books
Beverley Birch
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Events for young people
About my books, my writing life, creative writing, about reading, or any combination of these.
On writing picture books and creative partnerships
In picture books there is the artist, bringing unknown dimensions and possibilities. The open-endedness of that is marvellous.
The Fight against Microbes: Pasteur’s Story
The true story of a man who helped save millions of lives
Adventures with Electricity: Benjamin Franklin’s story
The true story of one man's curiosity and the discoveries he made about electricity
Greedy Anansi and his Three Cunning Plans
Crafty spider Anansi's cunning doesn’t always get him what he wants.
Suzi, Sam, George and Alice
It's early Sunday morning, but Suzi, Sam, George and Alice have plans ...
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Shakespeare’s Stories
Five of Shakespeare’s best-loved plays, retold for young readers as stories.
ROMEO AND JULIET
MACBETH
TWELFTH NIGHT
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
JULIUS CAESAR
Illustrated by James Mayhew
Some of James’s illustrations
an extract from Macbeth
Sunless mists turned about the place, and rocks crouched low beneath a rumbling thunder. Into the circle of the gloom they came, twisting figures woven in the air; and with them came dark whisperings:
‘When shall we three meet again, in thunder, lightning or in rain?’
Hoarse with a poisonous hate, the answer lingered.
‘When the hurlyburly’s done; when the battle’s lost … and won.’
The sodden earth began to tremble …
‘That will be before the set of sun.’
‘Where the place?’
‘Upon the heath.’ A curdling wail rose through the air, as though a thousand wretched creatures were imprisoned in that moaning place.
‘There to meet with Macbeth!’ The final venomous shriek swept from the writhing shadows low across the heather and then up, up into the eye of a blackly gathering storm …
‘True to the power and poetry of the original plays, these dramatic retellings will help attract the reluctant and the intimidated to the pleasures of Shakespeare.’
Booklist
‘Superbly retold’
The Young Reader
‘Highly recommended’
The Book Report
‘all the wonder is retained and the difficulty lessened’
Meadowcreek Learning Resources Centre
‘captures the power and humour of the original plays’
Educational Media & Technology
‘highly satisfactory means of introducing children to Shakespeare … tackles the central issues with great clarity and discretion’
Sunday Times
‘I’ve always been opposed to condensation and simplification of great works of literature. As a remedial reading teacher, I refused to have my students use versions of great books that were ‘written down’ … but here Birch has won me over completely.’
Kliatt Paperback Guide
[published by Hodder Children’s Books]
