younger readers

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Ten Shakespeare plays retold for younger readers

This anthology brings together stories from ten of Shakespeare’s plays, including *Hamlet*, *Macbeth*, *Romeo and Juliet* and *The Tempest*. Edith Nesbit retells the plots in accessible prose, with wit and humor, making the book a route into the plays’ stories without requiring readers to begin with Shakespeare’s original language. Dramatic black-and-white photographs from productions by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Stratford Festival and the Folger Shakespeare Theater accompany the text. An afterword by children’s-literature scholar Peter Hunt rounds out the collection.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • A starting point for children ages 9–12 exploring Shakespeare’s plays.
  • Useful for families or educators introducing the stories before reading or studying the original plays.
  • A choice for readers interested in a collection of classic drama retold in prose.

Themes

Shakespearean dramaClassic stories and plotsAccessible literary introductions

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

At the heart of any great work of literature is a story. William Shakespeare's plays are no exception. They tell the stories of kings and queens, of ghosts and witches, of romance and passion. But to get to the stories at the heart of the Bard's plays, the reader must first work through Shakespeare's language, a task often too demanding for younger readers (and for many adults). This new paperback edition brings ten of Shakespeare's greatest plays to life. E. Nesbit, the classic British children's author, shakes off the burdensome complexity of Shakespeare's language and tells the stories at the core of the plays with a generous sprinkle of wit and humor. Her graceful, vivid retellings, written in highly accessible and lucid prose, are the perfect introduction to Shakespeare's work.
All of these major works are included in this anthology: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, As You Like It, The Winter's Tale, and Twelfth Night. The text is illustrated with dramatic black-and-white photographs from contemporary productions of the plays by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Stratford Festival (Ontario, Canada), and the Folger Library's Shakespeare Theater. Also included is an afterword by Peter Hunt, a leading scholar of children's literature.
These retellings of the classic tales of one of the world's greatest playwrights remind us that it is never too early for Shakespeare.
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Customer reviews

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Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

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Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

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Olivia

Smooth.