Macbeth for Kids

Kelly L. Green is the Secretary of the Ontario Federation of Teaching
Parents, the past editor of CBRA’s Children’s Literature edition,
and the past president of the Toronto & District Parent Co-operative
Preschool Corporation.

Seven-year-olds can enjoy Shakespeare? Lois Burdett has proved that it
is so, in her series for children on the Bard and his work. Macbeth for
Kids is the latest entry, and it recaps Burdett’s work on Macbeth with
her grades 2 to 6 students at Hamlet School in Stratford, Ontario.
Burdett has written the gripping story in rhyming couplets—a form, she
says, that children love. She has incorporated original dialogue from
the play wherever possible.

The book is brightly and impressively illustrated by the students, and
includes their insightful stories and thoughts about the play. As
7-year-old Matt says on the back cover, “I think Shakespeare wrote the
Scottish play to tell the people that bad doesn’t pay and what goes
around comes around.” A page of suggested activities for parents and
teachers to initiate with kids concludes this great read-aloud book.
Highly recommended.