These last few weeks Paige has been studying Shakespeare. We began with tragedy.
And then we needed a break from tragedy.
Next, we read A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
She wrote and illustrated a children’s version of the story.
Then we watched the play.
It was a good time and now we’re studying Hamlet. She’s an old pro at Hamlet because we studied a children’s version several years ago when we performed the play with friends.
I’m a believer in helping kids discover simplified versions of the classics when they are young so they already know the plots and they can enjoy the language of the originals when they get older.
Good preparatory Shakespeare materials:
A picture book: A Midsummer Night’s Dream retold by Bruce Coville, illustrated by Dennis Nolan
For elementary grades: The Shakespeare Can Be Fun Series by Lois Burdett
For 5-7th grade: Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield and Michael Foreman