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Shakespeare Can Be Fun!
A Midsummer Night's Dream for Kids
"Who is William Shakespeare?" For more than 20 years, Lois Burdett has asked that question of her elementary school students in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, leading them on a voyage of discovery that brings the Bard to life for boys and girls ages seven and up. A Midsummer Night's Dream for Kids , written in rhyming couplets is suitable for staging as class plays as well as reading aloud.
64 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1997
9 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
Lois Burdett
18 books6 followersLois Burdett is an acclaimed elementary school teacher from Stratford, Ontario, internationally recognized for her innovative approach to teaching Shakespeare to young children. Through her Shakespeare Can Be Fun series and dynamic classroom methods, she has introduced serious literature to students as young as Grades 2 and 3. Her work has earned her numerous honors, including Canada's Meritorious Service Medal and awards from Encyclopedia Britannica and the Canadian Teachers' Federation. Her books and workshops continue to inspire educators worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 16, 2017
Check out the art!
May 14, 2018
This really helped my 8 year old sort out all the characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream. And he loved the illustrations by kids his own age. After reading this my kids made character grids and illustrations of their own.
Now we are just about ready to read Shakespeare's original play.
Now we are just about ready to read Shakespeare's original play.
June 9, 2024
This is the second one of these I've read and forget kids, these are a great review of or introduction to a play...especially one like this that has a lot of characters and can be confusing. Would that Shakespeare was always taught with such clarity and ease....
August 24, 2013
This book had some really good aspects. Shakespeare is one of the most influential writers in history but he is a bit difficult for elementary students to read. I really liked the idea of a book that could introduce young children to his works thereby sparking an interest in future teens to read the actual works written by the man himself.
In this aspect I think it succeeds. The story is pared down and written in a simple, yet engaging, way. Throughout the book it included illustrations, letter, and comments made by students around second grade age. These livened the book and made it more interesting to look at.
My complaint is about the quality of the poetry. Many people seem to think that poetry is just rhyming the last words of sentences that are paired together, ignoring meter altogether. Meter is a very important part of poetry and should not be neglected.
I hear your argument now. "It's just for kids, it isn't like it's Shakespeare." Well, you're right. And wrong.
There is a misconception that if something is for kids or is informal then quality doesn't matter. I argue that it does. If kids aren't exposed to quality as children, how will they recognize it or be able to produce it as adults. Stories don't have to be as complex, or deal with inappropriate issues, but they should be well composed at the very least. This is where the book falls short.
In this aspect I think it succeeds. The story is pared down and written in a simple, yet engaging, way. Throughout the book it included illustrations, letter, and comments made by students around second grade age. These livened the book and made it more interesting to look at.
My complaint is about the quality of the poetry. Many people seem to think that poetry is just rhyming the last words of sentences that are paired together, ignoring meter altogether. Meter is a very important part of poetry and should not be neglected.
I hear your argument now. "It's just for kids, it isn't like it's Shakespeare." Well, you're right. And wrong.
There is a misconception that if something is for kids or is informal then quality doesn't matter. I argue that it does. If kids aren't exposed to quality as children, how will they recognize it or be able to produce it as adults. Stories don't have to be as complex, or deal with inappropriate issues, but they should be well composed at the very least. This is where the book falls short.
April 26, 2022
My favorite Shakespeare receives the Lois Burdett treatment & it is wonderful. A delightful rhyme tells the stories of Oberon & Titania as they wrangle over a servant boy & play cruel trick on each other; of Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, & Helena--friends & lovers who endure terror, sorrow, anger, & love & much confusion during a night in the forest; & the merry troupe of local actors trying to rehearse their play for the wedding entertainment of Theseus & Hippolyta. All's well that ends well, however, as the students illustrate & write this wonderful adventure. I loved it!
May 7, 2019
What a delightful way to introduce children to Shakespeare and A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Lois Burdett’s rhymed couplets tell the tell so it is easy to understand. The clever illustrations and hysterically funny accompanying letters are by 7, 8, and 9 year olds, who clearly get what’s going on. And it all ends well. What a delight.
This is the perfect way to introduce my granddaughters to the play before they see it next week. Thank you, ever so clever, Lois Burdett.
Lois Burdett’s rhymed couplets tell the tell so it is easy to understand. The clever illustrations and hysterically funny accompanying letters are by 7, 8, and 9 year olds, who clearly get what’s going on. And it all ends well. What a delight.
This is the perfect way to introduce my granddaughters to the play before they see it next week. Thank you, ever so clever, Lois Burdett.
July 25, 2017
We bought this book for my 9-year-old daughter when we visited the Utah Shakespearean Festival this Summer to see "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Treasure Island." Lois Burdett has done a fantastic job recognizing the humor of Shakespeare and making it accessible and fun for today's children. The explanation boxes are hysterical. I highly recommend this series for anyone, even adults.
May 30, 2019
The modern rhyme captured well the story and feel of Shakespeare. The comments and illustrations by kids inserted throughout the book added much and were often springboards for conversation with my 12-year-old son. A good addition to our study of the original Shakespeare text.
October 21, 2017
Another quality adaptation. Two stars because the play itself is not one of Shakespeare's better efforts.
September 6, 2020
I read this for school. It was fun, I can totally see kids enjoying this format. I loved the rhyming and rhythm.
April 24, 2024
A Great read to introduce your children to the world of The Bard.
July 24, 2013
This series (Shakespeare for Kids... Lois Burdett)is an excellent introduction to the major plays for children. I'm using them with my daughter this year for second grade, and will probably revisit them with my son. The retelling is accessible without being "cute," and introduces some of the rhyme and meter associated with Shakespeare. The illustrations and some small notes are made by children, making them more enjoyable for young readers. I'd say this would work for most elementary school students, perhaps beginning in second grade or so.
December 4, 2024
A fun version for elementary kids makes it easy to follow the characters. This version brought the story to life for my son. He laughed and was eager to hear more as we read it aloud together. Actually, I enjoyed the simplicity of the story instead of being bogged down with deciphering the words to my child. He was able to grasp the point without losing the poetry of shakespeare. True, its not word for word, but the rhyming and poetic beat helped him get a great feeling for the beauty of Shakespeare.
November 12, 2010
Great rhyme. Great Read-aloud. The artwork by kids, is kid-friendly, as is the prose. This book gets across the basics of the tale in language that kids can understand. My daughter and I loved it. (She's 10). We enjoyed the little letters that the children wrote -- chuckling over the misspellings. And she enjoyed the mischievous pranks of Puck and lovers' woes. And me... I enjoyed introducing Shakespeare's stories to her.
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
March 6, 2015
My son's attention span is not his best feature, but this book (60+ pages, and took more than a half an hour to read) had him riveted. My daughter, who is 11 and has mostly outgrown being read to, heard us and had to listen, too.
No, it's not as well-written as the original, but it got their attention and familiarized them with the story.
No, it's not as well-written as the original, but it got their attention and familiarized them with the story.
May 9, 2013
I love this series so much! The story is written in couplets and has lots of quotes from the actual play, but is easy for kids to understand. I think this is a great intro to Shakespeare. Burdett captures the mood and humor of the original play really well.
July 13, 2015
Shakespeare for kids..a great concept. Told in poetic form, retold by kid, illustrated by kids. The possibility of how to use this play with kids is great! The plus of this book was I saw a way to differentiate reading instruction for my advanced readers.
April 20, 2011
This was so fun to read through with kids. Warning: the clever poem uses the 3 letter "a" word for donkey!
August 31, 2011
Kid friendly Shakespeare. The illustrations are by young kids, very cute. A nice intro to Shakespeare.
May 10, 2013
Lovely adaptation! Easy enough to understand for my 6 year old, and she really appreciated the kid-drawn pictures and letters and things. Even my 3 year old listened for the entire book!
May 9, 2013
My daughter and I loved these books by Lois Burdett when she was younger. What a wonderful introduction to Shakespeare! This was our FAVORITE of the series!!!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews