The Shakespeare Stealer

Book Description

Widge is an orphan with a rare talent for shorthand. His fearsome master has just one demand: steal Shakespeare's play "Hamlet"--or else. Widge has no choice but to follow orders, so he works his way into the heart of the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's players perform. As full of twists and turns as a London alleyway, this entertaining novel is rich in period details, colorful characters, villainy, and drama.

"A fast-moving historical novel that introduces an important era with casual familiarity." --School Library Journal, starred review

Awards:
( An ALA Notable Book
( An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
( An NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
( A Smithsonian Magazine Notable Book
( A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
( A Child Study Children's Book Committee Best Children's Book of the Year

Customer Reviews:

Great Historical Fiction Title for Young Adult Readers.......2007-06-13

This novel is a terrific example of historical fiction. The author blends true and fictional elements in a stirring and adventure filled story. The author ingeniously uses the spelling and language usage of the time to lend credibility to the characters and the setting. The characters presented are round and dynamic. The protagonist, Widge, undergoes the maturation of a typical adolescent attempting to form his or her identity. Other characters develop in their own way, each with their own distinct personality and desires. The author places authentic historical characters as well, Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth. These characters are also historically accurate. The queen's white make up and Shakespeare's personal tragedies are described precisely. The main conflict is an internal one, Widge must decide if he should steal the play or remain among his new friends. His predicament mirrors Hamlet's `to be or not to be' dilemma. This struggle is universal and relevant to modern day readers. This book will appeal to readers who are interested in the time period, Shakespeare, theater or an exciting, well-told story. Another high point of this book is the use of humor, both lowbrow slapstick and highbrow allusions and word play. The themes of choosing right from wrong, finding your identity, racism and gender issues are all explored throughout this rich novel. A teacher may use this book as an introduction for the life and times of Shakespeare as well as any of his plays. The Shakespeare Stealer is a highly entertaining and rich look into the past.

Theatre and Language of England.......2007-03-13

This novel for young teens and its sequels follow the adventures in theatre and language of a boy named Widge. Those readers with an interest in theater, history, weaponry, England or linguistics will find this especially interesting. The names of streets and buildings will be familiar to those who have read other novels of London. Though some events are harsh, I found this quite appropriate for my son to read. Those who enjoyed reading this story of a boy in theatre might also like reading the similar adventures of a girl in choir in the historical novel A Murder for Her Majesty by Alice Hilgartner. The Shakespeare Stealer is recommended.

This is the first of a series that includes Shakespeare's Scribe and Shakespeare's Spy. All three are in the single-volume hardcover The Shakespeare Stealer Series. The series should be read in order. The Shakespeare Stealer is a complete novel and does not leave you hanging while you scramble to find the sequel.

Great historical adventure story.......2007-03-13

This is a well-written adventure story for children ages 11 and up. It does an excellent job of immersing the reader in 16th century England, mostly London. The dialogue contains enough hints of old English dialect to feel real, but is easy to understand. It was fun to read about what life might have been like for an apprentice at the Globe theater, working with Shakespeare. There are enough sword fights and adventure to keep boys interested. I would have liked more details about Widge's moments on stage, how it felt to become an actor, etc. The story is told almost entirely from back stage, and it would have been exciting to have been inside Widge's heart and head while he was on stage. What did he see in the audience, etc? But a fun book, nonetheless, and I recommend it.

Great Book!.......2006-11-07

I think The Shakespeare Stealer is a great book! When you read it, it's like you travel back in time, back to the time of Shakespeare...
The main character in this book is Widge, who's an orphan. Even though he has no real family, the theater takes him in and "adopts" him into his family. He has many life threatening adventures that will keep you glued to your book for hours!
The author does a great job describing history and filling the book with details to make you wish you were there, and sometimes, becuase of the scary and grusome scenes, that you weren't.
This book is sometimes intense, but funny. It's also action packed and life threatening (for Widge). It is historic, and it really captures how powerful friendship and the love from family is.
I think many people would enjoy reading this great book, whether they are young or old, because no matter who you are, I think this book will have a big impact on you, how you think about past and present times, and help you realize the importance of the people in your life.

The Shakespeare Stealer .......2006-10-31

I did this for my 7th grade humanities class.

This story is about an orphan named Widge. He goes to a man named Dr. Bright who adopts him. Then he goes to a different man named Falconer who is very rude to Widge. Then Falconer tells him to steal Shakespeare play. He tries but all the actors want him to stay so he is stuck between Falconer and his new friends.

I rated the Shakespeare Stealer two stars because I don't really like Medieval Times Books. But people who do like would really enjoy The Shakespeare Stealer.

I would recommend this book to people who like the Medieval Times. It is a really good book and I recommend it to everyone.

A Shakespeare Reader: Sources and Criticism (Shakespeare : Text and Performance)

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A Shakespeare Reader: Sources and Criticism (Shakespeare : Text and Performance)

Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

History | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0312230400

Book Description

This rich collection of critical and secondary material has been selected to assist in the study of Shakespeare's plays. It includes a selection of sources and analogues Shakespeare drew upon in writing nine of his major works as well as a variety of widely divergent critical interpretations of the plays over the last sixty years.

The Young Reader's Shakespeare: Othello (Young Reader's Shakespeare)

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The Young Reader's Shakespeare: Othello (Young Reader's Shakespeare)
Adam McKeown
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1402711158

Book Description

A new entry in the superb, visually striking, and innovative series for young people. Children, parents, librarians, educators, and critics will all be delighted to have another engrossing retelling of one of Shakespeare's plays.

A young woman's elopement with a dark-skinned foreigner. An evil manipulator, dead set on bloody revenge. A noble warrior, fatally consumed by jealousy. Shakespeare's play about the Moor who "loved not wisely but too well," comes to life in this intensely thrilling and beautifully illustrated retelling. The enticing text, written by an outstanding scholar, draws young readers in with outstanding dialogue, vivid description, and careful attention to the flow of events. Shakespeare's own lines blend seamlessly with the modern language, and illuminating information enhances youngsters' involvement and comprehension. There are answers to FAQs, background on Shakespeare and the play, and a "Who's Who" of the characters. Young Reader's Shakespeare is a powerful visual and reading experience.

Adam McKeown has taught Shakespeare, Renaissance culture, and writing at New York University, Clarkson University, and Princeton, and is currently a professor at Adelphi University in Long Island.

Award-winning artist Sterling Hundley has received medals from the Society of Illustrators in New York and the Illustrators Club of Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. His work has appeared in such prestigious magazines and newspapers as Entertainment Weekly, GQ, the New Yorker, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times.

Average customer rating:

omission?
very good book - could use less fawning
Timeless classic
Summaries translate the Bard's work into everyday English
An excellent summary of the Canon

Stories from Shakespeare
Marchette Chute
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Readers | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0452010616

Customer Reviews:

omission?.......2007-09-03

I have just received this book but have noticed that Pericles, Prince of Tyre has been left out - I wonder why? Haven't read the book yet; when I do, I'll add my opinion on it here.

very good book - could use less fawning.......2007-01-04

This book does an excellent job of describing the plots, settings, and characters of the stories of all Shakespeare's plays. The author also provides good background detail of the time, relevant facts from Shakespeare's life, and some not-excessively-detailed analysis where appropriate. My one small complaint with the book is that the author is so deeply in love with the works and the very idea of Shakespeare that she rarely lets an opportunity pass to tell us how wonderful he is. (The level of fawning and gushing is sometimes reminiscent of listening to a fourteen year old girl talk about Justin Timberlake.) But apart from this minor complaint, I heartily recommend the book -- it's quite readable and the overall scholarship is outstanding.

Timeless classic.......2006-03-14

I used this book successfully to help negotiate top grades in an Ivy League Shakespeare class more than 30 years ago, and I still use a copy to reorient myself and my family to Shakespeare's works. An invaluable guide to the essence of each play, including all significant aesthetic themes. Indispensable as a quick read before seeing a Shakespeare play that hasn't been read or seen for some time. I've come across no other book that is so helpful yet concise.

Summaries translate the Bard's work into everyday English.......2004-03-24

Chute's book provides a basic summary for each of Shakespeare's plays. Her writing is as lyrical as it is complete for such a book, which makes it a handy, enjoyable reference. Her main goal is to make the stories digestible, and to that end, the essence of Shakespeare's plays emerges brilliantly, freeing the average reader of dusty Elizabethan language. Unlike other books that give choppy scene-by-scene summaries (though helpful in their own way) or brief plot highlights, Chute's summaries seamlessly tie the play's entire action, principle and otherwise.

The plays are grouped by comedies, tragedies, and histories, with comedies and tragedies in the likely order they were written and the histories arranged chronologically by reign. She includes an illuminating introduction that sheds light on Shakespeare's genius and innovation as well as how best to approach his work. An index of characters is also included. One of the many things I appreciated about this book is Chute's resistance to overemphasizing popular texts. With the exception of "Titus Andronicus," she devotes a fair amount of text to each play, though some do receive added attention.

Those looking for a more detailed or critical reading of Shakespeare's work would not benefit from Chute's book. There are numerous (non-academic) guides for those desiring more than a casual read and study of the Bard. ("Shakespeare for Dummies," "The Pocket Companion to Shakespeare," and "The Age of Shakespeare" are all books I've consulted for more background and a better understanding of the author and era.) In her introduction, however, she points out that the purpose of her book "is to give the reader a preliminary idea of each of the thirty-six plays by telling the stories and explaining in a general way the intentions and points of view of the characters." On occasion she gives critical analyses of characters and plays but in an informative and unobtrusive manner. This book is not Cliff's Notes or a substitute for the actual play, but it does make Shakespeare understandable.

An excellent summary of the Canon.......2003-10-10

Margaret Chute's Stories of Shakespeare uses an novel technique. She writes treatments for 36 of the plays (those in the First Folio), a present tense chronology of the plot in simple, eloquent language. This book is useful for actors, students or the casual fan. The book also appreciates the beauty of Shakespeare's language by offering selected excerpts. Further, it recognises the humor, the history and the tragedy of the story and gives concise summaries so the reader can always follow the action. This is an excellent book.

The Young Reader's Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet (Young Reader's Shakespeare)

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SPARK AN INTEREST IN SHAKESPEARE!

The Young Reader's Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet (Young Reader's Shakespeare)
Adam McKeown
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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West Side Story (Full Screen Edition)

ASIN: 1402700040

Book Description

The latest entry in a successful new series.

"Are you Romeo, and a Montague?"
"Neither, fair maid, if either you dislike."
Juliet smiled.

This wonderfully contemporary retelling features enticing art on nearly every page and provides an excellent introduction to the story. Written by an outstanding scholar in simple, eloquent language, it will draw youngsters in with superb dialogue, and vivid description. The skillful blending of Shakespeare's own lines with modern language enhances children's involvement and comprehension. There's background on Shakespeare and the play; answers to FAQs such as “Isn’t Juliet too young to be married?” and a “Who's Who” of the characters. Young Reader's Shakespeare is a powerful visual and reading experience.

Customer Reviews:

SPARK AN INTEREST IN SHAKESPEARE!.......2005-11-21

A satisfactory introduction to the Bard! We borrowed this from the library and it captured my 12 year old daughter's interest--which is saying a lot, as she usually doesn't share my affinity for reading. I also borrowed the 1967 Romeo and Juliet movie, and after she read a scene in the book, we would watch that scene in the movie with the Elizabethan English (I was hoping to forge a connection between the original text and the simplified version in this book, as well as make it come alive for her). She loved it, and couldn't wait to see what happened next! The illustrations are practically identical to the characters' costumes in the movie, as well. I gave it 4 stars because I thought it took a few unnecessary liberties with the original play, and because for me, much of the charm of Shakespeare is the flowery language (which is minimal in this version), but for the most part it remained true. Hopefully, this will show my daughter how enjoyable Shakespeare can be, and give her a good head start for when she studies his works in school. Recommended, and inspired me as well--to pick up the original play to have handy on my bookshelf!

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So good it kills me
A Great Introduction

The Young Reader's Shakespeare: Hamlet
Adam McKeown
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1402700032

Book Description

Introducing a new series sure to delight children, parents, librarians, educators, and critics:
THE YOUNG READER'S SHAKESPEARE.

"Your uncle?" Horatio said, startled by his friend's words. "Murdered his own brother? I don't believe it."
"You didn't believe in ghosts either," Hamlet said. "But there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. I tell you, something is rotten in the state of Denmark."

A dramatic and modern retelling of the classic drama with superb art throughout. Written by an outstanding scholar, this made-just-for-them Hamlet will foster in children a lifetime love of the Bard. The language is simple yet eloquent, and draws the children into the story with superb dialogue, vivid description, and careful attention to the flow of events. The skillful blending of Shakespeare's own lines with modern language and illuminating information enhances youngsters' involvement and comprehension. There's background on Shakespeare and the play; answers to FAQs, such as "Why isn't Hamlet sure if he can trust the ghost?" and a "Who's Who" of the characters. The story unfolds in awe-inspiring art, from full-page spreads to revealing details. Young Reader's Shakespeare is a powerful visual and reading experience.

Adam McKeown has taught Shakespeare, Renaissance culture, and writing at New York University, Clarkson University, and Princeton, and is currently a professor at Adelphi University in Long Island.

Sally Wern Comport has won awards from the Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts Magazine, Print Magazine, and Spectrum. Sally's recent books include: Brave Margaret, Skeleton Man, and The Great Expedition of Lewis and Clark. She serves on the faculty of the Maryland Institute, College of Art.

Customer Reviews:

So good it kills me.......2005-03-05

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!!!

A Great Introduction.......2003-11-04

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.

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Great Writing: A Reader for Writers
Harvey S. Wiener , and Nora Eisenberg
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0072370645

Book Description

Great Writing provides a multi-genre collection of rhetorically organized essays, memoirs, speeches, stories, poems, and a play - all presented within familiar rhetorical contexts.

Introduction to Old French (Introductions to Older Languages Series: N)

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Good buy
Functional Introduction to Old French
Great introduction!

Introduction to Old French (Introductions to Older Languages Series: N)
William W. Kibler
Manufacturer: Modern Language Association of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0873522923

Customer Reviews:

Good buy.......2005-08-02

I bought this to try to teach myself Old French for graduate school. An immense undertaking that never really happened (not the book's fault though!), but nonetheless, this book is very straightforward and, if a little dry, is full of primary sources for reading samples. It's a very good textbook.

Functional Introduction to Old French.......2005-05-20

This book provides a functional introduction to Old French for readers who already have at least reading knowledge of modern French. (Reading knowledge of Classical Latin, as opposed to Vulgar Latin, is far less necessary, since Old French is much, much closer to modern French than to Classical Latin.) The book jumps right in with reading passages (not translated) covering a complete "lai" by Marie de France. Old French is close enough to modern French (and even to modern English) that these passages are readable without great confusion, using the concordance at the end of the volume for help. This book does have several weaknesses: (1) Instead of a true vocabulary/glossary, the book provides only a concordance, listing each and every word in the grammatical form in which it appears, with specific line references. While this enables assured translations, it is not a convenient resource for further readings or for vocabulary drills. (2) The phonology sections will be confusing to non-specialists. Since the texts in the book are poetry, a simpler, more straightforward guide to pronounciation and scansion, in Lesson One, would have been nice. (3) The grammatical explanations cover the bases, but are not always as clear as they could be. In particular, explanations of grammatical changes over the language's evolution could more easily have been presented in the form of chronological charts, or one particular form could have been used as a consistent base, with historical variants covered in notes or an appendix.

Great introduction!.......2002-03-27

First things first ... this book does NOT have 57 pages...it has over 360 pages. (I hope this mistake hasn't deterred any potential buyers!)

There aren't that many introductory grammars of Old French lying around in English, and fewer yet that don't assume a thorough knowledge of Latin. (Einhorn's Old French is the only other one that comes to mind).

This excellent book is composed of 23 lessons. Each lesson begins with a passage in Old French, and is followed by a section with the appropriate grammar and syntax. Each lesson ends with a section on phonology; they trace the evolution of of the Vulgar Latin sound system into Old French. I think for students of Romance philology, these are worth the price of the book by themselves.

The first 15 lessons cover Le Fresne, by Marie de France, in the standard Francien dialect; later lessons introduce texts in the Anglo-Norman and Picard dialects.

The only drawback that I see in this book is the lack of vocabularies for the individual lessons. Every form of every word used in the lesson readings is included in the glossary in the back, so working through the reading involves looking up EVERY LITTLE WORD that you don't know in the dictionary in the back. Great way to internalize the grammar and learn the vocabulary, but not everyone will have the stomach for this tedious word-by-word torture.

Customer Reviews:

Fun for Beginners and Experts.......2003-05-03

Brandon Toropov has concocted a fun and illuminating guide to all of William Shakespeare's plays that admits to the huge gap between the Bard's language and our own, and bridges it nicely. Each play is summarized and analyzed, plot points outlined, and main quotes isolated for easy identification. In addition, each play contains its own "theme" for the accompanying illustrations: Laurel & Hardy, Woody Allen, and others help new modern readers to quickly identify what it's all about, while long-time Shakespeare fans should no doubt get some delightful chuckles out of the creative way the material has been presented. I was sad to see this is out of print, until I found the website for the publishers...

A simple way to understand Shakespeare.......1999-12-13

Well, I bought this book 'cause I wanted to learn some about Shakespeare and his creations. You can find a lot of funny cartons that will help you to understand better this genius.This book is an easy way to discover Shakespeare's play and probaly thoghts.

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Extremlely poorly chosen notes

Macbeth (New Swan Shakespeare Series)
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Longman Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0582527112

Customer Reviews:

Extremlely poorly chosen notes.......2006-04-04

When reading this book, you get so frustratring and wonders how how the editor motivates his choice of notes.

For example, the word "newest" gets the note "most recent" as you would not understand it. Another is "Say to the King the knowledge..." and "say to" gets the note "tell" and "knowledge" gets the note "what you know". I assure you also that the situational context allow one to understand it as much as you do now when you read it.

This notes I am sure almost everyone figure out themselves, but be that as it may, you wouldnt care if not the editor missed out to note much more difficult passages in the text. For example Lady Macbeth says "but I shame to wear a heart so white" and you get no note on what white might signify, in this case its being a coward, and may fall quite obvious to many readers, but not to me, and it annoys me that this (and many other semi difficult passages) remains unattended while so many much easier ones gets attended. And Im quite sure this is not due to my "white spots" i.e. part of the language i dont know.

BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE

Björn Ahlman

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