Knowing I lov’d my books, he furnished me
From mine own library with volumes that
I prize above my dukedom.
William Shakespeare, The Tempest
Today is Shakespeare’s 450th Birthday! Celebrations are in order, Librarians, Friends, Romans, Countrymen, us lend us your ears … we’d like to share with you some amazing Bard related reads!
Living with Shakespeare: Essays by Writers, Actors, and Directors by Susannah Carson
From Ben Kingsley, James Earl Jones, Jane Smiley, Margaret Drabble, Camille Paglia, Julie Taymor, and many others of his heirs onstage and on the page—37 essays about why we still love Shakespeare.
“An eclectic collection of pieces from an eclectic collection of writers about reading, directing, performing and adoring the Bard of Avon…. All will find light and warmth, comfort and companionship in these glowing pages.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A cornucopia of delights for lovers of the Bard.” —Booklist
How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig
A foolproof, enormously fun method of teaching your children the classic works of William Shakespeare.
“Don’t be fooled by the title. This book is for anyone who wants to brush up on Shakespeare… Don’t buy this book to teach your children; take them along as you commit these beautiful speeches to memory.”—Kirkus Reviews
“I wish someone had given this book to my parents. It would have made a life-changing task downright fun. Ken Ludwig is a smart, congenial and inventive guide, and everywhere in this remarkable book he takes the strangeness out of Shakespeare’s work and leaves the enchanting mystery. A book for all lovers, and potential lovers, of Shakespeare. Like nothing else, it creates a magical home theater for parents and their children.”—J. D. McClatchy, Yale University
William Shakespeare’s The Jedi Doth Return by Ian Doescher
Hot on the heels of the New York Times best seller William Shakespeare’s Star Wars comes the next two installments of the original trilogy: William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back and William Shakespeare’s The Jed Doth Return. Return to the star-crossed galaxy far, far away as the brooding young hero, a power-mad emperor, and their jesting droids match wits, struggle for power, and soliloquize in elegant and impeccable iambic pentameter. Illustrated with beautiful black-and-white Elizabethan-style artwork, these two plays offer essential reading for all ages. Something Wookiee this way comes!
Click for a look inside the book.
Visit the William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Facebook Page.
Looking to explore or revisit the Shakespeare’s canon? Whether you’re interested Hamlet or Macbeth … check out these resources.
Visit Modern Library’s Shakespeare site to learn more about his collected works.
Click to play Modern Library’s fun interactive Shakespeare game THE PLAYHOUSE.