Hamlet For Kids adapted by Lois Burdett

Perhaps the best-known of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Hamlet has all the ingredients for a gripping story: revenge and power, familial love and betrayal, dramatic sword fights, dark spooky scenes. Once again Lois Burdett has woven her own brand of magic by transforming Shakespeare’s complex verse into rhyming couplets. She has created a version of Hamlet especially for children, even as young as seven, and one that readers of all ages will enjoy.

At the appropriately named Hamlet Elementary School in Stratford, Ontario, where Burdett has taught for over 20 years, her students have created wonderful drawings of Hamlet to illustrate Burdett’s fluid rhymes. The students’ interpretations are vivid evidence of Burdett’s clever ability to bring Shakespeare’s complex characters and intricate plots to life for young people.

MacBeth for Kids – adapted by Lois Burdett

“Who is William Shakespeare?” For more than 20 years, Lois Burdett has asked that question of her elementary school students in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, leading them on a voyage of discovery that brings the Bard to life for boys and girls ages seven and up.

Macbeth for Kids, written in rhyming couplets is suitable for staging as class plays as well as reading aloud.

From the author: “Most students will be exposed to the works of Shakespeare, typically in high school. The language and content of the plays is seen as too difficult for younger children but primary children are underestimated as to what they can accomplish given the challenge. The study of Shakespeare has become an integral part of my grade two program at Hamlet School, in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.

When I first moved to Stratford, I had no intention of teaching Shakespeare to 7 and 8 year olds. Stratford is a beautiful city noted for its Shakespearean theatre and I was interested that the schools were all named after Shakespearean characters. I asked my class, “Who is William Shakespeare?” and “Why is our school called Hamlet?” Their answers were surprising. One thought he was a famous boxer. Another believed he was the President of Canada. A third student responded, “I don’t know who William Shakespeare is. I don’t know any of the big kids.” It was the children’s enthusiasm and excitement on making the connection between an historical figure and the name of their school, which led me to continue. Thirty years later I can’t imagine teaching anywhere in the world and not introducing Shakespeare. The study provided tremendous growth, particularly in the area of language and communication and evolved into a learning experience of a lifetime. I have endeavored in my books and workshops for teachers to share the excitement of exploring with children, the timeless emotions and ideas of Shakespeare.”

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare – Classroom teaching pack

Shakespeare with Children: Six Scripts For Young Players by Elizabeth Weinstein

Does your class or children’s group need a jump start in producing thrilling, engrossing, lively theater?

Joy, greed, love, fear, and gluttony are just a few of the elements woven into Shakespeare’s plays; these timeless topics provide endless fascination for children of any age.

In Shakespeare with Children: Six Scripts for Young Players, Elizabeth Weinstein retains the beauty of Shakespeare s original language and the sheer fun of acting onstage, while substantially shortening and adapting six plays for children ages eight to thirteen.

These forty-minute scripts come with an arsenal of practical suggestions for simple productions. Teachers (and parents) will find ideas for easy back-of-the-closet costume pieces, as well as for sets, props, and music. Historical and literary background is also provided.

Contents:

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Why Perform Classroom Plays?

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Macbeth

King Henry IV, Part I

Twelfth Night

Romeo and Juliet

The Tempest

Appendix A. About Shakespeare

Appendix B. Bibliography

Appendix C. Sample Letter Home

Weinstein has created an amazing resource for teachers who want to introduce their own students to the richness and wonder of the Bard. Her beautifully adapted texts are especially well served by the wonderfully useful suggestions for staging and music. Hurray for Shakespeare with Children! –Bruce Coville, Author of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet (and other Shakespeare picture books), My Teacher Is an Alien, Song of the Wanderer, and many other books for children.

As a fifth-grade teacher, I am thrilled that I can use this wonderful resource to introduce my students to the beautiful language, marvelous characters, intriguing plots, and fascinating history in Shakespeare’s plays. The adaptations in this well-chosen collection lend themselves beautifully to cross-curricular connections among social studies, reading, language arts, music, and art. It is hard to imagine a better way to hook young students on Shakespeare than by having them read and act in these delightful versions of the Bard’s work. –Elizabeth Ester, North Shore Country Day School, Winnetka, Illinois

Ms. Weinstein’s book is a must for every creative elementary classroom. She gives you all the tools you need to build a beautiful production of six different Shakespearean classics including comedy (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, The Tempest), tragedy (Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet), and history (King Henry IV, Part I). The book provides a detailed blueprint that includes a synopsis and ideas for music, props, backdrops, and costumes, as well as a hard-to-find pronunciation key for each character. A great gift for teachers that will benefit their students forever. –Ronald Bell, Artistic Director, Syracuse

The Tempest for Kids adapted by Lois Burdett

The Tempest is an exciting tale of jealousy and betrayal, magic and romance, repentance and forgiveness, and has all the elements necessary to ignite a young child’s imagination and creative energy. By her use of rhyming couplets, Lois Burdett has once again succeeded in transforming Shakespeare’s complex verse into a format readily understood by children.

Children’s enthusiasm toward Burdett’s adapted Shakespeare is evident in the wonderful drawings and anecdotes created by her Grade 2 and 3 students at Hamlet Elementary School in Stratford, Ontario. Together with the five other books in the successful and beautifully produced Shakespeare Can Be Fun! series, The Tempest will delight teachers, parents and children.