Picture Books
 

     Williams, Marcia. Bravo Mr. William Shakespeare!. 2000.  This book contains seven of Shakespeare's play in a comic format.  All plays include actual lines from the plays followed with a modern English translation.
 
 

Williams, Marcia. Tales from Shakespeare. Cambridge: Candlewick Press, 1998.  This book too shows six fammous of Shakespeare's plays in modern English.  Each play is presentd scene by scene in a comic strip format.  Williams allows for an easy understanding of sometime diffucult plays.

....Fantasy...........................................
 

  Mulherin, Jennifer. A Midsummer's Night Dream:Shakespeare for Everyone.  Morrisontown: Silver
                            Burdett Press, 1988.  This book gives a good background to the play and explains the important
                            charcters in the book.  It  allows for the reader to understand the important fantasy aspect
                            of  this play.
 

   Howe, Norma. Blue Avenger Cracks the Code. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1967.  This a story of a sixteen year old who began to live his life as a superhero.  His task is to find out who really wrote the plays and sonnents that Shakespeare is known for.  There are a lot of different poems and sonnents within the book to be exposed to.
 
 
 

     Blackwood, Gary. Shakespeare Scribe.New York:Dutton, 2000. This book deals with the Elizabethan time period of London.  It discusses the Black plague and due to that Queen Elizabeth closed the Globe Theatre.  The novel basises around the play Hamlet.
 

        Blackwood, Gary. The Shakespeare Stealer. New York: Dutton, 1998. This book
         also gives great description of the time, details of city life.  It is an exciting story
         of a boy who tries to be part of the Globe Theatre that completes a production
         of Hamlet.  It has many twists and turns because he is asked to steal the play
         from Shakespeare.
 
 

  Sonnemark, Laura, A. Something's Rotten in the State of Maryland. New York: Scholastic inc., 1990.  This book is about an English class whose assignment s to rewrite Hamlet in Modern English.  The main character uses her knowledge of soap operas to help make this task easier.  This would be great to use if your class was about to complete this assignment or just for a basic plot summary of Hamlet.
 
 

Jennifer, Mulherin. Romeo and Juliet. Morristown, NJ: Silver Burdette Press, 1988. This is the classic tale of ROmeo and Juliet in easy to read language.  Along with the text of the story it provides  descriptions and importnace of the characters in the play.

Biography........ 

Aliki. William Shakespeare and the Globe. New York: Harper Hollins Press, 1999.  This gaves a description of Shkeapeare's life while comparing it to the Elizabeth era, and the Globe Theatre.  It provides many referenences and pictures.  Aliki sets the book up in Acts and scenes just as Shakespeare would have.
 

Shakespeare for Kids : His Life and Times : 21 Activities
                                   written  by Colleen Aagesen, Margie Blumberg
 
 

Lyon, Sue.Shakespeare's England. New York: Marshall Cavindish, 1989.  This book provides
detailed description of Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, and Shakespeare.  Each of the figures are  described in the same three catogories so it is easy to compare and contrast.  Gives a phenomenal picture and description of the Globe Theatre.
 

FOLKLORE.....................................................FOLKLORE

Shakespeare and the supernatural; a brief study of the folklore, superstition, and the wicthcraft, in Macbeth, Midsummer night's dream, and the Tempest.  Written by Margaret Lucy
 

HUGGETT, RICHARD. SUPERNATURAL ON STAGE GHOSTS & SUPERSTITIONS OF THE THEATRE. New York: Taplinger, 1975. This book discusses all ghosts that have been apart of Shakespeares plays.

William Shakespeare: Poetry for Young People written by David Scott Kastan
                    This large-format volume from the Poetry for Young People series presents three
                    sonnets as well as 24 excerpts from the plays of William Shakespeare. The sonnets
                    are accessible and explain the sometimes difficult language of the plays. Some
                    speeches, such as "All the world's a stage," from As You Like It and "The quality of
                    mercy is not strained," from The Merchant of Venice, work well in this short anthology.
                    Others, such as the two excerpts from Henry IV, Part One, seem unlikely to appeal as
                    poetry, particularly to young people who do not know the play. It has illustrated
                    selections that often focus on a single character.
 

Under the Greenwood Tree : Shakespeare for Young People
           by William Shakespeare, Barbara Holdridge (Editor)
              Collection of poems that would not be overwhelming for younger children to read written by
                William Shakespeare.
 
 

BOOKS TO BUY

 Books on Poetry
 Books of Shakespeare and the Time Period
 Complete Works of Shakespeare

WEB SITES

 Complete Works
 Shakespeare on the Internet
 The Globe Theatre- virtual tour
 Teaching Shakespeare