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Historical Notebooks
William Shakespeare: His Life and Times
A lavish, interactive introduction to the great poet’s life, his work and the times he lived in.
In this enthralling scrapbook that William Shakespeare compiled for his daughter, he looks back on his life as he retires from the theatre. Discover late-sixteenth- and early-seventeenth centurystories of love, war, kings and queens, fellow playwrights and actors, explorers and life in London.
In this enthralling scrapbook that William Shakespeare compiled for his daughter, he looks back on his life as he retires from the theatre. Discover late-sixteenth- and early-seventeenth centurystories of love, war, kings and queens, fellow playwrights and actors, explorers and life in London.
30 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Kristen McDermott
7 books27 followersKristen McDermott is a Professor of English Literature at Central Michigan University, specializing in Early Modern Drama. Her most recent book, William Shakespeare: His Life & Times, published by Templar/Candlewick and co-authored with Ari Berk, won the School Library Association's 2011 Children's Choice Information Book Award. Her edition of Jacobean court entertainments, Masques of Difference: Power, Race and Gender in the Masques of Ben Jonson, (Manchester University Press, 2007) makes use of an interdisciplinary background in music, drama and literature. Her scholarly articles have appeared in Pedagogy, Renaissance Papers, Shakespeare Magazine, Early Theatre, and Language Arts Journal of Michigan, and she has been the co-editor of the "Folkroots" column for Realms of Fantasy Magazine, which has also published several of her articles on Shakespeare and folk traditions for a general readership. She is currently a regular book reviewer and features writer for Historical Novels Review.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 15, 2010
This handsome interactive volume, similar to the "Ology" series also published by Candlewick (the highly popular Pirateology, Dragonology, etc.), purports to be William Shakespeare's personal scrapbook, put together in April, 1613, on the eve of his retirement from London to Stratford-upon Avon.
The book is filled with all kinds of fun envelopes and tiny books to open and peruse, as well as a plethora of color illustrations. Candlewick provides a You-Tube video in which each page is turned and the viewer can see how various parts of the book open, allowing potential readers to see the layout of the book without bothering to visit the bookstore.
Written in a kind of mock-Elizabethan style, Shakespeare writes his reminiscences for the benefit of his daughter, Judith. Sidebars supplement these faux memoirs with facts, such as we know them, about Shakespeare's life, although the authors are careful to note that, for all his fame, we really know relatively little about Shakespeare's life. Nonetheless, the Bard recounts his childhood days in Stratford, including frolicking in the Forest of Arden with his siblings, his school days, courting and then progresses to talking about his marriage to Anne Hathaway, the birth of their children and the loss of his beloved son Hamnet at the age of 11. Shakespeare's scrapbook touches on a wide variety of topics, including life in London, the Globe Theatre, his fellow players, love and war, feasts and fun in Elizabethan England, life at court, ghosts and fairies, and more. The scrapbook concludes with Shakespeare's Last Will and Testament, and a letter from Shakespeare to his daughter Judith.
The book is not really laid out in a manner that would make it easily usable for a school biographical report on Shakespeare, but it could certainly supplement a more conventional biography and would make a valuable and entertaining classroom resource for teachers to have on hand when studying Shakespeare plays. Although the book is suitable for ages 8 and above, it may be more likely to appeal to students who have already begun studying Shakespeare in school (here in California that's in middle school). If a parent were taking a child to their first Shakespeare performance, this scrapbook would also be excellent to read together to provide historical background. Brief excerpts from various plays are included, as are synopses of some of his key works.
As the holidays approach, I can't help but think what a lovely holiday gift this would make to a favorite English teacher!
The book is filled with all kinds of fun envelopes and tiny books to open and peruse, as well as a plethora of color illustrations. Candlewick provides a You-Tube video in which each page is turned and the viewer can see how various parts of the book open, allowing potential readers to see the layout of the book without bothering to visit the bookstore.
Written in a kind of mock-Elizabethan style, Shakespeare writes his reminiscences for the benefit of his daughter, Judith. Sidebars supplement these faux memoirs with facts, such as we know them, about Shakespeare's life, although the authors are careful to note that, for all his fame, we really know relatively little about Shakespeare's life. Nonetheless, the Bard recounts his childhood days in Stratford, including frolicking in the Forest of Arden with his siblings, his school days, courting and then progresses to talking about his marriage to Anne Hathaway, the birth of their children and the loss of his beloved son Hamnet at the age of 11. Shakespeare's scrapbook touches on a wide variety of topics, including life in London, the Globe Theatre, his fellow players, love and war, feasts and fun in Elizabethan England, life at court, ghosts and fairies, and more. The scrapbook concludes with Shakespeare's Last Will and Testament, and a letter from Shakespeare to his daughter Judith.
The book is not really laid out in a manner that would make it easily usable for a school biographical report on Shakespeare, but it could certainly supplement a more conventional biography and would make a valuable and entertaining classroom resource for teachers to have on hand when studying Shakespeare plays. Although the book is suitable for ages 8 and above, it may be more likely to appeal to students who have already begun studying Shakespeare in school (here in California that's in middle school). If a parent were taking a child to their first Shakespeare performance, this scrapbook would also be excellent to read together to provide historical background. Brief excerpts from various plays are included, as are synopses of some of his key works.
As the holidays approach, I can't help but think what a lovely holiday gift this would make to a favorite English teacher!
December 8, 2010
If you've ever seen Dragonology or Egyptology or Pirateology or ANY of the "Ology" books, that's what this book is like, except about Shakespeare, which makes it infinitely cooler than any of the other ones. They should have called it "Bardology".
November 21, 2011
I love this one. The pieces thata are put in the book feel very real. All little notes are very ...special and intimate. Holding them in hands feels breathtaking. I know this book is designed for kids , but I felt such joy and happiness having thin one to read.
January 3, 2024
This is a delightfully fun toy book for fans of the bard. McDermot and Berk have compiled a fictionalized scrapbook imagining it to be a gift of mementos collected by Shakespeare as a present to his daughter Judith about his life in London as an actor and playwright. Alongside the fictional notes from William himself explaining life and manner in the big city are their own 21st century commentary on the playwright’s life and family connections in and around Stratford-upon-Avon: his education and departure to the become an actor, the Globe Theater, his contemporary playwrights, actors, and friends, life at court and among the lowlifes of the city. It also includes information on 16th and early 17th century English beliefs about the supernatural and ways of waging war and throwing big parties. As the cover promises it is “an interactive journey packed with booklets, fold-outs and flaps,” many facsimile documents, and tiny book-like summaries of some of his plays.
June 1, 2020
The, somewhat fictionalized?, account of the life of William Shakespeare. There's a little description from the authors on each page, but mostly it's narrated through what seems to be Shakespeare's journal entries or letters to his daughter Judith, although they also seem to be amended and compiled by the authors themselves. The wonderful illustrations make it easier to transport to his era more realistically. The book is also interactive in that each page is full of fold-outs and flaps of mostly synopsis of and excerpts from his works. Reading this book feels like being on an actual journey, and I enjoy every minute of it.
June 3, 2020
Fun looking with pockets and flaps and mini books (play summaries). Very confusing: the font is almost illegible (like it did not print well from and old press, the spelling is in a foreign language (old English), as is the vocabulary, difficult to tell what is Shakespeare’s writing and the author’s writing (though the author is no Shakespeare and at one point is so politically correct I wanted to barf). There is much historical information splattered about but hard to understand because of the font and the foreign language thing.
December 12, 2024
A fun and interesting "craft" book.
March 22, 2025
Very fun to read and involving with all the little foldouts and letters!
Great way to learn about Shakespeare’s life and the context of his work.
Great way to learn about Shakespeare’s life and the context of his work.
January 26, 2015
I loved the scrapbook inspired layout of this book, though at first it was rather confusing, as I wasn't sure what to read first, but after I developed a system it wasn't confusing at all. The book is written partly in Shakespeare's voice and partly in the narrators. There are small cards, letters, pictures, scattered through out with tidbits on history and his plays. It's a wonderful book for anyone who loves Shakespeare or even just the time period in which he lived.
September 18, 2010
This scrapbook, reminiscent of the Ology series, contains quotes, asides, and artifacts highlighting Shakespeare's life and the time period in which he lived.
The research, writing, and additional flaps and foldouts in the book were outstanding, but I found the type small and hard to read and many of the pictures were dark and dull.
The research, writing, and additional flaps and foldouts in the book were outstanding, but I found the type small and hard to read and many of the pictures were dark and dull.
May 26, 2017
Well done - gives a nice overview of the life and times of Shakespeare: what theatre was in his time, beliefs, hopes, politics,...
And it's done in a way I was reminded of some books I had when I was a child :-) Even as a grown-up I still enjoy opening little letters, finding small books within the book which you can open,.. :-) It's fun AND informative!
And it's done in a way I was reminded of some books I had when I was a child :-) Even as a grown-up I still enjoy opening little letters, finding small books within the book which you can open,.. :-) It's fun AND informative!
August 18, 2019
Bought this book during a travel, I found it in an adorable bookshop in a little town.
I loved it right away, it takes me back to the kind of interactive books I LOVED as a kid.
I still need need to read it but flipping through it just reminded me of why I adore this kind of books and the curiosity and discovery it brings.
I loved it right away, it takes me back to the kind of interactive books I LOVED as a kid.
I still need need to read it but flipping through it just reminded me of why I adore this kind of books and the curiosity and discovery it brings.
February 4, 2016
I found this while inventorying the Children's biographies. Written in the format of a scrapbook for his daughter Judith, this is a fascinating view into Shakespeare's life.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews