Childsplay: A Collection of Scenes and Monologues for Children [Paperback]

Kerry Muir (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

"Childsplay is a very charming and enchanting book - and an important book for children who want to act! Not only can they use this wonderful collection as a guide to the sorts of plays and parts that are available to them, they will discover here how plays ca be read just for pleasure. And they will particularly enjoy the selections written by children themselves." -Julie Harris

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Limelight Editions; 1st edition (August 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879101881
• ISBN-13: 978-0879101886
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #683,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Imaginative collection of deep and light scripts for kids, October 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Childsplay: A Collection of Scenes and Monologues for Children (Paperback)

I expected another dreary book of original monologues that had no subtext and no where to go. But this collection has popular playwrights like Tina Howe, Sam Shepard and more, will real storylines and deep characters. My only regret is that some of the finest work is too full of cuss words for the children I teach in the Bible belt. The author seems substantial with many merits to his name. Enjoyable reading for any age, especially people curious and excited about the workings of young minds. Many of the scenes were written especially for some youngster to help deal with a situation or conflict. In my opinion, any imagination work that concentrates on freeing the self and helping other to do the same is highly beneficial. Hey, one of these kids may even be just like your inner child! Enjoy!

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This book is mostly awful, December 29, 2004

By 

M. Tyson (Moscow, Russia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Childsplay: A Collection of Scenes and Monologues for Children (Paperback)

I was hoping for a collection of fun, intelligent, and imaginative scenes and monologues for my kids to perform. Instead, I find a bunch of hackneyed dross about children as victims--victims of bullying, victims of bad parents, victims of society,etc. Scene after scene is about children who've lost parents, or children in poverty, or children abused. And the scenes are so over the top as to make the characters almost comical. The only thing designed to challenge children are the contrived plot lines through which the character reveals how she/he has lost her/his parents/grandparent/sibling and is now living on the streets/running away/one meal away from starvation. What child wouldn't like to tackle the monologue entitled "The Day My Father Died." Most of the scenes and monologues are also written at a low reading level. Yuck. The only reason I didn't give this pitiable book one fewer star is because there are two or three adequate scenes and monologues. I found a much better book of plays--Plays Children Love, Volume II. Edited by Coleman Jennings.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Luv This Book, August 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Childsplay: A Collection of Scenes and Monologues for Children (Paperback)

I was in 2 of the scenes fetured in this book and saw several other(my theater group had a montage production). I have also seen some of the full plays the scenes were taken from. I would highly recommend this book to drama teachers of students anywhere from 9-14. These are the cuteest plays, especially Charlie Brown, Lemon Sisters,and Brighton Beach Memoirs. Get it!!