Heirs to Shakespeare: Reinventing the Bard in Young Adult Literature

by Megan Lynn Isaac

One of the best ways for modern readers to develop an appreciation for Shakespeare is by discovering how frequently his works are reinvented by today's young adult authors. Heirs to Shakespeare puts the Bard into conversation with these authors and helps bring Renaissance drama to life. This innovative approach to curriculum design bridges the artificial gap between canonical authors and contemporary writers. At the same time, it demonstrates how reading for personal pleasure and reading Shakespeare can be complementary goals. Unlike other books that "pair" classic and contemporary books, this one provides readings and specific analysis of the Shakespearean influence underpinning many young adult novels. Important features

Genres: Education

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2000

Reviews

[Candy Wood]

This book illustrates both good and bad features of discussions of curriculum design aimed at high school teachers. On the good side, Megan Isaac presents a useful list of YA novels from the US, the UK, and Canada, all related to one or more specific Shakespeare plays, with publication dates (the majority from the 1980s and 1990s) and enough discussion to help readers choose books for their own classrooms. For busy teachers, she also provides summaries of historical context, clearly identifying her main sources. However, anyone with the time should read those sources instead of taking her word for it: Barbara Hanawalt's history of childhood in medieval London and James Shapiro's Shakespeare and the Jews, for example, are worth more than her brief summaries. Though she is careful to distinguish interpretation from fact, some of the connections she draws between novels and plays seem forced: the chapter on Hamlet is the least convincing, partly because some of her interpretations are questionable. Some proofreading problems are distracting.