Who Was William Shakespeare?

by Celeste Davidson Mannis, John O'Brien

Overview

The beloved plays of Shakespeare are still produced everywhere, yet the life of the world's most famous playwright remains largely a mystery. Young Will left the town of Stratford to pursue theater in London, where his work eventually thrived and made him a famous and wealthy man. With black-and-white illustrations that include a diagram of the famous Globe theater, Celeste Davidson Mannis puts together the pieces of Shakespeare's life and work for young readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780756969523
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/09/2007
Series:	Penguin Who Was...Series
Pages:	105
Sales rank:	153,610
Product dimensions:	5.44(w) x 7.86(h) x 0.46(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

A writer, educator and social entrepreneur, Celeste has authored several award winning and best selling children’s books, including One Leaf Rides the Wind (Viking), Julia Morgan Built a Castle (Viking) and Who Was William Shakespeare? (Grosset & Dunlap). She teaches children’s literature for UC Berkeley Extension and creative writing for Join Our Story, an online platform she has created to share the joys of writing with seniors and other underserved populations. Celeste is currently working towards a PhD in Educational Technology at UC Santa Barbara, and writing, writing, writing!

Editorial Reviews

Hundreds of years have passed since William Shakespeare's time. While a great deal of the literature he created remains, a great deal of mystery remains about the man and his life. The goal of this slender text is ambitious: Celeste Davidson Mannis aims to paint a picture of the Bard's life and work that is complete, easy-to-understand, and appropriate for young, elementary school readers. She succeeds beautifully. Controversial topics, such as the mysterious "Dark Lady" mentioned in several of Shakespeare's poems or the choice to put on Richard II at the time of a planned political coup in England, are briefly discussed but not sensationalized or belabored. Although John O'Brien's simple pen-and-ink drawings do not provide a wealth of historical detail, they do add a strong visual interest to this work. This book is an engaging introduction to a subject that students will certainly encounter many times throughout their education—and their lives.

Children's Literature - Heidi Hauser Green