asmall Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I am looking at getting either Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare By Nesbit or Charles and Mary Lambs Tales from Shakespeare. Which one do you like better, and why? I am looking for a Shakespeare book for my kids to read before we try the play. Anything else you recomend? Thanks, AL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Depends on their ages. The Nesbit books are easier, less difficult vocabulary, less detailed. The Lamb is a harder read, but a lot of "shakespearean" language and dialog is preserved. Nesbit is fine for both my girls, Lamb is ok as a read aloud for dd9, but she isn't quite ready for it on her own. The Bruce Coville picture books are awesome, both my kids have loved them, and we got them from the library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 The Bruce Coville ones are the best in my opinion. But he only has a few titles. I like the Nesbit better than the Lamb, but I think it's just personal preference. Both of them, by the way, are free on Google Books and Project Gutenburg, btw. I'm pretty sure you can get them as free e-pub or Kindle books too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asmall Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 Thanks for the heads up about getting them for free. I was thinking about picking one of them up because they have them at a used book store not far from my house, one was for $2.97 and the other was a little cheaper. I really like having books that I can hold and flip through the pages. It seems like my kids and I snuggle up on the couch with books, but not so much with electron books, not that we don't use them sometimes. AL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 As a fun supplement you should check your library and see if they have any of Jim Weiss' Shakespeare cds available. I am addicted to his storytelling cds now and they have quickly become a staple of our home (and car!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Depends on their ages. The Nesbit books are easier, less difficult vocabulary, less detailed. The Lamb is a harder read, but a lot of "shakespearean" language and dialog is preserved. Nesbit is fine for both my girls, Lamb is ok as a read aloud for dd9, but she isn't quite ready for it on her own. The Bruce Coville picture books are awesome, both my kids have loved them, and we got them from the library. I agree. :001_smile: I'll add Leon Garfield's Shakespeare Stories volumes 1 and 2. They're a step above the Lamb retellings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asmall Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 My girls are 9 and 11. AL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 My girls are 9 and 11.AL I'd choose Lamb, then. We've been reading it aloud as a family recently. My 8yo can follow along, but it's more than interesting enough to hold the attention of my teen. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I ended up getting Roger Lancelyn Green's Shakespeare retellings. I had gotten the Lamb, Nesbit and one other I can't remember out of the library to compare. I'd always heard how great the Lamb was. I was surprised how short the retellings were in the Lamb, and also how few plays were included. I really preferred the Green. They kept much more of the story intact, also include a lot of the Shakespearean language (more than the Lamb, I think), while still being quite readable. His volume also includes more plays. My kids were mid-elementary when I got it, if they'd been early elementary the Lamb probably would've been better. I do think it's out of print, but I was able to get it used quite inexpensively on Amazon or Alibris (don't remember which). I was able to get all those different versions from the library before I chose one to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I'd choose Lamb, then. We've been reading it aloud as a family recently. My 8yo can follow along, but it's more than interesting enough to hold the attention of my teen. :001_smile: :iagree: My dd9 commented the other day that with Nesbit, all the stories sound the same . . . the lack of detail means that the basic plot stands out more starkly, and I have to admit, a lot of them are very similar! :D Of Garfield and Lamb, she prefers Lamb - it's harder to follow, for sure, but the language feels more "Shakespearean", whereas she found Garfield a bit dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 My 13yo is enjoying reading a few versions of the same story. Lamb is the required reading (History Odyssey) and their so short, it's not too much to fit another book in. Here's what's been working for us: Tales From Shakespeare by Lamb Stories From Shakespeare by Chute The Young Reader's Shakespeare (series) by Scholastic On audio Shakespeare for Children by J. Weiss One I have but haven't used is Tales From Shakespeare by Tina Packer I haven't seen the Nesbit book, off to check it out! :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I have a copy of Nesbit, but have been listening to Lamb's on Librivox. I prefer the Lamb because I don't have to read it. :lol: I'll probably try the Nesbit again now that I have a copy with pictures. The one I had before had none and I could hear the wind whistling as the story flew over DD's head. I also pair the reading of the story with a viewing of BBC's Shakespeare Animated Tales on YouTube a week or two later. It seems to make the story stick better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I have the Lamb's, Nesbit, and Garfield. Each of my kids have had their favorite, but I like Lamb's with Garfield a close second. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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