Martin, Reed, & Austin Tichenor. Pop-up Shakespeare.

Martin, Reed, & Austin Tichenor.  Pop-up Shakespeare.    Candlewick Press  2017  unp  $19.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-9874-4    all ages  Drama 

E-BN

    

This pop-up compendium of the complete works of William Shakespeare is sure to entice a new generation.  William Shakespeare wrote 39 plays, 154 sonnets, and innumerable other works.  His words live on in the English language and are part of our daily lexicon.  How can all of this be condensed into one pop-up book?  The Reduced Shakespeare Company has managed it in spades (not Shakespeare.) Dividing the plays and sonnets into sections, the authors, armed with the amazing artwork of Jennie Maizels, offer a huge amount of information about the man and his works. While there are accurate summaries of the works, the wry tone is delightful and the text is spiced with dramatic anecdotes.  The historical background and political climate of the time are accurate and offer some insight into the development of the plays. Altogether, this is a perfect start to Shakespeare’s works if only for a personal collection. The pop-up format may not survive library use even though it is quite sturdily made.

Summary: A new generation will be enticed into these fabulous writings. This is a perfect start to Shakespeare’s works if only for a personal collection. The pop-up format may not survive library use even though it is quite sturdily made.    

Shakespeare, William                               --Susan Ogintz

Zimmerman, Virginia. The Rosemary Spell. Houghton

Zimmerman, Virginia.  The Rosemary Spell. Houghton Mifflin/Clarion  2015      273p  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-544-44537-6      ms/hs  Fantasy    E-BN

Rosemary’s father disappeared many years ago, and her mother lets her take over his old study.  With assistance from best friend Adam, she unlocks a cupboard that has been sealed for years and discovers a mysterious book.  When the pair and Adam’s sister Shelby travel to the island across the river, they accidently unleash a dangerous and evil spell that affects Shelby.  With the help of some poetry that Adam and Rosemary are studying in Mr. Cate’s class; Constance Brooke, a local poet affected with Alzheimer’s that used to live in Rosemary’s house; and clues from Shakespearian literature, the duo must find the antidote to break the spell.

This fast-paced thriller has many plot threads woven together to create a fascinating story that will entertain and delight young-adult readers. Works by Shakespeare and other recognizable literary novels and exerpts add to the adventure of putting clues together to break the spell.  The sense of urgency will engage and thrill the reader.
     

Summary: When Rosemary takes over her abandoned father’s study, she and her best friend Adam unlock a cupboard that houses a mysterious book that may have belonged to Shakespeare, which releases an evil spell that the pair must break.    

Magic-Fiction                                         --Virginia McGarvey

Zimmerman, Virginia. The Rosemary Spell.

Zimmerman, Virginia.  The Rosemary Spell.  Houghton Mifflin/Clarion     2015  273p  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-544-44537-6      ms      Fantasy     E-BN 

Best friends forever, Rosemary and Adam have agreed on absolutely everything, including the importance of books and words.  Most of Rosemary’s favorite books are recommendations from Adam’s older sister Shelby.  When the two teens discover a very old book in an old locked cupboard, it leads them into a magical world.  They follow up on the book’s history and, when they take it to their island and read a “spell” from Shakespeare’s sonnets, Shelby disappears, as do many of their memories of her.  It will take all of their ingenuity to save Shelby from the void of forgotten memories.  This is engaging, suspenseful, well-written fiction with excellent characterizations and a well-paced plot.  It will draw its readers into a world that mixes the power of friendship, Shakespeare’s magic, and the power found in words. 

Summary: This is engaging, suspenseful, well-written fiction with excellent characterizations and a well-paced plot.  It will draw its readers into a world that mixes the power of friendship, Shakespeare’s magic, and the power found in words.      

Shakespeare, Magic-Fiction                                  --Susan Ogintz

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth.

Shakespeare, William.  Macbeth.  Random/Candlewick Press  146p.  $21.99  ISBN 978-0-7636-6943-0   ms/hs  Graphic novel  E-BN     

Hinds produces another high-quality interpretation of Shakespeare’s work in the graphic novel Macbeth.  The talented artist set the story in 12th-century Scotland, a compromise between the 11th century of the real Macbeth and Shakespeare’s disregard for historical accuracy.  He uses muted gray, green and brown tones masterfully throughout the work to emphasize the darkness of the story.  The text is a modified version of the original, but it flows eloquently and key plot points are not lost.  Artistic and editorial decisions are noted in several pages at the end of the book.  Highly recommended as a supplementary text for classes studying Shakespeare’s work.      

Summary: Shakespeare’s Macbeth is illustrated in graphic-novel format.       

Macbeth, Shakespeare                                        --Stephanie Pennucci

Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Shakespeare, William.   A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  Cengage  (Gale/Blackbirch/

Greenhaven) 2012 144p $35.00  978-1-4205-0840-6  series:Classic Graphic Novel Collection  ms/hs      Graphic novel   VG-BN   

This graphic-novel version of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream is divided into five acts and includes a graphic list of the characters in the story.  This beautifully illustrated version represents the classic love story gone awry, as meddlesome characters interfere with each other’s relationships and a magic potion does its work.  Then when all seems lost, the magic reverses itself to straighten the lost path so that the lovers can find their way to each other again.
 

Magical creatures, fairies, mythical creatures and magic dust are sprinkled throughout the pages.  This is an enchanting retelling of one of Shakespeare's most famous comedies.

It also includes a glossary, Shakespeare’s biography, information about his birthplace, the history behind A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, and a list of other titles in the series.          

Shakespeare plays – Graphic novels                                --Magna Diaz