"The sign of a great writer is that their work survives beyond their lifetime. Shakespeare not only survived four hundred years but he has survived so many attempts to make him boring. Academics have taken him so seriously that they almost made us forget that Shakespeare wrote to entertain." (Deary, 2005, p. 191)

In this book, Deary has selected ten of Shakespeare's most famously performed plays and made them more accessible to young people by re-scripting and abbreviating the stories in modern day language and scenarios, and he attempts to add humor to cut the academic edge and appeal more to the entertainment element. Plenty of historical information about Shakespeare and Elizabethan times are woven throughout the book with an appropriate tone to fit the content, sure to appeal to those wanting to learn more about the Bard himself. The book has a lot of visuals, comics, and segues to keep readers on their toes. Not only is the book fun for a Shakespeare 'newbie', but is would have appeal to someone already versed in some of the particulars of his life, works, and times. ( )

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