Shake Hands with Shakespeare

by Albert Cullum

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0590097172
• ISBN13: 9780590097178
• Release Date: January 1968
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Nothing Even Comes Close

I can't for the life of me figure out why this book is out of print. There is nothing else like it out there -- "real" language that gives kids a feel for the original. Plots that are simplified but still meaningful. I performed in a play from this book when I was in third grade. It made such an impression that, 30 years later, I went searching for the book so I could produce plays with my fourth and fifth grade class. It's a treasure.

A wonderful introduction to Shakespeare

My sixth graders had a great time with the plays which carried them back to Shakespeare's time. The stories are presented clearly yet the condensations of the plays are true to Shakespeare's originals. The children had great fun thinking of the best ways to present the story and the characters using limited costuming and props. Their solutions were impressive. I liked the integrity Mr. Cullum showed toward the original story line and the Shakesperean English. My classes and I loved the time we spent with this book.

What I thought of Shake Hands With Shakespeare

Since first grade I have been a Shakespeare Fanatic, usally the only one in my class. When I was in third grade I checked this book out from the school library, what started as a book report became a full blown class play with me as the director of Romeo And Juliet. This book has a lot to offer, wonderful revisions of eight classic Shakespeare plays for elemenrery school kids, tips for costumes and stagings, advice and of course the plays themselves. I have now checked out this book for the second time for my fifth grade class to do A Midsummer Nights Dream. If you are trying to get kids involved with Shakespeare this is the way to go.

Shakespeare and Kids!

I used the Hamlet script out of this book to produce the play with my fourth graders and they ate it up. They couldn't put it down and understood what the play was about. I like how it still uses Shakespeares words and style but in a simplified way so that children will understand it. I enjoyed it a lot, and would recommend it to any who is daring enough to try Shakespeare with kids!

For teachers who love WS and want to pass it on

I have been in mourning since I loaned out this wonderful resource and it has gone missing. I managed, however to produce two plays with grade seven classes before the catastrophe. It is faithful to the Shakespearean style but has removed the longer, more complex word-plays ( generally lost on children). There remains enough of Shakespeare to create a whole new batch of fans.