Shakespeare
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Shakespeare Can Be Fun! series by Lois Burdett
Ages 7 and up |
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For more than 20 years, Lois Burdett -- a teacher at Hamlet Public School in Stratford, Ontario -- has been introducing Shakespeare to students in Grades 2 and 3. Working with her students, many as young as seven, she makes Shakespeare's plays come wonderfully alive for young eyes and ears.
Lois Burdett's success in introducing Shakespeare to students in Grades 2 and 3 is winning her increasing recognition and prompting parents and teachers to reconsider their children's ability to cope with serious literature at a young age. Her books and workshops for teachers have captured the attention and imagination of parents, educators, and lovers of Shakespeare around the world, including the International Reading Association and the American National Council of Teachers of English. |
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Among other commendations, Lois Burdett has received Canada's Meritorious Service Medal, Encyclopedia Britanica's National Award for Early Childhood Education from the Canadian College of Teachers, the Canadian Teachers' Federation's Hilroy Fellowship, The Writer's Award from The Federation of Women Teachers Associations of Ontario (for Macbeth), and the Fred L. Bartlett Memorial Award from the Ontario Public School Board Association. Recent Review Comments on the Series: "A wonderful series... These books are a marvelous introduction to the enjoyment of Shakespeare and an insight into the lively intelligence of children." (Alison Chadsy, Victoria Times-Colonist, February 15, 2004) "All the titles in the series ... are written in easy-to-read couplets and feature imaginative and colourful illustrations created by her grade two and three students." (Jennifer Ailles, Canadian Children's Literature, vol 27:4, 2002) "At a time when everyone is reading less and the standard of literature is declining, these accessible litle books remove the burden of Shakespeare so it is not a bore. Can easily be used and enjoyed by teachers and students anywhere." (Anne Barry, Library Talk) "The appeal of the books' format is the combination of text with pictures of the characters and scenes, and story insets on almost every page that take the forms of narratives, letters and diary entries, all done by children in Burdett's elementary classes. These interpretations of the events from the plays, in children's own words, will make the plot and characters truly real to kids reading these books." (Margaret Poole, Halifax Chronicle-Herald, July 9, 2000) "Accompanying and almost overshadowing Burdett's clever text are impressive illustrations by second- and third-grade students, as well as their interpretations of the story." |
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Much Ado About Nothing for Kids
by Lois Burdett foreword by Denzel Washington Read an excerpt and see sample pages From the Foreword by Denzel Washington
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Hamlet for Kids
by Lois Burdett, introduction by Kenneth Branagh Read an excerpt and see sample page "Burdett has received numerous awards and commendations for her work in making Shakespeare more accessible to children; Hamlet for Kids demonstrates why Burdett's work is deserving of these honours." (Jennifer Ailles, Canadian Children's Literature, vol 27:4, 2002) "The style is lively and interesting, and some of the phrasing is humorous: Meanwhile King Claudius was still uptight. The cause of Hamlet's madness had not come to light. Boxed insets of children's rewritten segments of the play as letters and diary entries offer interesting insights into their perception of the characters. Activities are presented at the end of the book to extend the experience. This is a good source of ideas for teachers who want to use Shakespeare in their elementary classrooms."
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The Tempest for Kids
by Lois Burdett Read an excerpt and see sample page "The couplets present Shakespeare in shortened form and, if not quite in 20th-century vernacular, at least in a highly accessible way. The paintings, full of color and amusing detail, consolidate the kid-friendliness of this treatment of the play."
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Romeo and Juliet for Kids
by Lois Burdett Read an excerpt and see sample page "Gets inside the nature and motivations of these adult play characters some might think too remote from children's lives." "Burdett is admirably able to keep intact the essence of Shakespeare while telling an exciting story that will keep kids' attention. I often found myself reading aloud the lines ... Highly recommended."
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A Midsummer Night's Dream for Kids
by Lois Burdett Read an excerpt and see sample page "Shakespeare is presented in a manner that is understandable to children without lessening the quality of the work."
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MACBETH for Kids
by Lois Burdett Read an except and see sample page "As education and entertainment, this is triumphant." (Globe & Mail) "The powerful insights that are communicated through the children's writing attest to the power of her writing to make Shakespeare come alive for students." (Curriculum Administrator)
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A Child's Portrait of Shakespeare
by Lois Burdett Read an excerpt and see sample page "Her success in proving that Shakespeare can be fun is evident in the biography, which combines a lively, often humorous biographical poem, written by Burdett, with even livelier and amusing color drawings, and pieces by the students ... the book could inspire other teacher's and students especially those considering projects involving subjects or people usually considered too mature or difficult for younger students to attempt."
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"An innovative method of teaching a variety of language skills, while introducing classical literature."
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Catalogue
The publisher gratefully acknowledges the financial support of our publishing program by the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program.
