A Warwickshire Lad: The Story of the Boyhood of William Shakespeare

George Madden MartinProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.2

Word count: 47K words
Chapters: 5

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Warwickshire Lad: The Story of the Boyhood of William Shakespeare by MartinAuthor: Martin, George Madden, 1866-1946,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Nov 7, 2008

Editor's review

A Warwickshire Lad: The Story of the Boyhood of William Shakespeare, by Mrs. George Martin, is a work of children's literature centering on the young Shakespeare, classified under juvenile literature. It is not a biographical study of Shakespeare but a narrative imagining of the great writer's childhood in Warwickshire, well suited as an introductory book to acquaint young readers with Shakespeare. The language is relatively accessible, the length moderate, and the book has the storytelling quality of children's literature while evoking the atmosphere of Elizabethan country life. For parents and teachers who want children to feel a friendly familiarity with Shakespeare before encountering his plays formally, this book offers an easy entry point. It should be read not as historical verification but as an imaginative literary introduction. The Gutenberg electronic edition is freely available and printable, making it suitable for classroom or family shared reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Parents and teachers who want to introduce Shakespeare to children
Young readers interested in the theme of Shakespeare's childhood
English reading classes in need of children's literature materials
Learners who enjoy English historical background stories

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking rigorous Shakespeare biographies or historical verification
Readers who want to read Shakespeare's original plays or in-depth literary analysis
Adult readers not interested in the narrative style of children's literature

Reading tips

Introduce Shakespeare's basic identity to the child before reading the book to establish a connection with the character.
When reading together, discuss after each chapter how the story differs from real history to cultivate discernment.
Use this book as a pre-reading introduction to Shakespeare's plays; afterward, try simplified versions of Shakespeare's stories.
English learners can excerpt passages describing country life to build vocabulary for scene description.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a true biography of Shakespeare?

No, it is not a rigorous biography but a children's literary story centering on the young Shakespeare, with imaginative elements. It is suitable as an introductory reader rather than a historical reference.

What age of children is it suitable for?

The book is classified as juvenile literature and the language is relatively accessible. The specific suitable age varies with the child's English level; parents are advised to look through it first before deciding on shared or independent reading.

Do you need to know about Shakespeare before reading this book?

No. The book is written precisely to introduce readers to Shakespeare; a brief introduction to his identity beforehand is enough, and reading it will instead foster a sense of familiarity.

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About the author

George Madden Martin Author · American · 1866–1946

George Madden Martin (1866–1946) was the pen name of the American writer Georgia May Madden. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, she is best known for her novel Emmy Lou: Her Book and Heart, written from a child's perspective. Six of her works are held here, including the Emmy Lou series as well as The House of Fulfilment, Selina, The Angel of the Tenement, and A Warwickshire Lad, a story of William Shakespeare's boyhood. These works generally observe life through the eyes of children or ordinary people, in a gentle and humane tone, while also touching on social realities and racial issues. In her later years she took an active part in social movements for racial cooperation and against lynching. Public information about her life and writing is limited, and the present account centers on the works mentioned above.