Dickens & Rumi

book

Shakespeare stories for children

Edith Nesbit · 1992

Explore the age guidance, content cautions, positive qualities, and supporting notes for Shakespeare stories for children by Edith Nesbit. This book is content notes include Death of a character, Romance, Violence; positive qualities include Creativity & curiosity, Educational value.

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At a glance

Recommended ageNot listed

Strongest cautions

  • Death of a character4/5
  • Romance3/5
  • Violence3/5

Strongest positives

  • Creativity & curiosity4/5
  • Educational value4/5
  • Courage & resilience3/5

What’s in it?

Death of a character4/5
Why this rating?

Several included tragedies involve important, sometimes sudden deaths and grief. These events are central to the stories, though retellings may reduce graphic detail.

Graphic injury1/5
Why this rating?

No graphic gore is depicted; injuries are implied or briefly mentioned in the context of the story.

Religious themes1/5
Why this rating?

Historical religious references typical of the period appear in some plays as part of the cultural context.

Romance3/5
Why this rating?

Love, courtship, marriage, jealousy, and romantic misunderstandings drive many stories, generally without extended sensual detail.

Frightening scenes2/5
Why this rating?

Ghosts, witches, storms, threats, imprisonment and tense supernatural scenes appear, but they are softened in child-friendly retellings and are not sustained horror.

Alcohol or drugs1/5
Why this rating?

No depiction of substance use.

Violence3/5
Why this rating?

Sword fights, threats, battles, abductions, cruelty, and conflict appear in several retellings, usually summarized rather than graphically described.

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience3/5
Why this rating?

Characters often exhibit great bravery in the face of political turmoil or personal adversity.

Creativity & curiosity4/5
Why this rating?

Magic, disguise, mistaken identity, theatrical situations, imaginative settings, and intricate plots strongly encourage imaginative engagement.

Diverse representation1/5
Why this rating?

Characters vary in gender, age, status and setting, but the collection largely reflects Shakespeare’s historical worlds and offers limited modern cultural or identity representation.

Educational value4/5
Why this rating?

The collection introduces children to Shakespeare’s plots, characters, themes, dramatic genres, and cultural legacy through accessible narrative retelling.

Kindness & empathy2/5
Why this rating?

Kindness and forgiveness are explored as redemptive qualities in the plays.

Positive messages3/5
Why this rating?

Stories emphasize consequences of jealousy, pride, deception, revenge, and impulsiveness, alongside loyalty, forgiveness, love, and reconciliation.

Good role models3/5
Why this rating?

Characters display a variety of traits; some show great strength and loyalty, while others represent cautionary examples.

Family discussion

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Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

  1. What was the most imaginative idea in the story, and what would you add to it?
  2. How did the story approach death or loss? What helped the characters cope?
  3. Which choice in Shakespeare stories for children would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in Shakespeare stories for children, and what caused that change?
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