Reviewed by Linda D. Labbo
Review Section Editor
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, USA
Shakespeare for Kids: His Life and Times. Written by Colleen Aagesen and Margie Blumberg . Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press, 1999. ISBN 1-55652-347-5 (softcover). 150 pages. Recommended for use with children aged 9 and up.
This book is an excellent resource for adults interested in introducing youngsters to the life and times of William Shakespeare. On the back cover, Edward Gero, an actor with The Shakespeare Theater in Washington, D.C., describes it as “a welcoming and expansive gateway for young people to enter the powerfully imaginative world of Shakespeare's plays. Chock-full of information, insight, and entertaining hands-on projects, Shakespeare for Kids brings the stories and characters to life in clear, accessible ways. And it's fun!”
This user-friendly resource has all the makings for an exciting unit of study with many interdisciplinary connections. Shakespeare's life and works are interwoven throughout the text, which also contains many creative activities that invite youngsters to explore Shakespeare's world.
Like a play, the book opens with a prologue. Here, details about William's birth, early life, and home town of Stratford-upon-Avon are given in an engaging, easy-to-read style. A historical backdrop is also provided: Readers discover that in 1564, the year of Shakespeare's birth, Elizabeth I had been queen of England for six years, Michelangelo died, and the feats of explorers and adventurers Columbus, Vespucci, Balboa, and Magellan were already well known.
The book then unfolds in five acts. Act 1, “The Early Years -- A World Full of Wonders,” includes a print of the earliest known map of Stratford-upon-Avon, helpful definitions, a photograph of Shakespeare's birthplace, and copies of primary documents such as Shakespeare's baptismal record. Directions and a rationales for hands-on activities invite readers to engage with Shakespeare and his times. Readers discover that Elizabethans wore or carried aromatic balls in their pockets to protect them from diseases and bad-smelling air, and instructions are provided for making these pomanders. Because William's father, John, was a glover and tanner, instructions for how to decorate a pair of gloves, Elizabethan style, are offered. Readers can also learn how to juggle, make a family tree, build a bird feeder, create a fascimilie of a horn book, follow an Elizabethan recipe, and devise a new word.
While learning about Shakespeare's family life in Act 2, “Days of Love and Leaving,” youngsters will enjoy learning how to make and play Elizabethan games including Teetotum and Nine Men's Morris. Excerpts from Shakespeare's plays that deal with family life and romance are also provided.
Act 3, “A Life and Career in London -- The Nature of Success” covers the period from 1586 to 1610, when Shakespeare began writing plays. When theaters closed during the plague years, the playwright turned his quill to writing long poems and sonnets. Prints of bridges in London, St Paul's Cathedral as it looked in Elizabethan times, and London as seen from the Thames add an air of authenticity to this chapter. Directions are given for how to make and use a quill pen. Readers also learn how to compose a sonnet, design a coat of arms, create theatrical sound effects, and make a slashed-shirt costume and sword to use in a staged sword fight.
One of the inspirations for Act 4, “Home Again, Naturally,” is A Midsummer Night's Dream. Photographs of stage productions, quotes from the play, and prints are accompanied by an invitation for readers to paint a scene from the play, create a folio, and start a scrapbook.
The shortest of the chapters at just two pages, Act 5, “Your Place in This World of Wonders,” offers the following statement. “Shakespeare's plays had five acts. In this book, this final acts is yours!” Readers are encouraged to “strive mightily” to do whatever stirs imagination and passion.
The book closes with a full glossary, a list of Shakespeare's plays, addresses of relevant websites, and a bibliography.
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Note: If you are interested in introducing Shakespeare to your middle school students, you might like to read Claudia Anne Katz's Double, Double, Not Much Toil, Not Much Trouble, a commentary posted in the Articles section.