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Much Ado About Nothing

Author(s): 
William Shakespeare
Much Ado About Nothing is an uproarious comedy (with plenty of dramatic elements) about love and hate. While awaiting the marriage of Hero and Claudio, several plots unfold. One is an incredibly funny conspiracy to set up Beatrice and Benedick, two swift-tongued sworn enemies, to fall in love with each other.

King Lear

Author(s): 
William Shakespeare
King Lear is the heart-wrenching tragedy of a king with three daughters who decides to test their love for him as a condition for inheriting a part of his kingdom. Naturally the two who are most interested in the prize are the most willing to tell him what he wants to hear. The youngest, Cordelia, in her honesty and simplicity, refuses to flatter him and is disinherited. Over time, Lear realizes his mistake, as his two other daughters are only “nice” when they have something to gain from it.

St. Patrick's Summer

Book cover: 'St Patricks Summer'
Author(s): 
Marigold Hunt
Illustrator(s): 
Theodore Schluenderfritz
I recently read St. Patrick's Summer aloud to my children. They absolutely loved it! Frequently, they begged for "just a little more," and I enjoyed it so much that I often obliged. The set-up: Michael and Cecelia need help preparing for their First Holy Communions, but Mrs. Murphy, their teacher, is at her wits' end. She says their questions would stump a bishop. So she asks St.

Stories from Shakespeare

Author(s): 
Marchette Chute
This children’s version includes 36 of Shakespeare's 37 plays. Chute covers the essential plots of the plays in a readable modern prose. Although her style is clear, simple and direct, it contains a certain lyrical quality. Not just summaries, these are wonderful stories. Especially appropriate for 12 and up, it might also be enjoyed as a read-aloud for younger children.

William Shakespeare's The Tempest

Author(s): 
Marianna Mayer (adapted by)
Illustrator(s): 
Lynn Bywaters
Unequalled, lavish artwork on two-page spreads include inset text boxes that incorporate the story into the art. The plot is written in prose, although the more difficult vocabulary is more appropriate for upper elementary and older students. Richly detailed illustrations capture the reader’s attention, telling the story without words. If you intend to introduce The Tempest, this version is not to be missed!

Othello

cover from first quarto, c 1619
Author(s): 
William Shakespeare
Othello, which we studied in tenth grade, is a dark play, a tragedy brought about by Othello's surrender to Iago's campaign of deceit. Although this is the main idea of the play, quite a few characters and twists and turns maintain the suspense. The title character Othello is a general and Iago's commander. Iago is angered at Othello's promotion of a less-experienced soldier (Cassio) over him; moreover he is in the pay of Roderigo, a rich man who wishes to marry the beautiful Desdemona. However, Othello has already won over Desdemona and married her.

Starting with Shakespeare

Author(s): 
Pauline Nelson
Todd Daubert

Unit Study-loving families may find in Starting with Shakespeare a very useful resource! This book is literary filled with Shakespeare-related activities! In the introduction we get to know the authors and their passionate belief in the benefits of bringing Shakespeare to elementary school. They are quite convincing with a top 20 reasons list, secrets for success and even some criticism of how memorization has been dropped from school curricula a long time ago. The introduction also helps the reader understand how the book is organized and what to expect.

The Bard of Avon

Author(s): 
Diane Stanley
Diane Stanley's picture book biographies are wonderful! I can think of a number of titles I have seen so often on homeschool families' shelves: Joan of Ark, Michelangelo, Peter the Great, Saladin, Charles Dickens, and more! She has a very unique and captivating way to write--and illustrate--these great historical figures' biographies! These are longer picture books with a pretty good amount of text on each page. The Bard of Avon follows all that is known about William Shakespeare, his personal and professional life, the Globe Theater and the world he lived in.

Shakespeare Can Be Fun series

Author(s): 
Lois Burdett
William Shakespeare
Lois Burdett was an elementary school teacher in Canada who found herself in a town where every public school was named after a work of Shakespeare, and yet her students knew nothing of the Bard! The books in this series contain her work to present Shakespeare to her very young (second grades) students. Not much original Shakespeare here besides the stories, as the text recreates the famous plays in simple rhyming couplets.