Customer Reviews

The Young Reader's Shakespeare: Hamlet

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My 11 yr old daughter caught the reference to Hamlet in Freaky Friday (Mom's day in daughters school) and was curious about the plot line. I didn't feel that I explained it very well, and saw this book and picked it up for her. She devoured it and was quoting lines I knew, but never would have remembered were from that particular play. This book gave her a strong grasp of the characters, plot line and key scenes. A couple of weeks later we rented the Mel Gibson version and she told ME who everyone was and we followed along in the book. Halfway through the movie we got out the full length version of the play to follow along with the dialogue to be sure we got all the words. I doubt my 11 year old would have had the interest in the play without the double reinforcement of the simplified book and then the visual of the movie. I can't wait for more in the series - Romeo and Juliet is next, but not out yet. I learned as much as she did. This is a series to follow.

Do you like books about kings, queens, princes, ghosts, and death? If you do, you should read Hamlet, by Adam McKeown, illustrated by Sally Wren Comport, a great fiction book. It is a retelling from the famous writer, William Shakespeare.

Hamlet is the prince of Denmark, and his father, the king, was killed earlier by the king's brother. He puts on a play about a king being poisoned by another king to see how Claudius, the king of Denmark, reacts. The king stops the play. Then, the ghost of Hamlet's father comes and tells Hamlet to avenge him. After lots of deaths, the other prince of Denmark, Laertes, challenges Hamlet to a fight. Laertes' sword is poisoned, and he stabs Hamlet. In the end, Hamlet, the king, the queen, and Laertes die.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books about battles. The author has a great way to paint a picture in your mind, like, "Hamlet could not help but chuckle at the ridiculous fop." He also has really good word choice, like, "When he comes, tell him that his antics have angered everyone in the castle." This is a book for all ages to enjoy!!!

This abridgement does a tremendous job with Hamlet, showing the "madness", showing the tragedy, and keeping some of the original language.

Turning the dialog of a play into sentences and paragraphs is not easy, but Adam McKeown has kept the flow of the story, including the spoken asides. The characters come through loud and clear. This is so well done.

Sally Wern Comport has created a handsome Hamlet and an unforgettable Yorick! The illustrations could not be better.

Includes a Who's Who and some context for the play.

For reading aloud, certainly 4th grade is not too young for this excellent story.

The book,Young Reader"s Shakespeare: Hamlet, by Adam McKeown is a wonderful way for everyone to better understand Shakespeare's Hamlet. Mr. McKeown captures all the drama and adventure of the original play in modern prose, while still keeping some of the original lines we are all familiar with. He also has a section of frequently asked questions which he answers for the reader. This book is a great way to be introduced to Hamlet as well as a memorable review of a classic you once studied.