From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Skillfully read by Claire Higgins, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet will hold listeners spellbound as they become involved in the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues and in Romeo and Juliet's plight of love. Higgins' reading is very natural, and her voice is exceedingly pleasant to listen to. The cassette includes a plot summary, an introduction to Shakespeare by Leon Garfield, as well as supplementary information about Shakespeare and his writings by Dr. Rex Gibson, all read by Simon Russell Beale. This additional information is very worthwhile and will increase the listener's understanding of Shakespeare and why he continues to be important in literature. Peter Hutchins arranged the period background music. The technical qualities are excellent, and the teaching objectives are met. This program is appropriate for individual or group listening, and the additional information will provide an excellent springboard for discussion. A superior acquisition for both public and school libraries with audio collections.Kathy Dummer, Newcastle Middle School, WY Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Since Charles Lamb first did it back in 1803, many writers have tried to adapt the plays of the Bard into prose for young readers. Leon Garfield has done it as well as anyone, and his two volumes of Shakespeare Stories form the basis for these marvelous recordings from the UK. The program includes an introduction to Shakespeare, a brief plot summary and a final essay called "Shakespeare Today." It's a complete package that will help orient young people experiencing the plays for the first time. Garfield's stories are exquisitely written and, while most of the language is modern, they retain the most famous speeches from the original plays, such as Juliet's rhyming couplets "Parting is such sweet sorrow / That I shall say good night till it be morrow." Clare Higgins and Simon Russell Beale, who share billing on the entire series, are both actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and their comfort with the material shows in their flawless narrations. The Chivers series is ideal for students 10 and up although, like all great children's literature, it's certainly suitable for adults--Particularly those who want to brush up before seeing a performance, or those just looking to revisit the plays. D.B. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
"We can more easily decide between Shakespear and any other author, than between him and himself. Shall we quote any more passages to shew his genius or the beauty of Romeo and Juliet? At that rate, we might quote the whole."


From the Hardcover edition.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Buried treasure on a remote desert island; a ruthless peg-legged sea cook; and an intrepid young cabin boy. Few stories boast so irresistible a plot line or such unforgettable characters as Robert Louis Stevenson's beloved classic, Treasure Island. Illustrated with Alexander Mikhunushev's detailed full-color drawings, Philip Jennings's abridged edition uses Stevenson's own colorful, elegantly simple wording throughout to present all the excitement, mystery, and adventure of murderous plots at sea, surprise attacks on shore, and the ultimate contest between good and evil.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"The permanent popularity, now of mythic intensity, of Romeo and Juliet is more than justified," writes eminent scholar Harold Bloom, "since the play is the largest and most persuasive celebration of romantic love in Western literature." William Shakespeare (1564-1616) based his early romantic tragedy on Arthur Brooke's 1562 poem The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet. Shakespeare's resulting masterpiece, in turn, has inspired countless retellings around the world in mediums that include literature, dance, stage, and screen.

SYNOPSIS

This volume describes the stage history of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Loehlin's (English, U. of Texas, Austin) extensive introduction examines shifts in interpretation, textual adaptations, and staging innovations over the course of several centuries. The complete text of the play is then presented, along with detailed commentary on how different directors and performers have modified and interpreted it. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

Carol Burbridge

Keep[s] intact the essence of Shakespeare while telling an exciting story that will keep kids' attention.... Highly recommended.

John Warren Stewig

Gets inside the nature and motivations of these adult play characters some might think too remote from children's lives. —Winter 2000

School Library Journal

Gr 5-12-- These three plays have been skillfully abridged by Garfield. His method is to retain Shakespeare's own language but to trim and cut either by giving only the early lines of longer passages, by editing scenes that involve secondary characters, or by cutting some scenes altogether. Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night's Dream stand up well. All of the well-known lines and most of the poetry have been saved. Romeo and Juliet is more truncated, but even here not only the basic plot but also the sense of urgency of the two young people's love has been preserved. Unlike the prose retellings of the stories by Charles and Mary Lamb, Marchette Chute, and Bernard Miles, these are shortened versions of the plays themselves, complete with stage directions and waiting to be performed. Fortunate the students whose teachers are willing to become producers. Based on ``The Animated Tales as seen on HBO,'' there are lots of watercolor cartoon sketches throughout, which adds to the appeal for children. Each book begins with a short piece about the theatre in Shakespeare's time, about William Shakespeare, and about the play itself. Companion videos are available (Random House). --Ann Stell, Central Islip Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-In each of these slim volumes, one of William Shakespeare's tragedies is retold. The prose is straightforward and easy to read and tells each basic story. The color and black-and-white cartoons support the texts and there is a pictorial character list at the beginning of each book. With so much happening in so few pages, these are action-packed retellings. While they may be useful as an introduction to Shakespeare, it's questionable whether they translate into an interest in reading the rich and profound drama of the originals.-Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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