Tag Archives: Classic

Tales From the Arabian Nights

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

imageTitle: Tales from The Arabian Nights
Author: Andrew Lang
Publisher: Award Publications
Number of pages: 304
Type of Book: Fiction; Classic
Age: 8+
Available here: https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Arabian-Nights-Essential-Classics/dp/184135838X
Price: $13.57
MY SUMMARY
Set in ancient Arabian lands between Persia and China, this book tells the story of Scheherazade, the wife of the rich and powerful Sultan Schahriar. The Sultan loved his first wife to pieces. Sadly, she betrayed him, so he killed her and developed a hatred for all women. Vengeful,, he married a new bride every evening and killed her the following morning. His once loyal subjects hated and cursed him because they lost daughters to him daily. Then one day, a young lady, Scheherazade decided to marry the Sultan against her family’s wishes. She told him stories for a thousand and one nights to avoid being killed by him.
Scheherazade was portrayed as a master story teller as she wove fantastic magical tales of enchanted lands, genies, fantastic beasts, life changing adventures and dazzling jewels. She was able to keep him so interested in her stories that he kept postponing her death to be able to hear the end of each story. Some of the stories she told were age-old classics like The Seven Voyages of Sinbad, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Read a review of this book here ) and Disney favorite, Aladdin and the Magical Lamp.
Read the book to find out what happened when Scheherazade ran out of stories.
THUMBS UP AND DOWN
UP: It is literally a book of stories. It is filled with fun and magical stories for children and adults, some with a moral or two. It also gives readers a sneak peak into life in ancient Arabia.

DOWN: None

RATING
4 stars
TRIVIA
1 Why did Sultan Schahriar kill his wives the day after the wedding?: He believed all women were deceitful like his first wife and he wanted the world to be rid of them.
2 Who was Scheherazade: The first daughter of the Sultan’s Grand Vizir
3 Some of the stories told by Scheherazade: Blind Baba Abdalla, Ali Baba and the Forty thieves, the Seven Voyages of Sinbad
4 What happened after One thousand and one nights: Read the book to find out

CHALLENGE: Tales from The Arabian Nights
CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)
1. Write a 400 word story within a story set in ancient Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba land (8 – 12 year olds)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com
Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8-12 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.
Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Sunday, February 19th 2017.
Next Book of the Week:

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photo credit: amazon.com

Black Beauty

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Title: Black Beauty

Author: Anna Sewell

Publisher: Award Publications

Number of pages: 240

Type of Book: Classic

Age: 8+

Buy it here: http://www.learnington-ng.com/literature/223-black-beauty-by-anna-sewell.html ; https://www.amazon.com/Black-Beauty-Award-Essential-Classics/dp/1841358444

Price: N1500; $15

MY SUMMARY

This book is an autobiography of a vivacious and kind horse, Black Beauty. Told in his voice, it chronicles the joys, pains and highs and lows of his life as he is passed from one owner to the other over the course of fourteen years. His young life as a colt is described as happy and carefree whilst adult life brings with it cruel owners, an accident which scars his knees and makes him lose his status as a fashionable horse for carriages, ushering in the the hard life of pulling cabs and cab drivers and the death of a friend. Black Beauty finally finds a wonderful home in which to live out his days and where he regains the happiness and vigour of his youth as well as his first name! Read the book to see the world through the eyes of a horse!

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: It gives the reader a sneak peek into life in England in the 19th century and also shows readers the world through an animal’s eyes. But most importantly, it makes readers aware of cruelties animals endure from humans.

DOWN: None.

RATING

4 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. The story is set in 19th century England and was first published in 1877.
  2. Checkrein: A rein used to keep a horse’s head in the position desired by the rider. In the 19th century, it was quite fashionable to use checkreins to hold horse heads up high. This was incredibly painful for the horses and sometimes caused trauma to their neck, back and spine.
  3. Some of the names Black Beauty was called by his numerous owners: Black Auster, Jack, Old Crony.
  4. Beauty’s special features? A shiny white star on her forehead, a single white hoof, an incredibly bright black coat and a small patch of white hair on his back.
  5. Black Beauty’s favourite pastimes at Birtwick: Running, lying down, nibbling the grass and standing and talking with his friends under the apple tree.
  6. Beauty’s animal friends: Merrylegs, Ginger, Sir Oliver, Captain.

CHALLENGE: Black Beauty

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Write a 300-word essay on animal cruelty in Nigeria. (8 – 9 year olds)

OR

  1. Get down on all fours and pretend to be a dog for 10 minutes. Write a 200-word story about the things around you. Use all your senses.

OR

  1. Draw Black Beauty using only these details:

“My coat had grown fine and soft, and was bright black. I had one white foot and a pretty white star on my forehead. A patch of white hair sparkled right in the middle of my back

culled from Black Beauty by Bendon Classics

 

  1. Write a 600-word essay on animal cruelty in Nigeria (10-12 year olds)

OR

  1. Get down on all fours and pretend to be a cat for 10 minutes. Write a 400-word story about the things around you. Use all your senses.

OR

  1. Draw Black Beauty using only these details:

“My coat had grown fine and soft, and was bright black. I had one white foot and a pretty white star on my forehead. A patch of white hair sparkled right in the middle of my back

culled from Black Beauty by Bendon Classics

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8-12 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Sunday, January 29th 2017.

 

Next Book of the Week:

THE STORY OF ISLAM by Rob Lloyd Jones

 

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photo credit: amazon.com

The Elves and the Shoemaker

AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Title: The Elves and the Shoe Maker

Author: The Brothers Grimm

Publisher: Usborne Publishing

Number of pages: 64

Type of Book: Fiction; Classic; Fairytale

Age: 4 – 8

Buy it here: http://product.chelisbookazine.com/product/the-elves-and-the-shoemaker-young-reading-series-1/; https://www.amazon.com/Elves-Shoemaker-Young-Reading-One/dp/0746063032; free download here: http://teacher.depaul.edu/Documents/TheElvesandtheShoemakerFiction6thGrade.pdf

Price: N690; $4.00

MY SUMMARY

A hardworking but poor shoe maker cut the leather for a pair of shoes one night, and placed them on his work top. I will make the shoes tomorrow he thought and he went to bed. Imagine his shock when he woke up the next morning, to find, in place of pieces of leather, a perfectly made pair of shoes lying on his worktable. He sold the shoes and made a tidy sum so he bought more leather, cut some and laid them on his work top. The same thing happened to him that night and the night after that and many nights after that. So one night, the shoe maker decided to stay awake and hide in a corner of his house to discover the mysterious midnight shoemaker. Read the book to find out what the shoemaker discovered.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: It’s a Christmas classic. Perhaps the most important highlight: It’s a Christmas book that captures the spirit of Christmas. It shows the joy of giving either through acts of service or giving presents. The elves gave the shoemaker using acts of service (making the shoes for him) and they reciprocated using gifts (they made clothes and a pair of boots each for the elves.)

It also shows that hard work pays.

DOWN: None.

RATING

4.5 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. This story, along with Disney favorites: Snow White, Rapunzel and Cinderella, was written over 200 years ago!
  2. Other words for shoe maker: Boot maker, Cobbler.

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Get all you need to act the play here:

http://teacherweb.com/LA/FloridaAvenueElementary/MrsCrim/The-Elves-and-the-Shoemaker-TPT.pdf

  1. Watch a video here:
  1. Free download here:

http://teacher.depaul.edu/Documents/TheElvesandtheShoemakerFiction6thGrade.pdf

CHALLENGE: The Elves and the Shoemaker 

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

Read the story above and answer the questions below:

  1. List the items the shoemaker and his wife made for the elves and find the items in the grid below (4 – 6 year olds)
Z D C Y H N M K O D G J K B X
V G D F T S J T O E G L E N O
G H C G T D R E S S 1 S I A E
H J O H T R W E T O E H N I N
Y U A A E C A P S N G O A K A
I F T H S O L A C R A E W I T
O F S J A V S K E T C S O U S
O C N X D E Q E G E G C G N A
L X S B A N G L E S A K A L F
I N O T R O U S E R S S E A G

 

  1. If the elves made 1 pair of boots the first night, 2 pairs of boots the second night and 4 pairs of boots the third night, how many pairs of boots did they make on the fourth and fifth nights? (7 – 8 year olds)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 4 – 8 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Wednesday, December 14th 2016.

Next Book of the Week:

MAGIC TREEHOUSE SERIES #5: NIGHT OF THE NINJAS by Mary Pope Osborne

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photocredit: Amazon.com

Hansel and Gretel

AGES 0 - 4, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

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1280594-read-along-me-hansel-gretel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: Hansel and Gretel

Author: The Brothers Grimm

Publisher: Award Publications

Number of pages: 24

Type of Book: Fiction; Classic: See and Say Story Book

Age: 0 – 4

Buy it here: http://product.chelisbookazine.com/product/hansel-and-gretel/; https://www.amazon.com/Hansel-Gretel-Read-Along-Me/dp/1841357715;  

Free download here: http://burstbase.net/files/G2_Burst_STORIES_5_HanselandGretel_BW.pdf

Price: N410; $4:95

MY SUMMARY

Hansel and Gretel lived with their dad and step mother. They were very poor and sometimes didn’t have enough food to eat. One day, their wicked step mother came up with a plan to abandon the children in the forest. Hansel and Gretel found out and found their way back home. So their stepmother left them in the forest a second time and this time they got lost! Read the book to learn about their adventure in the forest, and the rich wicked witch who captured them and tried to eat Hansel!

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: First off, it is a timeless fairytale and one children have loved for centuries. Secondly, it is one of the titles in the Read Along With Me Series, a series devoted to introducing toddlers to the joy of reading using picture words. Picture words are little pictures of characters and other things in the book, used in place of words and strewn between the words in the book. How this works: In the course of reading, you pause and point at the words, so that your toddler can ‘see’ the picture and ‘say’ the word. My two-and-a-half-year-old loves this series to PIECES! The series has at least 10 titles, all classics! Looking for a Christmas present for your kids? And they’re reasonably priced too! Other books in the series include Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Puss in Boots.

Finally, the story also has a moral or two for children.

DOWN: None.

RATING

5 Stars (I would give it 6 over 5 if I could)

TRIVIA

  1. This story was first published in 1812 over 200 hundred years ago!!
  2. The Grimm Brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm wrote a collection of over 200 German fairy tales including popular favourites like Cinderella, Rapunzel and Rumpelstiltskin.

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  • Watch a video here:

CHALLENGE: Hansel and Gretel

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Draw and colour Hansel and Gretel. (2 – 3 year olds)
  2. What items did Hansel drop on the ground to help them find their way home? Draw them. (4 year olds)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 2 – 4 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Wednesday, December 7th 2016.

Next Book of the Week:

THE STORY OF JESUS by Award Publications

 

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photocredits: Ebay.je ; Sweetcouch.com

Peter Pan

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

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Title: Peter Pan

Author: J. M. Barrie

Publisher: Bendon Classics/Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Number of pages: 176/208

Type of Book: Classic, Fiction

Age: 8+

Buy it here: ; https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Pan-Scribner-Illustrated-Classic/dp/0689830785/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481017791&sr=1-5&keywords=peter+pan&refinements=p_n_feature_five_browse-bin%3A2579001011 free download here (unabridged version for older readers): https://cdn.preterhuman.net/texts/literature/books_in_PDF/1904%20Peter%20Pan.pdf

Price: $6:94

MY SUMMARY

This abridged version shows the most important bits and quotes from the original story of Peter Pan, a little boy who refused to grow up. Peter Pan leads the three Darling children, Wendy, Michael and John on the adventure of a life time. They fly off through the bedroom window in their London home to the magical land of Neverland where they meet pirates, mermaids, fairies, Indians and other creatures. Read the book to enjoy the sights and sounds of Neverland and to meet the Darling children and their new friends, Peter Pan, the lost boys, Tinkerbell and Tiger Lily.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: A perfect adventure story for boys and girls! The major highlight was Tinkerbell. I laughed at her mischief and jealousy and rudeness but most importantly, every time she misbehaved, she was called out on it, showing children that bad behaviour should not be accepted. Other highlights were the tick-tocking crocodile, human shadows made of cloth, nightlights that yawn and sleep.

This book is for children who believe in a bit of magic! (Not the Nigerian juju, kind, but the kind that makes them feel like the world is a beautiful happy place, that nothing terrible can happen to them, that everyone gets a happily ever after and that they are invincible!)

And really, every child needs a bit of magic!

DOWN: As with most classics, the unabridged version might be a bit too much for children.

RATING

5 Stars 

TRIVIA

  1. Who was the Nana, the nanny? A dog living with the Darlings and charged with taking care of the Darling children.
  2. The beautiful and brave warrior princess of the Indians? Tiger Lily.
  3. Who were the lost boys? They were a group of six boys who became citizens of Neverland because they had fallen out of their baby carriages and were not claimed by their parents.
  4. Captain Hook had a funny relationship with this gigantic animal? The tick-tocking crocodile. It ate Captain Hook’s arm, thought it tasted really good and followed him around to try to eat the rest of him.
  5. How did the beings on the island get the time? They stayed close to the tick-tocking crocodile till the clock struck the hour!

Learn more about Peter Pan here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan

CHALLENGE: Peter Pan

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Write a story within a story. (600 words) (8 – 9 year olds)

OR

  1. Draw a picture of the pirates using only these details:

“A more mean looking gang never existed. Here is Cecco with his great strong arms. Now comes Bill Jukes who wears one hundred tattoos. Cookson, Gentleman Starkey and Skylights come next, singing and growling into the darkness. The Irish boatswain Smee and the laughing Alf Mason are sharing a pipe and looking behind every tree for the lost boys. Let us not forget Noodler whose hands were fixed on backward and who is as mean as any of the band. In the middle of them the blackest and largest of the group, is James Hook. He was seated in a chariot drawn by his men. Instead of a right hand he had the iron hook. In person, he was ghostly white, and an evil air hung about him like a mist. His hair was dressed in long thick curls, which at a distance looked like black snakes that wriggled around his handsome face. His eyes were a dancing blue and had a certain sadness – except when he was plunging his hook into; and then, two red spots appeared in his eyes that lit them up horribly.”

Culled from the Peter Pan by J.M Barrie, adapted by Wendi Lowery, pg. 71.

  1. Write an 800-word story titled ‘The Adventures of Eki in the Benin Forest’ (10-12 year olds)

OR

  1. Draw a picture of the pirates using only these details:

“A more mean looking gang never existed. Here is Cecco with his great strong arms. Now comes Bill Jukes who wears one hundred tattoos. Cookson, Gentleman Starkey and Skylights come next, singing and growling into the darkness. The Irish boatswain Smee and the laughing Alf Mason are sharing a pipe and looking behind every tree for the lost boys. Let us not forget Noodler whose hands were fixed on backward and who is as mean as any of the band. In the middle of them the blackest and largest of the group, is James Hook. He was seated in a chariot drawn by his men. Instead of a right hand he had the iron hook. In person, he was ghostly white, and an evil air hung about him like a mist. His hair was dressed in long thick curls, which at a distance looked like black snakes that wriggled around his handsome face. His eyes were a dancing blue and had a certain sadness – except when he was plunging his hook into; and then, two red spots appeared in his eyes that lit them up horribly.”

Culled from the Peter Pan by J.M Barrie, adapted by Wendi Lowery, pg. 71.

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8-12 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Sunday, December 11th 2016.

Next Book of the Week:

MIDDLE SCHOOL: ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN by James Patterson

 

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photo credit: Amazon.com

Jack and the Beanstalk

AGES 0 - 4, BOOK REVIEW, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Title: Jack and the Beanstalk

Author: Retold by Vera Southgate

Publisher: Ladybird/Ladybird Tales

Number of pages: 10/47

Type of Book: Fiction; Fairytale

Age: 0 – 4

Available here: http://www.learnington-ng.com/literature/220-jack-and-the-beanstalk-a-touch-and-feel-book-.html; https://www.laternabooks.com/laterna_product_details.php?v=12878&c=111; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jack-Beanstalk-Ladybird-Touch-Fairy/dp/1409304515; Free Download here: https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/sites/kids/files/attachment/stories-jack-and-the-beanstalk-transcript-final-2012-09-21.pdf

Price: N1000; N650; 2.80GBP

MY SUMMARY

Jack, a poor little boy lived with his mother on a farm. One day, his mother sent him to the market to sell their most prized possession, a cow. Jack however, traded the cow for some bean seeds. His poor mother, angry at the boy, threw the beans out the widow and sent the boy to sleep. The following morning, a beanstalk that reached far into the sky had grown right outside the window. Jack climbed up the stalk into the sky to find a beautiful castle in the clouds, a golden goose that laid golden eggs and a harp that played itself. Read the story to find out what happened when the owner of the castle, a giant, caught Jack trying to run away with his prized possessions.

One of the most popular lines from the story is the giant’s, “Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum!”

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: This is a great introduction to the world of fairytales. Jack’s story is a great adventure story that all kids will love. It’s a board book so it’s sturdy and will survive bites, spills and dunks in water. I recommend this book for all kids aged 0 to 4! Older kids can read this too.

DOWN: None

RATING

4.5 Stars.

TRIVIA

  1. This story was first told over 5,000 years ago.

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Read the story here: https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/sites/kids/files/attachment/stories-jack-and-the-beanstalk-transcript-final-2012-09-21.pdf
  2. Listen to the story here: http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/short-stories/jack-and-the-beanstalk
  3. Read the play here: http://www.grandviewlibrary.org/ReadersTheater/JackBeanstalk/JackBeanStalk.pdf
  4. Activities here: http://www.penguinreaders.com/pdf/downloads/pyr/factsheets/9780582428591.pdf
  5. Watch a video here:

CHALLENGE: JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Draw and colour the picture of the beanstalk on the cover of the book (4 year olds)

OR

  1. Identify and colour Jack (2-3 year olds)

https://pintsizedbookworms.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/703e4-jack-and-the-beanstalk.jpg

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 2 – 4 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Tuesday, June 8th 2016.

Next Book of the Week:

THE LITTLE BLUE COW by Thecla Ojeifo

 

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As You Like It

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: AS YOU LIKE IT (found in Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare)

Author: William Shakespeare/Charles and Mary Lamb

Publisher: Dover Publications/Penguin Classics

Number of pages: 96/304

Type of Book: Classic, Fiction, Play

Age: 8+

Buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/You-Like-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486404323?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0; https://www.laternabooks.com/laterna_product_details.php?v=17883&c=111; free download here (unabridged version for older readers): http://shakespeare.mit.edu/asyoulikeit/full.html

Price: $3.00; N1500

MY SUMMARY

A rich Athenian dies, leaving behind two sons, Oliver and Orlando. Oliver inherits the father’s wealth, maltreats his younger brother and eventually tries to kill him in a wrestling match. Orlando wins the match much to Oliver’s chagrin, and he catches the eye of Rosalind, a local maiden. The two immediately fall in love. However, Orlando discovers that Oliver plans to burn him and his house and escapes to the Forest of Arden where he meets Duke Senior.

Duke Senior, Rosalind’s father having lost his lands and title to his sneaky younger brother Frederick has been living in exile in the forest of Arden. His daughter, Rosalind however lives with the wicked brother and his daughter Celia who incidentally is Rosalind’s best friend.

One day, Duke Frederick decides that Rosalind has become a threat to his daughter, so he throws her out of his court. Rosalind and Celia take to the Forest of Arden as well (it really seems to be a place of refuge for everyone). Rosalind disguises as a young man, Ganymede, to ward of thieves and the likes while Celia disguises as his sister. There they eventually meet Orlando and Duke Senior. Ganymede becomes Orlando’s friend and teaches him how to woo the love of his life (herself in disguise) while trying to ward off the advances of a lady in the same forest. Read the book to find out the drama that unfolds!

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: Shakespeare had a thing for romantic comedies and this is one of them. With a heartwarming love story and some funny characters, it’s the perfect holiday read for the little bookworm who loves Shakespeare. Like other plays of this nature there are at least three couples/weddings at the end of the play. Guaranteed to make you smile, laugh and marvel at human nature. I recommend for all the members of the family.

DOWN: None

RATING

4.5 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. What Oliver does as soon as their father dies? He stops paying for Orlando’s education, treats him like a servant and eventually tries to kill him.
  2. What Oliver does after his second plan to kill Orlando fails? He decides to try a third time so he follows Orlando to the forest of Arden with the intent to kill him there.
  3. Rosalind discovers this to be one of the major consequences of wearing a disguise: A local shepherdess Phoebe falls in love with her believing her to a boy!
  4. Why did Duke Frederick eject Rosalind from his court? Because he felt she was getting more popular than his daughter Celia
  5. Who is Ganymede? Rosalind, dressed as a boy.
  6. How does Ganymede help Orlando? He teaches him how to be a good suitor/husband to Rosalind, i.e. how to woo her.

Visit William Shakespeare here: http://www.shakespeare-online.com

Read the book here; http://shakespeare.mit.edu/asyoulikeit/full.html

CHALLENGE: As You Like It

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Imagine waking up and realizing that you were lost as a child and you’re really a Prince/Princess, then write a short 600-word story describing life as a prince/princess

OR

  1. Write a 100-word short poem about jealousy.

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8-12 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Sunday, June 6th 2016.

Next Book of the Week:

 

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A Midsummer Night’s Dream

AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Author: William Shakespeare

Publisher: Usborne Publishing

Number of pages: 64

Type of Book: Fiction, Classic, Play

Age: 4 – 8

Buy it here: http://product.chelisbookazine.com/product/a-midsummer-nights-dream-young-reading-series-2/; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Midsummer-Nights-Dream-Usborne-readers/dp/0746063334/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1464543391&sr=1-2&keywords=a+midsummer+nights+dream+usborne;  Free Download here: http://shakespeare.mit.edu/midsummer/full.html

Price: N580; 4.99GBP

MY SUMMARY

This play has four interconnecting plots/stories.

  1. The Duke of Athens, Theseus is about to marry the Amazon Queen, Hippolyta whom he has just conquered in battle. He orders four days of festivities to celebrate his impending marriage.
  2. Hermia, daughter of Egeus, an Athenian, refuses to marry Demetrius (against her father’s wishes) because she loves Lysander. Egeus asks the Duke to sentence her to death, based on an ancient Athenian law that requires a daughter to marry a suitor approved by her father or face death. Meanwhile, Helena, Hermia’s friend loves Demetrius. So basically, Helena loves Demetrius who loves Hermia who loves Lysander (Yes, Shakespeare has a thing for love triangles, rectangles and all)
  3. Oberon, the King of Fairies wants to take his wife Titania’s ward as a page but Titania refuses. Angry, he puts a magic potion (juice from a flower) on her eyes to make her fall in love with the first creature she sees when she wakes up. His plan: watch her fall in love with an animal in the forest and then shame her into giving him the young boy.
  4. A group of actors, the Mechanicals, is contracted to perform a play during the Duke’s wedding however, they do not know the first thing about acting so they retire to the forest to practice.

The play is set in the enchanted forest. After the Duke Theseus rules that Hermia must marry Demetrius, face death or become a nun, she decides to elope with Lysander and they find their way to the enchanted forest. Helena learns of this plan and tells Demetrius who gives chase. Helena in turn runs after Demetrius. Oberon spies Helena running after Demetrius and feeling pity for her decides to give Demetrius the magic juice from the flower to make him fall in love with Helena. He enlists the help of Puck a mischievous fairy who mistakenly puts the juice on Lysander’s eyes. Lysander wakes up to see Helena and promptly falls in love with her. An enraged Oberon attempts to correct Puck’s mistake, so the juice is administered on Demetrius who also falls in love with Helena. Of course chaos erupts as suddenly both men who entered the forest loving Hermia now love Helena. Meanwhile, the same mischievous Puck, turns the head of one of the Mechanicals, Bottom, into a donkey’s head causing his fellow actors to abandon him. Queen Titania, wakes up after the juice has been spread over her eyes and falls in love with Bottom. J

Read the story to find out how all fours stories/plots were resolved.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: Humour! Puck, the mischievous, was the major highlight. He made this book fun and made me laugh out loud a couple of times. Watch out especially for the part where Queen Titania wakes up and starts professing undying love to Bottom, the donkey-headed man! I loved this story a lot as a child (even though it took a while for me to GET it!) This book however, is much better than the one I read as a child. It is easy to read and not as long.

DOWN: It may be a tad confusing for 4-6 year olds because of the interconnecting plots plus the fact that the play seems to be riddled with characters.

RATING

4 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. This play is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Read the story here (the original version): http://shakespeare.mit.edu/midsummer/full.html
  2. Visit William Shakespeare here: http://www.shakespeare-online.com

CHALLENGE: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

 CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

1. Read the information above, then answer the following questions (6-8 year olds)

  • This little person caused a lot of trouble in this story?
  • Is there a play-within-a play in this story?
  • Who is Oberon?

OR

2. Draw and colour a man with a donkey’s head (4-5 year olds)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 4 – 8 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Thursday, June 2nd 2015.

Next Book of the Week:

MY NIGERIA: People, Places and Culture by Constance Omowumi Kola-Lawal

 

 

 

 

Little Red Riding Hood

AGES 0 - 4, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Title: Little Red Riding Hood

Author: Retold by Renee Cloke

Publisher: Award Publication/Usborne

Number of pages: 24/64

Type of Book: Fiction; Fairytale

Age: 0 – 4

Available here: http://www.amazon.com/Ladybird-Tales-Little-Riding-Hood/dp/1409311120/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463697512&sr=1-1&keywords=little+red+riding+hood+ladybird+tales;  http://www.amazon.com/Touch-Fairy-Little-Riding-Ladybird/dp/1409304493/ref=pd_sim_14_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=514Zl8vx3-L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=15BZ7EE4Z9KHHVQKBX3T ; http://product.chelisbookazine.com/product/little-red-riding-hood/ ; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goldilocks-Three-Bears-Usborne-Reading/dp/0746084110;  Free Download here: https://vk.com/doc8069473_212444066?hash=bdc9e2603bc7958ac0&dl=e2e6b90514c43d666b

Price: N500; $2.99; N580; 4.99GBP

MY SUMMARY

Another classic fairytale. Little Red Riding Hood’s Grandma is sick so her mum makes a food basket and asks Little Red to take it to her. She repeatedly warns her not to talk to strangers on the road but Little Red disobeys her mum and talks to the sly fox. Sly fox quickly speeds to Grandma’s house, gobbles her up, changes into Grandma’s clothes and waits for Little Red to arrive so as to eat her up as well. Read the book to find out what became of Little Red, Grandma and the food basket. One of my best lines from the book:

“Grandma, what large teeth you have …” says Little Red

“The better to eat you with.” replies the fox.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: This was hands down, one of my favourite little girl books! I loved it to pieces! I wanted that red cape too! Red has been my favourite colour since I can remember! Anyway, back to the book. It also introduces kids to the wonderful world of fairy tales! Both have vibrant illustrations but the Ladybird book also has different touch and feels on every page to introduce your toddler to textures. This story has a lesson or two. It teaches little readers that there are consequences for disobedience and talking to strangers. I recommend this book for all kids aged 0 to 4! Older kids can read this too. It’s a board book so it’s sturdy and will survive bites, spills and dunks in water.

DOWN: Depending on the version you read, the end can be sad or not!

RATING

4.5 or 5 Stars.

TRIVIA

  1. This story was first published by Charles Perrault and the Brother’s Grimm.
  2. This story has had at least three different versions with three different endings. In some versions, the fox swallows the grandma and the small girl; in others, it hides the grandma in a closet and doesn’t eat the little girl. Sometimes, the fox swallows the grandma and the little girl whole and a wood cutter rescues them from its stomach, and sometimes, the wood cutter is a hunter!

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Create your own Little Red Riding Hood book here: https://vk.com/doc8069473_212444066?hash=bdc9e2603bc7958ac0&dl=e2e6b90514c43d666b
  2. Some Little Red Riding Hood activities here: https://vk.com/doc8069473_212444066?hash=bdc9e2603bc7958ac0&dl=e2e6b90514c43d666b
  3. Watch a video here:

CHALLENGE: LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Draw and colour the picture of little Red Riding Hood on the cover of the book (4 year olds)

OR

  1. Identify and colour the fox (2-3 year olds)

http://www.coloring-book.info/coloring/coloring.php?id=2408

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 2 – 4 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Tuesday, May 31st 2015.

Next Book of the Week:

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

 

 

 

 

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A Winter’s Tale

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: A Winter’s Tale (found in Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare)

Author: William Shakespeare

Publisher: Dover Publications/Penguin Classics

Number of pages: 112/304

Type of Book: Classic, Fiction, Play

Age: 8+

Buy it here: https://www.laternabooks.com/laterna_product_details.php?v=17883&c=111; http://www.amazon.com/Winters-Tale-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486411184 ; free download here (unabridged version for older readers): http://shakespeare.mit.edu/winters_tale/full.html

Price: N1500; $3.00; 7.99 GBP

MY SUMMARY

A tale of woes really. The King Leontes of Sicily, in a fit of jealousy imprisons his pregnant wife and tries to poison his friend, King Polixenes of Bohemia because he believes the two are having an affair. His friend escapes however the wife doesn’t. She gives birth to a little girl, Perdita while in prison and dies shortly afterwards during her public trial. Her first son dies during this trial as well. Meanwhile, King Leontes, believing Perdita to be a product of the suspected affair abandons the child. She ends up in Bohemia and is found and raised by a shepherd. Sixteen years later, she meets and falls in love with the only son of King Polixenes, Prince Florizel. Florizel loves Perdita but Polixenes doesn’t approve of this union because they all think Perdita is a commoner and so the lovebirds decide to run away, to Sicily! Read the book to find out how the King Leontes is reunited with his long lost daughter and to see the unexpected but very happy twist at the end of the book!

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: It evoked a lot of feelings from me. It’s funny and sad at the same time. I remember heaving a sigh of relief after reading this story some 20 years ago.  Great ending. I recommend for all the members of the family.

DOWN: None

RATING

4.5 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. Why did King Leontes try to poison King Polixenes? Because he thought Polixenes was having an affair with his wife.
  2. This person falls in love with Perdita but is forbidden to marry her by his father? Prince Florizel, the son of King Polixenes.
  3. Who is Antigonus and what became of him? King Leontes’ servant. He was charged with the task of getting rid of Perdita. A bear ate him.
  4. Apollo’s Oracle had this message for King Leontes: You will not have an heir until you find your daughter, Perdita.
  5. What is the origin of the name, Perdita?! It’s a Latin word meaning LOST.

Visit William Shakespeare here: http://www.shakespeare-online.com

Read the book here: http://shakespeare.mit.edu/winters_tale/full.html

CHALLENGE: A Winter’s Tale

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Imagine waking up and realizing that you were lost as a child and you’re really a Prince/Princess, then write a short 600-word story describing life as a prince/princess

OR

  1. Write a 100-word short poem about jealousy.

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8-12 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Sunday, May 29th 2016.

Next Book of the Week:

AS YOU LIKE IT by William Shakespeare

 

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