Customer Reviews

Hamlet : For Kids (Shakespeare Can Be Fun series)

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I teach third grade in an urban school in a very large district and have used Burdett's version of Hamlet as my sole reading program component for the last 2 months. My students have showed more growth in comprehension, vocabulary, writitng skills and public speaking, than I have ever seen with any other class. Not only has their work showed such growth, but their passion for reading has flourished unbelievably. My class ranges from d's to average b's to high honor roll and every child has grown and every child now loves Shakespeare. The wording that Burdett uses is enjoyable and comprehendable yet challenging enough to keep the educational bar raised without compromising the accuracy and intent of Shakespeare's original version. Burdett also incorporates written material and illustrations by students in her second grade class. This helps the children in my class relate to the book even more. They have developed a thirst for Shakespeare that I enjoy trying to quench everyday. Every child is quoting Shakespeare and reciting soliloquys, and I credit much of that to Burdett and her brilliant writing. I loved this book so much that I have personally purchased her entire series and have displayed them all in my classroom. These books are checked out by students in my class everday. They are by far the most frequently read books in my class. She has truly brought Shakespeare back to life in the classroom and on behalf of my students and myself as well, I thank her. Classic literature is back!!!!!

This was the perfect text to get my 10-year old reading Shakespeare! She's a bright girl, but I thought the "real" text of Hamlet might be a bit burdensome, so when I saw this book, I bought it right away. She loved it! Not only did she understand it, she liked reading it.
Yay, Lois Burdett!!!!! Applause! (can you hear it??)

Teaching Shakespeare to children has been a challenge until I found this series. Hamlet for Kids was the first book I read and I found it completely entertaining. As a home educator, I also found these works very inspiring. Burdett has found a way to use Shakespeare to help elementary school students in their reading comprehension and writing skills. The text is written in couplets, and contains the more famous lines from Shakespeare. The writings and illustrations by 3rd and 4th graders are entertaining and helpful. I wrote the author to get permission to do a stage performance of her work and received a prompt, personal reply with many helpful suggestions. This author is amazing and truly dedicated to helping children. My children love to read these books. This series is one of my top five favorite picks for an educational resource.

This series is wonderful to use in classrooms as a supplement for students with special needs. I use it at the high school level when including students with intellectual disablitites in the regular curriculum. It also serves as a fun review for the entire class!

These books are a great tool for wrapping one's head around the works of the Bard. From a culture that hosts a renowned Shakespeare festival annually, the author & her students make their festival experience accessible to those of us who reside in the far-flung provinces of the realm.