The Young Reader's Shakespeare: Macbeth
Grade 5-10–This prose retelling of one of Shakespeare's most popular and frequently taught plays is a good introduction for readers who might not be ready for the original. It is told in short, two- to three-page chapters and is intended for a slightly older audience than Bruce Coville's picture bookWilliam Shakespeare'sMacbeth (Dial, 1997). McKeown incorporates many of the most significant poetic passages and images from the play into his clearly written, sometimes slangy narrative, and there is also some literary explication. The book includes a short introduction to the play and its history, a section called "Questions People Ask aboutMacbeth," and a listing of characters. The angular, almost Cubist illustrations are appropriate to the dark subject matter and suggest the tortured states of the Scottish nobleman and his wife. While nothing substitutes for reading the real thing, this retelling would be helpful to students who are attempting to understand the basics.–Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.