Some Shakespeare to read while I travel
I think we may be ready by the time we need to leave early in the morning. I hope. We are doing carry-on only, and I have never packed so light in my life. It feels like quite an accomplishment.
One of the things we did today was to finish up our tea time read aloud book before I left. There is nothing worse than leaving a book hanging for ten plus days while you wait to find out what happened. This book turned out to be very well done and very popular with the masses. Because we are in Scotland as our last country, I was looking for a chapter book that had to do with Scotland. I came across a prose retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth called Enter Three Witches by Caroline B. Cooney.
Now, the play of Macbeth is not a terribly jolly story (there's an understatement), and not one a person immediately thinks of to share with elementary and middle school aged children. But the reviews were good, so I took a chance. The story was still not jolly, but it was riveting. I wouldn't recommend it for young children, but if a child can manage something along the lines of Lord of the Rings, violence-wise, then this would be appropriate.
What I liked was that the author used Shakespeare's words when possible. In doing so, I think this is an excellent vehicle for introducing the play to younger audiences. When we get back, I will look into finding a production of the play that we can watch. With the story already firmly fixed in their heads and some of the language as well, it will be an easy step to appreciating the play.
I also firmly believe that young children can appreciate Shakespeare. The key is to make it interesting (which it is) and give them the tools to understand what they are seeing... understanding the plot, practice in listening to complex language, and perhaps an adult sitting next to them quietly whispering key points that they might not catch. Perhaps the biggest thing, though, is to see it performed. There is little worse than just reading a play that was meant to be seen on stage. To fully appreciate and enjoy Shakespeare, it must be seen and not just read. I also might suggest starting out with a comedy and not just jumping into Macbeth. But that is where we are, so that is what we will do.
I will be blogging about our trip, but there will be a break due to travel and time zones. To keep you entertained in the interim, you can enjoy some other Shakespeare-themed posts.
Shakespeare and Children
The Secret Life of Props
To My New Washer - A Shakespearean Sonnet
The Remedie for Towels which Stinketh
Enjoy!
One of the things we did today was to finish up our tea time read aloud book before I left. There is nothing worse than leaving a book hanging for ten plus days while you wait to find out what happened. This book turned out to be very well done and very popular with the masses. Because we are in Scotland as our last country, I was looking for a chapter book that had to do with Scotland. I came across a prose retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth called Enter Three Witches by Caroline B. Cooney.
Now, the play of Macbeth is not a terribly jolly story (there's an understatement), and not one a person immediately thinks of to share with elementary and middle school aged children. But the reviews were good, so I took a chance. The story was still not jolly, but it was riveting. I wouldn't recommend it for young children, but if a child can manage something along the lines of Lord of the Rings, violence-wise, then this would be appropriate.
What I liked was that the author used Shakespeare's words when possible. In doing so, I think this is an excellent vehicle for introducing the play to younger audiences. When we get back, I will look into finding a production of the play that we can watch. With the story already firmly fixed in their heads and some of the language as well, it will be an easy step to appreciating the play.
I also firmly believe that young children can appreciate Shakespeare. The key is to make it interesting (which it is) and give them the tools to understand what they are seeing... understanding the plot, practice in listening to complex language, and perhaps an adult sitting next to them quietly whispering key points that they might not catch. Perhaps the biggest thing, though, is to see it performed. There is little worse than just reading a play that was meant to be seen on stage. To fully appreciate and enjoy Shakespeare, it must be seen and not just read. I also might suggest starting out with a comedy and not just jumping into Macbeth. But that is where we are, so that is what we will do.
I will be blogging about our trip, but there will be a break due to travel and time zones. To keep you entertained in the interim, you can enjoy some other Shakespeare-themed posts.
Shakespeare and Children
The Secret Life of Props
To My New Washer - A Shakespearean Sonnet
The Remedie for Towels which Stinketh
Enjoy!
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