For children interested in classic tales, this collection reimagines Shakespeare's famous plays into accessible stories, perfect for sparking imagination and discussions about human nature.
A parent might reach for this book when their child is ready for more complex stories than typical fairy tales, showing an interest in history, royalty, or high-stakes drama. This Usborne collection skilfully retells Shakespeare's most famous plays, from the magical chaos of A Midsummer Night's Dream to the tragic ambition of Macbeth, in accessible prose. It explores enduring themes of love, betrayal, justice, and ambition, making it perfect for kids aged 9-13. By simplifying the language while preserving the core conflicts and emotional depth, this book serves as an excellent, unintimidating introduction to a cornerstone of Western literature, sparking curiosity and building cultural literacy.
The tragedies deal directly with themes of grief, betrayal, despair, and profound loss.
Moral AmbiguityMild
Characters in tragedies make poor choices leading to their downfall; they are not simply good or evil.
Sensitive Topics
This collection deals directly with significant sensitive topics. Character death is frequent and central to the plots of the tragedies, including murder, death in battle, and suicide (*Romeo and Juliet*, *Hamlet*). The violence (sword fighting, poisoning) is plot-driven and not graphically described. The approach is secular and focuses on the human consequences of actions rather than divine judgment. Resolutions in the tragedies are somber and cautionary, while comedies end hopefully with marriages and restored order.
Ideal Reader
The ideal reader is a 9 to 13-year-old who is beginning to seek more complexity in their stories. They have likely enjoyed fantasy series like *Harry Potter* or classic adventures and are now ready for narratives with higher emotional stakes and moral ambiguity. This child is curious about history, mythology, or classic literature but would be intimidated by the original texts.
Parent Prep
Parents should preview the chapters for the major tragedies (*Macbeth*, *Hamlet*, *Romeo and Juliet*) to be prepared for conversations about murder, betrayal, and suicide. Providing context that these were originally plays and that tragic heroes often have a fatal flaw can help frame the stories. It can be read cold, but discussion will greatly enhance the experience. A parent might pick this up after their child asks about a famous character like Romeo or Juliet, or a quote like "To be or not to be." Another trigger is seeing the child enjoy books with intricate plots and wanting to introduce them to the literary foundations of modern storytelling in a way that feels like an exciting discovery, not homework.
Age Experience
A younger reader (9-10) will likely engage with the stories as high-stakes adventure tales, focusing on the magic, battles, and romances. They will see Macbeth as a simple villain and Romeo and Juliet as a sad love story. An older reader (11-13) will begin to appreciate the psychological depth, understanding Macbeth's corrosive ambition, Hamlet's internal conflict, and the societal forces at play in Verona. They can analyze character motivation more deeply.
What Makes It Special
Among many Shakespeare retellings, this Usborne collection stands out for its breadth and accessibility. It offers a sampler of Shakespeare's different genres in one volume, making it a perfect survey. The production quality, with clear writing and illustrations, makes the complex stories feel manageable and appealing, serving as an ideal bridge to encountering the original plays in middle or high school.
Read plot summary
This book is a collection of prose retellings of several of William Shakespeare's most famous plays, adapted for a middle-grade audience. It includes a mix of genres: comedies like *A Midsummer Night's Dream* and *Twelfth Night*, tragedies such as *Hamlet*, *Macbeth*, and *Romeo and Juliet*, and histories like *Henry V*. Each chapter summarizes a single play, focusing on the main plot points and character motivations, while simplifying the original archaic language into modern, accessible storytelling.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
In *Macbeth*, the witches tell Macbeth a prophecy, but he is the one who acts on it. Do you think Macbeth was destined to become a villain, or did he make it happen with his own choices?
2
In *Romeo and Juliet*, the two lovers defy their families. Were they brave to follow their hearts, or foolish to ignore the warnings of their elders? What could they have done differently?
3
The fairies in *A Midsummer Night's Dream* cause a lot of chaos for the humans with their magic. Do you think their pranks were funny or cruel? Why?
4
Hamlet waits a long time to get revenge for his father's murder. Why do you think he hesitated so much? Was he being careful, or was he afraid?
