Children's Classics in Dramatic Form, Book Two

Stevenson, AugustaProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.0

Word count: 86K words
Chapters: 9

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.Children's Classics in Dramatic Form, Book Two by Augusta StevensonAuthor: Stevenson, Augusta,Language: English, Class: PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections, Release Date: Jul 28, 2005

Editor's review

This is the second volume of Augusta Stevenson's dramatized versions of classic stories for children, adapting familiar children's literature into short scripts that can be read aloud and performed. Its appeal lies in the "dramatized" approach: dialogue drives the plot, stage directions are clear, and roles are clearly divided, so it works both as reading material and as ready-made material for small classroom or family performances. For young readers, the dramatic form lowers the barrier of long narratives and makes it easier to enter the scene when reading aloud; for teachers and parents, it provides ready-made scripts for language practice and collaborative activities. There is no need to finish it in one sitting; plays can be scheduled for reading aloud and role assignment, with repeated practice to explore tone and movement. Scripts can also be compared with the original stories to discuss what was changed and why, fostering comparison and expression.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Upper-elementary and middle-grade children who enjoy role-play reading and performance
Language or English teachers who need drama material for class
Parents organizing family read-alouds and small home theater
People working in children's language activities and reading promotion

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for complete long fairy tales or novels
Those seeking detailed lesson plans and classroom management plans
Younger readers who are not comfortable with English script format and need a Chinese adaptation

Reading tips

Read through one play first, mark roles and stage directions, then assign roles for reader's theater
While reading aloud, pay attention to tone words and action cues in the dialogue, and try to convey character through voice
After reading, compare with the original story and discuss what was cut or changed and why
Stage a favorite play as a short skit, keep it brief, and focus on transitions and stage movement

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 complete story or a script?

It is a dramatized reader adapting classic children's stories, presented in script form with character dialogue and stage directions rather than full-length narration. Readers can read or perform the scripts, or read them as a different way of telling the stories and understand how dramatic adaptation organizes plot.

What age is it suitable for?

The material does not specify a target age. In form, it requires some English reading and read-aloud ability, so it is better suited to upper-elementary and middle-grade children who can read roles aloud; younger children are better guided by a parent or teacher, first telling the plot and then assigning simple roles. Adjust according to the child's English level and interest in performance.

How should it be used in class?

Each play can be treated as a short activity: first read silently to become familiar with the plot, then read roles aloud, and finally do a brief performance or discuss adaptation differences. Teachers can mark difficult words and tone cues in advance, limit group size, and make sure every child has a chance to speak. The focus is language experience and collaboration, not a full stage production.

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About the author

Stevenson, Augusta Author · American · 1867–1935

Augusta Stevenson (1867–1935) was an American writer of children's literature. Public information about her is limited, and few details of her life survive, but her extant works show a lasting commitment to adapting and writing readers for elementary-school audiences. Her representative series, Children's Classics in Dramatic Form, retells classic stories as short plays suitable for children to perform, arranged by grade level; Book Two and the reader intended for fourth-grade pupils were the most widely circulated. She is also known for her series of biographical stories about the childhoods of famous Americans, in which she introduced historical figures to children through simple, lively narrative. On the whole, her writing emphasized readability and classroom usefulness, giving her a place in early American children's books and school reading instruction.