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World Full of...
A World Full of Dickens Stories
Uncover the stories from one of the greatest-novelists of all time in this beautiful anthology of tales from Charles Dickens, rewritten and adapted in an accessible way for children.
This book introduces children to eight of Dickens' greatest works, accompanied by beautiful, colourful illustrations which breathes new life into these timeless classics. Includes favourites such as Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations. A timeline at the back shows when each story was written, and gives facts about Dickens’ life.
Revisit your favourite Dickens stories and introduce his legacy to next generation of readers with this beautiful first introduction to some of the greatest stories all time.
Includes Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Hard Times, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby and A Tale of Two Cities.
This book introduces children to eight of Dickens' greatest works, accompanied by beautiful, colourful illustrations which breathes new life into these timeless classics. Includes favourites such as Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations. A timeline at the back shows when each story was written, and gives facts about Dickens’ life.
Revisit your favourite Dickens stories and introduce his legacy to next generation of readers with this beautiful first introduction to some of the greatest stories all time.
Includes Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Hard Times, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby and A Tale of Two Cities.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published July 7, 2020
31 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
Angela McAllister
126 books51 followersAngela McAllister is an award- winning author of over eighty books for children, including picture books, junior fiction, non-fiction and novels. Her work has been adapted for the stage and is widely used in schools. It has been translated into more than twenty languages. She lives in the south of England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
July 10, 2020
5★
‘Please sir, I want some more,’ he said quietly to the master in charge of the gruel.
The master glared at him in amazement.
‘What?’ he roared.
Oliver trembled with fear. ‘P-p-please, sir,’ he stuttered, ‘I want some more.’
The horrified master grabbed Oliver roughly by the collar and called for Mr. Bumble.”
Many people know the story of Oliver Twist and his “Please sir, I want some more.” This book is a great introduction for young readers who aren’t ready for the real thing but who have advanced beyond the picture book stage. There are pictures, but there’s plenty of text.
Cast of characters from “Oliver Twist”
The language is simple but keeps the spirit of the story and the style of Dickens and his times. Here’s their introduction to the food in the workhouse.
“All they were fed was a thin soup of oats and water, called gruel, along with an onion twice a week and half a bread roll on Sundays.”
Blech! There are about a dozen pages to each story with an illustration on every page and several full-page illustrations. There are enough words to please a teacher or parent and enough artwork to break up the grey matter for the kids. Here’s a full page illustration from Oliver.
Bill Sykes and Nancy capturing Oliver after he’d escaped from Fagin who ran the gang of pickpockets
Another favourite is “Great Expectations”, so I was interested to see Miss Havisham, of whom I have always had a mental picture from when I first read this in my teens for school. I reckon this is pretty much how I saw her.
“On my second visit, Miss Havisham asked me to help her walk to the dining room. Like the rest of the dark house, the dining room was lit only by candles. In the center of the room stood a long dining table, which was still laid with what must once have been a splendid wedding feast but was now nothing more than fancy dishes of moldy crumbs and cake icing scattered with mouse droppings, everything draped with dusty cobwebs.”
Miss Havisham with a nervous young Pip
This is another example of a full page from “Tale of Two Cities”, which took place during the French Revolution. It will give you an idea of the number of words and the design.
Madame Defarge was famous for knitting the coded names of the accused aristocrats into her work and is often pictured knitting at the foot of the guillotine. Here, she is marching with some other women. Note the Bastille in the background.
Mme Defarge and her revolutionary friends near the Bastille
The story is also known as the tale of two men who looked alike but were very different. When the virtuous one is caught up in the revolution, the lazy wastrel sacrifices himself instead, saying the oft-quoted Dickens line “It is a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done;. . . ”
Sidney Carton, preparing himself for the guillotine
I must mention “A Christmas Carol”, which many kids will know from various films and cartoon versions. “Scrooge” is such a part of the English language now, meaning miser, that he was popularised as Uncle Scrooge McDuck in the Donald Duck cartoons. Here’s the real Scrooge, being haunted by the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley.
Marley’s ghost appearing to Scrooge
“‘I have much to tell you’, replied Marley. ‘But I see you don’t believe in me.’
Then the ghost rattled its chain, from which hung a collection of keys, padlocks, and cash boxes, making a terrifying din. It followed this by untying the bandage around its chin so that its jaw dropped in a hideous fashion. Scrooge sank to his knees in horror and hid his eyes.
‘Do you believe in me now?’ asked the ghost.
Trembling, Scrooge nodded his head. ‘I do, Jacob,’ he said, ‘I do. But why are you here?’”
All in all, I consider these a good introduction to Dickens for a new generation of fans. Their knowing the plot won’t spoil the original books when they’re old enough. The bonus, of course, is that some teachers and parents and older siblings will also enjoy these with the kids and may be inspired to try the real thing. As a kid, I used to love the Classics Illustrated in comic-book format, and later I enjoyed the real thing.
The eight books included are:
Oliver Twist
The Old Curiosity Shop
David Copperfield
Great Expectations
A Tale of Two Cities
A Christmas Carol
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby
Hard Times
Thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for the delightful preview copy.
‘Please sir, I want some more,’ he said quietly to the master in charge of the gruel.
The master glared at him in amazement.
‘What?’ he roared.
Oliver trembled with fear. ‘P-p-please, sir,’ he stuttered, ‘I want some more.’
The horrified master grabbed Oliver roughly by the collar and called for Mr. Bumble.”
Many people know the story of Oliver Twist and his “Please sir, I want some more.” This book is a great introduction for young readers who aren’t ready for the real thing but who have advanced beyond the picture book stage. There are pictures, but there’s plenty of text.
Cast of characters from “Oliver Twist”
The language is simple but keeps the spirit of the story and the style of Dickens and his times. Here’s their introduction to the food in the workhouse.
“All they were fed was a thin soup of oats and water, called gruel, along with an onion twice a week and half a bread roll on Sundays.”
Blech! There are about a dozen pages to each story with an illustration on every page and several full-page illustrations. There are enough words to please a teacher or parent and enough artwork to break up the grey matter for the kids. Here’s a full page illustration from Oliver.
Bill Sykes and Nancy capturing Oliver after he’d escaped from Fagin who ran the gang of pickpockets
Another favourite is “Great Expectations”, so I was interested to see Miss Havisham, of whom I have always had a mental picture from when I first read this in my teens for school. I reckon this is pretty much how I saw her.
“On my second visit, Miss Havisham asked me to help her walk to the dining room. Like the rest of the dark house, the dining room was lit only by candles. In the center of the room stood a long dining table, which was still laid with what must once have been a splendid wedding feast but was now nothing more than fancy dishes of moldy crumbs and cake icing scattered with mouse droppings, everything draped with dusty cobwebs.”
Miss Havisham with a nervous young Pip
This is another example of a full page from “Tale of Two Cities”, which took place during the French Revolution. It will give you an idea of the number of words and the design.
Madame Defarge was famous for knitting the coded names of the accused aristocrats into her work and is often pictured knitting at the foot of the guillotine. Here, she is marching with some other women. Note the Bastille in the background.
Mme Defarge and her revolutionary friends near the Bastille
The story is also known as the tale of two men who looked alike but were very different. When the virtuous one is caught up in the revolution, the lazy wastrel sacrifices himself instead, saying the oft-quoted Dickens line “It is a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done;. . . ”
Sidney Carton, preparing himself for the guillotine
I must mention “A Christmas Carol”, which many kids will know from various films and cartoon versions. “Scrooge” is such a part of the English language now, meaning miser, that he was popularised as Uncle Scrooge McDuck in the Donald Duck cartoons. Here’s the real Scrooge, being haunted by the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley.
Marley’s ghost appearing to Scrooge
“‘I have much to tell you’, replied Marley. ‘But I see you don’t believe in me.’
Then the ghost rattled its chain, from which hung a collection of keys, padlocks, and cash boxes, making a terrifying din. It followed this by untying the bandage around its chin so that its jaw dropped in a hideous fashion. Scrooge sank to his knees in horror and hid his eyes.
‘Do you believe in me now?’ asked the ghost.
Trembling, Scrooge nodded his head. ‘I do, Jacob,’ he said, ‘I do. But why are you here?’”
All in all, I consider these a good introduction to Dickens for a new generation of fans. Their knowing the plot won’t spoil the original books when they’re old enough. The bonus, of course, is that some teachers and parents and older siblings will also enjoy these with the kids and may be inspired to try the real thing. As a kid, I used to love the Classics Illustrated in comic-book format, and later I enjoyed the real thing.
The eight books included are:
Oliver Twist
The Old Curiosity Shop
David Copperfield
Great Expectations
A Tale of Two Cities
A Christmas Carol
The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby
Hard Times
Thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for the delightful preview copy.
May 9, 2020
An excellent introduction to the works of Dickens. A World Full of Dickens Stories by Angela McAllister provides “gently” abridged and illustrated Dickens novels ranging from Oliver Twist to A Tale of Two Cities to A Christmas Carol to Hard Times. There is an illustrated cast of characters before each approximately 15 page story. There are also a glossary of important words (appropriate for young readers learning), a brief Dickens biography and a timeline of his life. So it becomes a full learning tool, but don’t tell the children. And there are many parents who will enjoy reading this with or to their children (or possibly independently).
The full list of novels included:
Oliver Twist
The Old Curiosity Shop
David Copperfield
Great Expectations
A Tale of Two Cities
A Christmas Carol
Nicholas Nickleby
Hard Times
This book is definitely recommended as a great introduction to classics of English literature for young people, whether they read further In this area or not. They are classic for a reason.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The full list of novels included:
Oliver Twist
The Old Curiosity Shop
David Copperfield
Great Expectations
A Tale of Two Cities
A Christmas Carol
Nicholas Nickleby
Hard Times
This book is definitely recommended as a great introduction to classics of English literature for young people, whether they read further In this area or not. They are classic for a reason.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
May 10, 2020
A World Full Of Dickens is a wonderful Charles Dickens anthology for young people. This book of Children's Literature contains eight Dickens stories accompanied with colourful illustrations. These magical stories remove the length of the original classics and are great for parents and older children. I love many of these stories and it was great to read them in a simplified form. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy.
May 23, 2020
I hate to admit that I've never read anything by Dickens before, I already knew the plot to a lot of his novels but haven't read anything. So this book wasn't a reminder, it was my introduction to Dickens, and it works so well.
This is an abridged and illustrated book of eight of Dicken's novels, with a characters chart before each story and multiple full page illustrations and easy to follow description of complicated events and characters relationships. It's definitely hard to put all of his characters and events into such a short book, and it definitely showed in some places where the development was too fast. But it'd work very well for children wanting to get into classics, the art and the writing style is perfect for them, and of course each and every story is miserable somehow!
This collection includes eight of Charles Dickens' most famous stories: Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby and Hard Times.
I thank Netgalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the digital ARC.
This is an abridged and illustrated book of eight of Dicken's novels, with a characters chart before each story and multiple full page illustrations and easy to follow description of complicated events and characters relationships. It's definitely hard to put all of his characters and events into such a short book, and it definitely showed in some places where the development was too fast. But it'd work very well for children wanting to get into classics, the art and the writing style is perfect for them, and of course each and every story is miserable somehow!
This collection includes eight of Charles Dickens' most famous stories: Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby and Hard Times.
I thank Netgalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the digital ARC.
April 15, 2020
Amazing as ever, McAllister creates another unique book for children and adults with a childlike spirit. Having read and enjoyed A World Full of Spooky Stories, this is my second book of the author and I have to say I am impressed.
If you wish familiarize your children with classic literature and Dickens’ stories, then this is a priceless source. This precious book contains the following stories by Dickens: Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby and Hard Times abbreviated with a simplified language. The illustrations support the stories, the abbreviations are quite adequate both in content and language. The original spirit of the stories is not lost, on the contrary, I think it is perfect to instill the love of literature to young minds and hearts. Perhaps you may have second thoughts whether to expose children to Dickens’s bleak and dark tales filled with evil deeds, wicked characters, poverty and death, but that’s the reality of life and the sooner they learn about them, the better and what better way to teach the twisted ways and ugly truth of life than reading Charles Dickens stories?
This is an engaging version of the famous author’s greatest stories specially structured and illustrated for youngsters but I have to admit I enjoyed it as an adult and it felt refreshing to revisit my favorite stories. Definitely recommended!
(I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
If you wish familiarize your children with classic literature and Dickens’ stories, then this is a priceless source. This precious book contains the following stories by Dickens: Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby and Hard Times abbreviated with a simplified language. The illustrations support the stories, the abbreviations are quite adequate both in content and language. The original spirit of the stories is not lost, on the contrary, I think it is perfect to instill the love of literature to young minds and hearts. Perhaps you may have second thoughts whether to expose children to Dickens’s bleak and dark tales filled with evil deeds, wicked characters, poverty and death, but that’s the reality of life and the sooner they learn about them, the better and what better way to teach the twisted ways and ugly truth of life than reading Charles Dickens stories?
This is an engaging version of the famous author’s greatest stories specially structured and illustrated for youngsters but I have to admit I enjoyed it as an adult and it felt refreshing to revisit my favorite stories. Definitely recommended!
(I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
May 29, 2020
A collection of Dickens stories for both parent and children. With colorful illustrations and the heart of Dickens himself, there are lessons of poverty, goodwill, and redemption. Dickens himself suffered horribly as a child and to that degree most of his stories reflect a forgotten child, an oppressed child who comes across a good soul that sees that child as worthy. The main character redeems himself as strong and determined. These stories can widen a child's heart and imagination. Highly recommend.
A Special Thank you to the Quarto Group and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
A Special Thank you to the Quarto Group and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
May 28, 2020
When I was a young girl, I fell in love with a set of classic books adapted for children that I saw on the Sears catalog. I was very excited when I saw Santa Claus had left them as presents the following Christmas. One of the stories was Oliver Twist, another was David Copperfield. (When I was in 6th grade my bookworm brain was very confused when a classmate said David Copperfield was hot. Apparently she had seen him on TV the night before... I was thinking of the Dickens character, she was talking about the magician. I think this is one of the stories that is most telling about my childhood.) However, those flimsy paperbacks were nothing compared to this collection with its stunning illustrations!
I can't wait for my students to discover not just Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, but also Great Expectations; A Tale of Two Cities; and the other novels included in this gorgeous tome!
I can't wait for my students to discover not just Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, but also Great Expectations; A Tale of Two Cities; and the other novels included in this gorgeous tome!
April 29, 2020
Thank you Netgalley for this e-arc. All opinions are 100% my own.
This was great because I haven't read any Dickens, but have seen some different adaptation shows. This was broken down simply, but effectively, and I particularly loved the cast of characters before each story.
The illustrations in this are very striking; quite a unique art style.
I appreciated the timeline and about the author at the back.
Oliver Twist: 5 stars
What a beautiful story! This is probably one of the stories I'm more familiar with, with the original movie, but I never remembered much more than "please sir, I want some more" and the thriving shenanigans, so it was great to hear the story in this adapted/abrievated version. I think the original, full version would flesh out the issues of child trafficking, cruelty and other themes better, but it wasn't entirely glossed over, just calmed down for a younger audience. I loved how it ended.
The Old Curiosity Shop: 4 stars
I feel like I vaguely recognise the title and concept but maybe at the time didn't realise it was Dickensian (speaking of which, the Dickensian BBC show from around 2015 was amazing and I'm still hoping they do another series). This one was really sad. It left me feeling quite heartbroken and melancholy. I felt annoyance at the granddad for putting Nell I'm danger, but understand the struggles of addiction he must have faced. Just when I was thinking some things were confidently placed, there was a twist that left me rather sad.
David Copperfield: 4 stars
I've been wanting to see the new movie for this story, especially as it's one of the Dickens stories I know the least. I knew absolutely nothing about it. I was a bit nervous because there seemed to be a big cast of characters. It was so beautiful and despite the tragedies, very uplifting. I think I'll enjoy the movie adaptation and hopefully the full novel, if I ever get to it!
Great Expectations: 3 stars
A classic that I must admit I also don't know anything about! In saying that though, I have a vague recollection of a BBC drama adaptation of this. The description about a seemingly empty house sparked this. I felt like this one was really full of life lessons, failed love and connections (once more, always so many connections, I noticed) to name a few. I wouldn't say I necessarily enjoyed this one, but it was an interesting story and I reckon would be a good, slow, character study in the original novel.
A Tale of Two Cities: 3 stars
Another I knew nothing about (I've realised there's a lot of Dickens I don't even know the general plot about). The ending made me a bit down. It was a kind act, but I don't feel like it was right!
A Christmas Carol: 4 stars
One of the most well known, for me personally. I enjoyed this one, despite not being in the mood for a more festive story telling. It was interesting to read it, because I've only ever seen tv show or film adaptations, so seeing it written was a fun experience.
Nicholas Nickleby: 3.5 stars
This one was a nice showcase of friendships and family, but oh my goodness the occurring theme of starved and mistreated children makes me so sad. And why does every bad person brew over revenge of something so minor?
Hard Times: 3 stars
I don't have much feeling about this other than another tragically woeful plot, but ultimately filled with kindness and hope. I really liked Sissy.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
This was great because I haven't read any Dickens, but have seen some different adaptation shows. This was broken down simply, but effectively, and I particularly loved the cast of characters before each story.
The illustrations in this are very striking; quite a unique art style.
I appreciated the timeline and about the author at the back.
Oliver Twist: 5 stars
What a beautiful story! This is probably one of the stories I'm more familiar with, with the original movie, but I never remembered much more than "please sir, I want some more" and the thriving shenanigans, so it was great to hear the story in this adapted/abrievated version. I think the original, full version would flesh out the issues of child trafficking, cruelty and other themes better, but it wasn't entirely glossed over, just calmed down for a younger audience. I loved how it ended.
The Old Curiosity Shop: 4 stars
I feel like I vaguely recognise the title and concept but maybe at the time didn't realise it was Dickensian (speaking of which, the Dickensian BBC show from around 2015 was amazing and I'm still hoping they do another series). This one was really sad. It left me feeling quite heartbroken and melancholy. I felt annoyance at the granddad for putting Nell I'm danger, but understand the struggles of addiction he must have faced. Just when I was thinking some things were confidently placed, there was a twist that left me rather sad.
David Copperfield: 4 stars
I've been wanting to see the new movie for this story, especially as it's one of the Dickens stories I know the least. I knew absolutely nothing about it. I was a bit nervous because there seemed to be a big cast of characters. It was so beautiful and despite the tragedies, very uplifting. I think I'll enjoy the movie adaptation and hopefully the full novel, if I ever get to it!
Great Expectations: 3 stars
A classic that I must admit I also don't know anything about! In saying that though, I have a vague recollection of a BBC drama adaptation of this. The description about a seemingly empty house sparked this. I felt like this one was really full of life lessons, failed love and connections (once more, always so many connections, I noticed) to name a few. I wouldn't say I necessarily enjoyed this one, but it was an interesting story and I reckon would be a good, slow, character study in the original novel.
A Tale of Two Cities: 3 stars
Another I knew nothing about (I've realised there's a lot of Dickens I don't even know the general plot about). The ending made me a bit down. It was a kind act, but I don't feel like it was right!
A Christmas Carol: 4 stars
One of the most well known, for me personally. I enjoyed this one, despite not being in the mood for a more festive story telling. It was interesting to read it, because I've only ever seen tv show or film adaptations, so seeing it written was a fun experience.
Nicholas Nickleby: 3.5 stars
This one was a nice showcase of friendships and family, but oh my goodness the occurring theme of starved and mistreated children makes me so sad. And why does every bad person brew over revenge of something so minor?
Hard Times: 3 stars
I don't have much feeling about this other than another tragically woeful plot, but ultimately filled with kindness and hope. I really liked Sissy.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
April 13, 2020
4 out of 5 🌟Detailed stories with brilliant illustrations
‘A World Full of Dickens Stories’ are kids-friendly versions of Dickens' novels including these most famous like 'The Tale of Two Cities', 'The Christmas Story' or 'Oliver Twist' and the ones I didn't hear of before - 'The Old Curiosity Shop' and 'Nicholas Nickleby' and a couple more. Overall, is a good selection of his work that focuses on children and young adults as the central characters. Each story is generously decorated with brilliant illustrations by Jannicke Hansen.
The book combines eight of Charles Dickens' novels that are compressed to about 15-page short stories which at times makes histories hard to follow with action jumps and a variety of personalities. To help the reader to keep up with all the characters, each work starts with an introduction page where all story cast is listed with a brief description and their portrait. Very nice and helpful touch!
Reading 'A World Full of Dickens Stories' all at once may not be the best idea to befriend kids with Charles Dickens, mostly because his works tend to be repetitive when read in a row. The stories are pretty long and compressed with almost all the details, in consequence, they're a bit dry. My idea when I reached for this book was to see a simplistic retold version of each novel.
Overall, wonderful illustrations turn reading 'A World Full of Dickens Stories' into a pleasure. And detailed stories (recommended to read one-at-a-time) provide great entertainment also encouraging to explore the large variety of Dickens' Literary Universe.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and feelings are my own.
‘A World Full of Dickens Stories’ are kids-friendly versions of Dickens' novels including these most famous like 'The Tale of Two Cities', 'The Christmas Story' or 'Oliver Twist' and the ones I didn't hear of before - 'The Old Curiosity Shop' and 'Nicholas Nickleby' and a couple more. Overall, is a good selection of his work that focuses on children and young adults as the central characters. Each story is generously decorated with brilliant illustrations by Jannicke Hansen.
The book combines eight of Charles Dickens' novels that are compressed to about 15-page short stories which at times makes histories hard to follow with action jumps and a variety of personalities. To help the reader to keep up with all the characters, each work starts with an introduction page where all story cast is listed with a brief description and their portrait. Very nice and helpful touch!
Reading 'A World Full of Dickens Stories' all at once may not be the best idea to befriend kids with Charles Dickens, mostly because his works tend to be repetitive when read in a row. The stories are pretty long and compressed with almost all the details, in consequence, they're a bit dry. My idea when I reached for this book was to see a simplistic retold version of each novel.
Overall, wonderful illustrations turn reading 'A World Full of Dickens Stories' into a pleasure. And detailed stories (recommended to read one-at-a-time) provide great entertainment also encouraging to explore the large variety of Dickens' Literary Universe.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and feelings are my own.
June 11, 2020
In my later teens and my twenties, I devoured classics, appreciating the ways they create these expansive worlds, truly letting me get inside to the motivations of characters. My interest hasn't waned, but it's more of a commitment to make the time to read longer works, so they are less of a priority.
A World Full of Dickens Stories takes eight classics and condenses them into around 15 pages with illustrations. I would be the first to shy away from abridgments, but these are akin to summaries. The distinctive illustrations would lead children to flip through the pages, and while these are perhaps suited to later elementary and middle school children, they can serve as a basic introduction to classic works that can whet a reader's appetite for the genuine article.
I previously read about half of these, and for the others, I was familiar with a general outline of events, so I could enter those stories with an appreciation for the author's summaries. However, I was previously unfamiliar with any of the events in Hard Times, so that was enjoyable to glean information and whet my appetite for picking up that book someday.
So often individuals shy away from reading classics, fearful that they are too dense and they won't pick up on the subtext or they'll quit long before they finish. Having this framework for the stories ahead of time would offer confidence when readers are ready to enjoy the unabridged works.
(I received a digital ARC copy from Convergent Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)
A World Full of Dickens Stories takes eight classics and condenses them into around 15 pages with illustrations. I would be the first to shy away from abridgments, but these are akin to summaries. The distinctive illustrations would lead children to flip through the pages, and while these are perhaps suited to later elementary and middle school children, they can serve as a basic introduction to classic works that can whet a reader's appetite for the genuine article.
I previously read about half of these, and for the others, I was familiar with a general outline of events, so I could enter those stories with an appreciation for the author's summaries. However, I was previously unfamiliar with any of the events in Hard Times, so that was enjoyable to glean information and whet my appetite for picking up that book someday.
So often individuals shy away from reading classics, fearful that they are too dense and they won't pick up on the subtext or they'll quit long before they finish. Having this framework for the stories ahead of time would offer confidence when readers are ready to enjoy the unabridged works.
(I received a digital ARC copy from Convergent Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.)
June 3, 2020
Ever since, as a teenager, I read "The Great Expectations", I consider Dickens the greatest writer of all time. As for the book, it is still my all time favorite. So, you can imagine how excited I was when I got this book to read and to be able to bring the dark and gloomy world of Dickens' novels to the younger generations.
Although I ultimately have a few objections to the implementation of this idea, I have to admit that I really liked a few things. First of all, there are some remarkable illustrations that ideally outline Dickens’ stories. I really can't imagine them being any better than they are now. Second, but not any less important, is the representation of the characters at the beginning of each story. For anyone yet unfamiliar with Dickens' characters, this is a great tool to come back to while reading a story.
In the end, my general problem was summarizing the content of Dickens' stories. It seems to me that a lot of the magic of the original was lost in the summary, and that is exactly what I was afraid of. On several occasions it seemed to me as if this book aspires only to make summaries of Dickens' stories for those who did not want to bother reading the whole books. In the end, maybe, that’s not entirely negative either. We should definitely get to know Dickens, if not in the original, then at least in an abbreviated version.
Although I ultimately have a few objections to the implementation of this idea, I have to admit that I really liked a few things. First of all, there are some remarkable illustrations that ideally outline Dickens’ stories. I really can't imagine them being any better than they are now. Second, but not any less important, is the representation of the characters at the beginning of each story. For anyone yet unfamiliar with Dickens' characters, this is a great tool to come back to while reading a story.
In the end, my general problem was summarizing the content of Dickens' stories. It seems to me that a lot of the magic of the original was lost in the summary, and that is exactly what I was afraid of. On several occasions it seemed to me as if this book aspires only to make summaries of Dickens' stories for those who did not want to bother reading the whole books. In the end, maybe, that’s not entirely negative either. We should definitely get to know Dickens, if not in the original, then at least in an abbreviated version.
March 26, 2025
This was a great way to introduce some of the classic Dickens stories to my pre-adolescent daughter, who, at 12 years old, is not quite ready to tackle the sheer wordiness of the original novels. She read “A Christmas Carol” at school and enjoyed it, so that served as a great segue into his other works. We didn’t go in the order the stories were listed, but jumped around as she wanted. She was getting a tad bored by the time we got to “David Copperfield”, but I think she especially enjoyed “Great Expectations” and “The Old Curiosity Shop”.
We have the Shakespeare of this series as well. I hope there is more because they are a great way to introduce the classics to young readers.
We have the Shakespeare of this series as well. I hope there is more because they are a great way to introduce the classics to young readers.
August 12, 2023
Sırf çizimleri ve güzel hatırası için 5 puan vermeliyim.
Türkçe baskısını okudum, ama kitap sanki hiç editörün elinden geçmemiş gibi aynı hatalar sürekli tekrarlanıyordu, keşke daha çok özen gösterilseydi.
Türkçe baskısını okudum, ama kitap sanki hiç editörün elinden geçmemiş gibi aynı hatalar sürekli tekrarlanıyordu, keşke daha çok özen gösterilseydi.
December 1, 2021
Beautiful illustrations.
April 3, 2020
A beautifully illustrated book, and the stories are short enough for children of all ages to enjoy.
A wonderfully selection of Charles Dickens wonderful tales. My children have loved it!
A wonderfully selection of Charles Dickens wonderful tales. My children have loved it!
May 20, 2020
This anthology, features eight of Charles Dickens' best-loved tales, including Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol. The author has adapted Dicken’s favorites into short stories, about 15 pages per tale. I’ve never read a Dickens book and am not familiar with the his style I found the the writing, Although modified and simplified, to be well developed and detailed. The Cast of Characters section at the beginning of each story was especially helpful. Along with the character’s name is a portrait and brief description of the cast in each story.
I thought several of the tales read like soap operas, full of juicy intrigue.
If you want to read the Dickens tales and don’t want to invest a huge amount of time, this is a good anthology for you... middle school through adults.
There are a lot of fun illustrations to accompany the text.
I thought several of the tales read like soap operas, full of juicy intrigue.
If you want to read the Dickens tales and don’t want to invest a huge amount of time, this is a good anthology for you... middle school through adults.
There are a lot of fun illustrations to accompany the text.
April 17, 2020
I received an electronic ARC from Quarto Group through NetGalley.
McAllister kept the integrity of Dickens' stories and simplified the language so middle grade readers could follow the plots. She includes eight of his books in this volume. Each captures the basic plots and twists involved in the full works. The illustrations offer realistic views of the time periods being presented. Definitely makes me want to pull out my copies of Dickens' work and reread the full stories.
Excellent introduction for upper elementary or lower middle school level readers. The book offers a taste of the rich characters and plots in each of the novels included.
Informative text at the end as well - Brief Bio, Timeline and Glossary.
McAllister kept the integrity of Dickens' stories and simplified the language so middle grade readers could follow the plots. She includes eight of his books in this volume. Each captures the basic plots and twists involved in the full works. The illustrations offer realistic views of the time periods being presented. Definitely makes me want to pull out my copies of Dickens' work and reread the full stories.
Excellent introduction for upper elementary or lower middle school level readers. The book offers a taste of the rich characters and plots in each of the novels included.
Informative text at the end as well - Brief Bio, Timeline and Glossary.
April 17, 2020
This was a condensed version of several Dickens' stories. They were rewritten for children to read. Each story was roughly twenty pages or less. It was very well written, and I loved the illustrations. I think this book will be a good stepping stone for children to the classics.
July 5, 2020
In this beautiful anthology we experience eight of Charles Dickens famous stories, told in a condensed simplistic way, complete with lovely illustrations aimed at children. The stories that are included are: Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Nicolas Nickleby, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, Hard Times and The Old Curiosity Shop.
I have recently become very interested in bind up children’s illustrated compendiums following a trip to The Science Museum in London. Whilst there I found a version documenting important women in science and it seemed like a beautiful book, something I would read now and revisit later in life with any children I may have. I have since added lots of similar books to my wish list including ones that tell the stories of people, mythological tales and classics. Therefore, when I saw this book on Netgalley it really appealed to me.
This book would be a great way to introduce children to classic stories, and their authors and at a young age. I think its lovely that books like this offer the opportunity for children to experience these stories early on. However, I can imagine it would also be just as appealing for adults, like myself to read. I think we can all admit that classic books can be a little intimidating whether it’s their length subject or language. This book is a great way to enjoy these stories without the intimidation that classics sometimes bring. It could also act as a nice foundation if your looking to read the full-length stories as I find having some prior knowledge of the story makes them less intimidating.
The illustrations in this book were beautiful. They were done in a light sketchy style with a cool toned colour pallet. As the start of each story there is a list of all the characters that will feature, who they are and little picture of them. The characters illustrations are expressive in that you can easily tell who the villains of the story will be. Its then easy to recognise the characters when reading.
The actual stories themselves were lovely, well told and translated well into the short children’s versions. I knew I would like A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations before going in as these are the two Dickens books I have read and enjoyed. They were both great retellings and really captured the original stories. My favourite new to me story was A Tale of Two Cities, I would definitely be interested in checking out the original story as a result. I think the only story I didn’t enjoy so much was David Copperfield. I just felt there was too much pack into a short story and as a result it ended up feeling quite list like, bouncing from one big event to another. I also got confused whilst reading with which characters were which, there were a lot of characters in this story! I think its one Dickens story I may skip the full version of.
Overall, this was a beautiful book with some great adaptions and lovely illustrations. I think slightly older children would enjoy reading these stories but equally they could appreciate by adults too. I know Angela has quite a few compendium books like this one and I will be adding some of these to my wish list in the hope of building a little collection I can keep for many years as they are just lovely books to have.
I have recently become very interested in bind up children’s illustrated compendiums following a trip to The Science Museum in London. Whilst there I found a version documenting important women in science and it seemed like a beautiful book, something I would read now and revisit later in life with any children I may have. I have since added lots of similar books to my wish list including ones that tell the stories of people, mythological tales and classics. Therefore, when I saw this book on Netgalley it really appealed to me.
This book would be a great way to introduce children to classic stories, and their authors and at a young age. I think its lovely that books like this offer the opportunity for children to experience these stories early on. However, I can imagine it would also be just as appealing for adults, like myself to read. I think we can all admit that classic books can be a little intimidating whether it’s their length subject or language. This book is a great way to enjoy these stories without the intimidation that classics sometimes bring. It could also act as a nice foundation if your looking to read the full-length stories as I find having some prior knowledge of the story makes them less intimidating.
The illustrations in this book were beautiful. They were done in a light sketchy style with a cool toned colour pallet. As the start of each story there is a list of all the characters that will feature, who they are and little picture of them. The characters illustrations are expressive in that you can easily tell who the villains of the story will be. Its then easy to recognise the characters when reading.
The actual stories themselves were lovely, well told and translated well into the short children’s versions. I knew I would like A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations before going in as these are the two Dickens books I have read and enjoyed. They were both great retellings and really captured the original stories. My favourite new to me story was A Tale of Two Cities, I would definitely be interested in checking out the original story as a result. I think the only story I didn’t enjoy so much was David Copperfield. I just felt there was too much pack into a short story and as a result it ended up feeling quite list like, bouncing from one big event to another. I also got confused whilst reading with which characters were which, there were a lot of characters in this story! I think its one Dickens story I may skip the full version of.
Overall, this was a beautiful book with some great adaptions and lovely illustrations. I think slightly older children would enjoy reading these stories but equally they could appreciate by adults too. I know Angela has quite a few compendium books like this one and I will be adding some of these to my wish list in the hope of building a little collection I can keep for many years as they are just lovely books to have.
May 27, 2020
Charles Dickens. The author everyone has heard of, but few have read. Many make it an annual tradition to watch "A Christmas Carol" and can probably quote some of Tiny Tim's lines but not many have the fortitude to slog through the full version of that Christmas tale or any other of Dickens' works.
Offering an abridgement of classic works is nothing new. Many may be familiar with Illustrated Classics still in print today. For many years, the books have made classics accessible to children with their signature style that included one page of [large] print following by a black and white picture on the facing page. They were a staple in our own home library but I was disappointed that some stories were completely altered. And all too soon, as my children's reading skills increased, they soon considered those abridged classics too "babyish."
A World Full of Dickens Stories is the perfect alternative. While the book is profusely illustrated, it retains a decidely grown-up feel with very dense portions of text. I was pleasantly surprised at the length of each retelling--they expertly captured the essence of not only characters, but also setting and plot. The pictures are a wonderful distraction for younger children being read to. And older readers will find the illustrations a wonderful complement to the story, bringing details more vividly to life. The title page of each story offers a selection of the images within the story. Children can be on the lookout in the story for those illustrations.
Admittedly, Dickens often had some darker elements in his writing, but I felt that those were tastefully handled by the author and would not cause younger readers too much worry. The illustrations are somewhat quirky (almost everyone has a red, pointed nose), and sometimes odd (not exactly sure what that Ghost of Christmas Past is supposed to be--all I could think of was a conehead--which I guess does represent days gone by!), but overall, they were a delightful part of the retellings. The child-like quality of the illustrations would make a great study for a budding artist to try to replicate.
I closed the book with deep satisfaction; I had read many of the originals in younger years and this was a wonderful way to relive those stories. This wonderful collection provides an excellent rendering of the essential elements of each story and would provide an excellent way to familiarize oneself with characters before indulging in the movie. If a love for a story is kindled in a child, hopefully they will consider reading the original when they are older.
As I read the last paragraph, I wished that more of Dickens works had been included. I certainly hope the author will consider a second volume of Dickens and then branch out to other authors; I would love to see similar retellings of works by Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, and Robert Louis Stevenson.
Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of A World Full of Dickens Stories from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received and the opinions expressed are my own.
Offering an abridgement of classic works is nothing new. Many may be familiar with Illustrated Classics still in print today. For many years, the books have made classics accessible to children with their signature style that included one page of [large] print following by a black and white picture on the facing page. They were a staple in our own home library but I was disappointed that some stories were completely altered. And all too soon, as my children's reading skills increased, they soon considered those abridged classics too "babyish."
A World Full of Dickens Stories is the perfect alternative. While the book is profusely illustrated, it retains a decidely grown-up feel with very dense portions of text. I was pleasantly surprised at the length of each retelling--they expertly captured the essence of not only characters, but also setting and plot. The pictures are a wonderful distraction for younger children being read to. And older readers will find the illustrations a wonderful complement to the story, bringing details more vividly to life. The title page of each story offers a selection of the images within the story. Children can be on the lookout in the story for those illustrations.
Admittedly, Dickens often had some darker elements in his writing, but I felt that those were tastefully handled by the author and would not cause younger readers too much worry. The illustrations are somewhat quirky (almost everyone has a red, pointed nose), and sometimes odd (not exactly sure what that Ghost of Christmas Past is supposed to be--all I could think of was a conehead--which I guess does represent days gone by!), but overall, they were a delightful part of the retellings. The child-like quality of the illustrations would make a great study for a budding artist to try to replicate.
I closed the book with deep satisfaction; I had read many of the originals in younger years and this was a wonderful way to relive those stories. This wonderful collection provides an excellent rendering of the essential elements of each story and would provide an excellent way to familiarize oneself with characters before indulging in the movie. If a love for a story is kindled in a child, hopefully they will consider reading the original when they are older.
As I read the last paragraph, I wished that more of Dickens works had been included. I certainly hope the author will consider a second volume of Dickens and then branch out to other authors; I would love to see similar retellings of works by Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, and Robert Louis Stevenson.
Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of A World Full of Dickens Stories from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received and the opinions expressed are my own.
December 6, 2021
https://dominicamat.blogspot.com/2021...
ΒΙΒΛΙΟΠΡΟΤΑΣΗ
Πλησιάζοντας οι γιορτές των Χριστουγέννων είμαι βέβαιη πως εσείς οι γονείς,θείοι/ες,παππούδες/γιαγιάδες καί νονοί/ες αναζητάτε το ιδανικό δώρο είτε για τα δικά σας παιδιά,ανήψια,εγγόνια καί βαπτιστήρια,είτε για να το προσφέρετε σε κάποιο άλλο παιδί του περίγυρού σας. Πάντα θα σας προτρέπω να αγοράζετε για τα παιδιά βιβλία κατάλληλα για την ηλικία τους,καθώς τα οφέλη από την επαφή τους με αυτά είναι πολλά καί δεν χρειάζεται να τα επαναλαμβάνω. Η σημερινή μου πρόταση,η οποία θεωρώ πως θα σας λύσει τα χέρια σε αυτήν την ''δύσκολη'' αναζήτηση,είναι το βιβλίο ''Ένας κόσμος γεμάτος… Ντίκενς" που κυκλοφορεί από τις εκδόσεις Μίνωας.
Ο άγγλος συγγραφέας Τσαρλς Ντίκενς είναι ο μεγαλύτερος καί σπουδαιότερος παραμυθάς,με τα πιο γνωστά καί πολυδιαβασμένα παιδικά παραμύθια. Η κυρία Άντζελα ΜακΆλιστερ προβαίνει στην διασκευή οκτώ εκ των πιο γνωστών έργων του συγγραφέα,οι οποίες προσαρμόζονται απόλυτα στο κοινό στο οποίο απευθύνονται. Τις συγκεντρώνει,λοιπόν,μέσα σε ένα πολύ όμορφο βιβλίο,τόσο από άποψη εικονογράφησης,όσο καί από άποψη μετάφρασης καί συνολικής επιμέλειας. Οκτώ διαφορετικές ιστορίες με διαχρονικό νόημα που διαβάζονται με το ίδιο ενδιαφέρον καί ευχαρίστηση από όλους κι όλες,όσα χρόνια κι αν περάσουν.
Θετικά στοιχεία του βιβλίου:
- Οικείος,κατανοητός λόγος
- Ευφάνταστη,πολύχρωμη εικονογράφηση
- Διττός χαρακτήρας ιστοριών (διδακτικός καί ψυχαγωγικός)
- Οκτώ ιστορίες μέσα στο βιβλίο αντί μόνο μιας (εξοικονόμηση χώρου καί χρημάτων)
- Πληροφορίες για τον συγγραφέα στο τέλος του βιβλίου
- Χρήσιμο γλωσσάρι στο τέλος του βιβλίου
Εγώ το βρήκα εξαιρετικό. Θεωρώ πως είναι από εκείνα τα βιβλία που δεν πρέπει να λείπουν από τις παιδικές βιβλιοθήκες. Αναζητήστε το!
Καλή ανάγνωση!
ΒΙΒΛΙΟΠΡΟΤΑΣΗ
Πλησιάζοντας οι γιορτές των Χριστουγέννων είμαι βέβαιη πως εσείς οι γονείς,θείοι/ες,παππούδες/γιαγιάδες καί νονοί/ες αναζητάτε το ιδανικό δώρο είτε για τα δικά σας παιδιά,ανήψια,εγγόνια καί βαπτιστήρια,είτε για να το προσφέρετε σε κάποιο άλλο παιδί του περίγυρού σας. Πάντα θα σας προτρέπω να αγοράζετε για τα παιδιά βιβλία κατάλληλα για την ηλικία τους,καθώς τα οφέλη από την επαφή τους με αυτά είναι πολλά καί δεν χρειάζεται να τα επαναλαμβάνω. Η σημερινή μου πρόταση,η οποία θεωρώ πως θα σας λύσει τα χέρια σε αυτήν την ''δύσκολη'' αναζήτηση,είναι το βιβλίο ''Ένας κόσμος γεμάτος… Ντίκενς" που κυκλοφορεί από τις εκδόσεις Μίνωας.
Ο άγγλος συγγραφέας Τσαρλς Ντίκενς είναι ο μεγαλύτερος καί σπουδαιότερος παραμυθάς,με τα πιο γνωστά καί πολυδιαβασμένα παιδικά παραμύθια. Η κυρία Άντζελα ΜακΆλιστερ προβαίνει στην διασκευή οκτώ εκ των πιο γνωστών έργων του συγγραφέα,οι οποίες προσαρμόζονται απόλυτα στο κοινό στο οποίο απευθύνονται. Τις συγκεντρώνει,λοιπόν,μέσα σε ένα πολύ όμορφο βιβλίο,τόσο από άποψη εικονογράφησης,όσο καί από άποψη μετάφρασης καί συνολικής επιμέλειας. Οκτώ διαφορετικές ιστορίες με διαχρονικό νόημα που διαβάζονται με το ίδιο ενδιαφέρον καί ευχαρίστηση από όλους κι όλες,όσα χρόνια κι αν περάσουν.
Θετικά στοιχεία του βιβλίου:
- Οικείος,κατανοητός λόγος
- Ευφάνταστη,πολύχρωμη εικονογράφηση
- Διττός χαρακτήρας ιστοριών (διδακτικός καί ψυχαγωγικός)
- Οκτώ ιστορίες μέσα στο βιβλίο αντί μόνο μιας (εξοικονόμηση χώρου καί χρημάτων)
- Πληροφορίες για τον συγγραφέα στο τέλος του βιβλίου
- Χρήσιμο γλωσσάρι στο τέλος του βιβλίου
Εγώ το βρήκα εξαιρετικό. Θεωρώ πως είναι από εκείνα τα βιβλία που δεν πρέπει να λείπουν από τις παιδικές βιβλιοθήκες. Αναζητήστε το!
Καλή ανάγνωση!
May 17, 2020
My thanks to the Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books for a temporary digital edition of ‘A World Full of Dickens Stories’ by Angela McAllister and illustrated by Jannicke Hansen in exchange for an honest review. It is due to be published on 7 July 2020.
Written for young readers, aged 7-11, this is an illustrated anthology that retells eight of Charles Dickens’ novels. Each one is retold in a simplified fashion, while retaining the essence of the original. Those included are: Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby, and Hard Times.
Each chapter opens with an illustrated cast of the main characters, which is very useful, and the volume concludes with a timeline of Dickens’ life and a glossary of terms. Jannicke Hansen’s illustrations are charming and utilise a muted colour palette that suits the period.
While I have read some of the novels included, others I only had a passing awareness of. So, even for me as an adult reader, it served as both a reminder for the ones I knew and a taster for those yet to be read.
Dickens’ novels are quite somber in their themes and I appreciated that ‘A World Full of Dickens Stories’ didn’t shy away from the disappointments, turns of fortune and deaths within them.
Overall, I feel that this book will be of interest to parents and educators who are looking to introduce young readers to the works of Dickens. Also, one for both public and school libraries.
Written for young readers, aged 7-11, this is an illustrated anthology that retells eight of Charles Dickens’ novels. Each one is retold in a simplified fashion, while retaining the essence of the original. Those included are: Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby, and Hard Times.
Each chapter opens with an illustrated cast of the main characters, which is very useful, and the volume concludes with a timeline of Dickens’ life and a glossary of terms. Jannicke Hansen’s illustrations are charming and utilise a muted colour palette that suits the period.
While I have read some of the novels included, others I only had a passing awareness of. So, even for me as an adult reader, it served as both a reminder for the ones I knew and a taster for those yet to be read.
Dickens’ novels are quite somber in their themes and I appreciated that ‘A World Full of Dickens Stories’ didn’t shy away from the disappointments, turns of fortune and deaths within them.
Overall, I feel that this book will be of interest to parents and educators who are looking to introduce young readers to the works of Dickens. Also, one for both public and school libraries.
May 6, 2020
A sensibly adapted selection of Dickens novels and other stories, prime for the primary school audience. Yes, Bill still kills Nancy, but "Oliver Twist" in ten pages or whatever it is is still suitably judged and unfrightening, and "The Old Curiosity Shop" and "Hard Times" still seemingly endless lists of suitable misery for all involved. Less successful is "David Copperfield" – the telling suffers by being a monologue from his hand, with only two lines of reported speech throughout, and there was a huge hiccup when Mr Peggotty seemed to be doing things just after he'd died. Elsewhere we see with much more economy for both the young and the time-short how everything is tied up in "A Tale of Two Cities" and "Nicholas Nickleby" – and yet another variant of "A Christmas Carol". "Great Expectations" crams it all in, and still manages to show how the title can be taken in multiple ways depending on where you are in the story.
What lets the side down is the artwork fashionably lacking in perspective, using the same bleak faces for all the stories and not helping us differentiate them by mood. But on the whole, the book was a very welcome one – at least for me, shockingly ill-read where Dickens is concerned, it managed to do more than summarise a few novels I have no intention of reading in the original. I doubt it will make any modern child a lover of his works, but it is still a very useful and well-done read.
What lets the side down is the artwork fashionably lacking in perspective, using the same bleak faces for all the stories and not helping us differentiate them by mood. But on the whole, the book was a very welcome one – at least for me, shockingly ill-read where Dickens is concerned, it managed to do more than summarise a few novels I have no intention of reading in the original. I doubt it will make any modern child a lover of his works, but it is still a very useful and well-done read.
April 23, 2020
5 Classical stars!! See more @ www.mamaneedsabook.blogspot.com
Charles Dickens for children! I am absolutely in love with this idea! One of my favorite movies as a child was Oliver! (My mom wouldn't let me watch the last half of it, but I was blissfully unaware of this fact throughout my childhood, until I read the book). And I also loved Muppet Christmas Carol (still do!). So I feel like Charles Dickens was a big part of my childhood - albeit in movie form! So I love the idea of other children feeling attached to Dickens at a younger age!
This collection of Dickens' most famous works is great for children of many ages! I feel like it has great read aloud potential! It is exactly the type of book my mom would have read to me at bedtime, when longer stories are sometimes better!
There are a lot of good lessons about caring for those less fortunate, etc. in Dickens stories as well. He was the voice of the oppressed in his day!
5 classical stars!
YOU need this book if you love Dickens and want to inspire that same love in your child! Or if you want to inspire a love of the Classics in your child! (Who doesn't?)
Follow me and see more reviews @ www.mamaneedsabook.blogspot.com
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Charles Dickens for children! I am absolutely in love with this idea! One of my favorite movies as a child was Oliver! (My mom wouldn't let me watch the last half of it, but I was blissfully unaware of this fact throughout my childhood, until I read the book). And I also loved Muppet Christmas Carol (still do!). So I feel like Charles Dickens was a big part of my childhood - albeit in movie form! So I love the idea of other children feeling attached to Dickens at a younger age!
This collection of Dickens' most famous works is great for children of many ages! I feel like it has great read aloud potential! It is exactly the type of book my mom would have read to me at bedtime, when longer stories are sometimes better!
There are a lot of good lessons about caring for those less fortunate, etc. in Dickens stories as well. He was the voice of the oppressed in his day!
5 classical stars!
YOU need this book if you love Dickens and want to inspire that same love in your child! Or if you want to inspire a love of the Classics in your child! (Who doesn't?)
Follow me and see more reviews @ www.mamaneedsabook.blogspot.com
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
May 15, 2020
A whimsical delight, brimming with stunning illustrations carefully curated by Jannicke Hansen. Angela McAllister has mastered the impossible; enabling younger readers to successfully access the literary wonders of Charles Dickens. This captivating anthology includes 8 familiar classics: Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Hard Times, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby, and A Tale of Two Cities.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this book, my interest was particularly piqued through the visual representations of ‘title pages’ followed by the characters, in a clearly presented ‘cast’ style format. This enabled a higher level of engagement, which in turn produced a flow and ease of reading that I believe the younger audience would benefit from. In addition, the content is cleverly condensed and each story lasts 15 pages or so.
‘A World Full of Dickens Stories’ both captivated and maintained my interest from the first story to the last and I believe that upon publication, this will quickly become a firm favourite in my class and potentially across the school- it will certainly be one that will come highly recommended by myself.
As always, many thanks to NetGalley and the Quarto Group (@quartokids) for this wonderful ARC.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this book, my interest was particularly piqued through the visual representations of ‘title pages’ followed by the characters, in a clearly presented ‘cast’ style format. This enabled a higher level of engagement, which in turn produced a flow and ease of reading that I believe the younger audience would benefit from. In addition, the content is cleverly condensed and each story lasts 15 pages or so.
‘A World Full of Dickens Stories’ both captivated and maintained my interest from the first story to the last and I believe that upon publication, this will quickly become a firm favourite in my class and potentially across the school- it will certainly be one that will come highly recommended by myself.
As always, many thanks to NetGalley and the Quarto Group (@quartokids) for this wonderful ARC.
May 15, 2020
A whimsical delight, brimming with stunning illustrations carefully curated by Jannicke Hansen. Angela McAllister has mastered the impossible; enabling younger readers to successfully access the literary wonders of Charles Dickens. This captivating anthology includes 8 familiar classics: Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Hard Times, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby, and A Tale of Two Cities.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this book, my interest was particularly piqued through the visual representations of ‘title pages’ followed by the characters, in a clearly presented ‘cast’ style format. This enabled a higher level of engagement, which in turn produced a flow and ease of reading that I believe the younger audience would benefit from. In addition, the content is cleverly condensed and each story lasts 15 pages or so.
‘A World Full of Dickens Stories’ both captivated and maintained my interest from the first story to the last and I believe that upon publication, this will quickly become a firm favourite in my class and potentially across the school- it will certainly be one that will come highly recommended by myself.
As always, many thanks to NetGalley and the Quarto Group (@quartokids) for this wonderful ARC.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this book, my interest was particularly piqued through the visual representations of ‘title pages’ followed by the characters, in a clearly presented ‘cast’ style format. This enabled a higher level of engagement, which in turn produced a flow and ease of reading that I believe the younger audience would benefit from. In addition, the content is cleverly condensed and each story lasts 15 pages or so.
‘A World Full of Dickens Stories’ both captivated and maintained my interest from the first story to the last and I believe that upon publication, this will quickly become a firm favourite in my class and potentially across the school- it will certainly be one that will come highly recommended by myself.
As always, many thanks to NetGalley and the Quarto Group (@quartokids) for this wonderful ARC.
July 14, 2020
This would be a great introduction for young readers (and much older!) to the works of Charles Dickens. Although his works are possibly some of the most well known Victorian literature, I must admit that I've only ever read A Christmas Carol.
To a young reader, the works of Dickens may seem quite intimidating from their sheer size. This book is great because it gives a brief retelling of his most famous and successful stories, giving a taster of what will come in the full novel.
Each story is introduced with a full colour title page and illustrations of each of the main characters. This was a brilliant start, because it was possible to keep referring back to to check how the characters were all related. The language was appropriate for young readers, but still kept the feel of being an 'old' text.
I wouldn't hesitate to use this book with KS2 children, and feel a little more positive about tackling some of his other works which I always felt would be a bit hard going!
I received an eARC of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
To a young reader, the works of Dickens may seem quite intimidating from their sheer size. This book is great because it gives a brief retelling of his most famous and successful stories, giving a taster of what will come in the full novel.
Each story is introduced with a full colour title page and illustrations of each of the main characters. This was a brilliant start, because it was possible to keep referring back to to check how the characters were all related. The language was appropriate for young readers, but still kept the feel of being an 'old' text.
I wouldn't hesitate to use this book with KS2 children, and feel a little more positive about tackling some of his other works which I always felt would be a bit hard going!
I received an eARC of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 25, 2020
A world full of Dickens stories me parece el libro perfecto para empezar a acercar a los niños a la obra de este gran autor inglés. Acompañadas de unas preciosas ilustradoras que captan a la perfección la esencia de sus historias, podremos leer adaptaciones de algunas de sus obras más famosas. Me recuerda a esos libros delgados que se vendían hace mucho tiempo en España con los grandes clásicos de la historia adaptados para niños, lo que pasa es que este me ha parecido mucho más bonito. Además, la información sobre el autor y la línea temporal de sus novelas ayudan a acercar también al autor y su obra a los niños. Una pena tener el ejemplar solo en digital, porque tiene que ser una maravilla en físico. Una vez más, me gustaría destacar no solo la buena adaptación de los libros, sino también las preciosas ilustraciones que hacen que sea aún más bonito. Muchas gracias por el ejemplar digital.
April 12, 2020
Would you like to introduce a child to the magic of Charles Dickens's stories? The novels themselves, of course, are lengthy while this collection is a beautifully illustrated introduction to a number of the books.
Included in the retellings are Oliver Twist, The Old curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby and Hard Times. Each story begins with a helpful illustrated list of characters.
The stories are expertly retold, having sufficient detail to not just be summaries, and may well inspire a child to read one of the full length books. That would be a good project for the current moment. All in all, a wonderful resource.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Included in the retellings are Oliver Twist, The Old curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby and Hard Times. Each story begins with a helpful illustrated list of characters.
The stories are expertly retold, having sufficient detail to not just be summaries, and may well inspire a child to read one of the full length books. That would be a good project for the current moment. All in all, a wonderful resource.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
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