Romeo and Juliet

Coville, B. (1999). William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. New York:  Dial Books.

I am a huge Shakespeare fan.  I even wanted to name my son William (my husband said no).  My love affair with Billy goes back to my freshman year of high school.  I was in a rather small English I class with students who should have been in an English II class.  I felt really out of place.  That teacher will always be an important person in my life, because she introduced me to Shakespeare.  We read both Romeo and Juliet and Midsummer Night's Dream.  I got to read for Juliet and Helena.  My teacher told me that I was a talented reader and truly understood Shakespeare; I'm not sure if she really meant it, but she gave me a lot of confidence.



I have a long history with R&J.  It was my first Shakespeare play, my casebook (a 40 page research/analysis paper), my unit for both student teaching and K-TIP.  While I have read and seen several other plays, R&J will always hold a special place in my heart.

Bruce Coville adapted the story into a picture book.  The language is still somewhat difficult, but it's wonderful to see the story at a level that is easier for students to understand.  Coville adapted the book into prose, rather than Shakespeare's traditional blank verse.  The artwork is very pretty (there's no other way to describe it), with lots of warm hues.

Coville has adapted a few other plays.  I have a copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream as well.  I haven't taught English I in a long time.  However, if I ever teach the course again, this book would be wonderful for lower achievers and students with IEP's.  I think Billy S. would be proud of this rendition of his work.