Every so often, we like to highlight specific books that have made a big impression on our students and teachers. Whether Marchette Chute’s classic history Shakespeare of London, Stanley & Venema’s biography of Shakespeare (perfect for young readers), or Bruce Coville’s elegant retellings of various plays, each of these works brings a different facet of Shakespeare’s world to the printed page.
So too does Mary Pope Osbourne’s Stage Fright on a Summer Night, one of the stories in her beloved Magic Treehouse series. In this adventure, young protagonists Jack and Annie take a trip back to Elizabethan England and meet a friendly man named Will. He just happens to be putting on a play that he wrote – A Midsummer Night’s Dream! Featuring historical facts and personal triumphs for Jack and Annie, this tale draws children into the vibrant landscape of Shakespeare’s London.
Even more importantly, it also reminds readers of all ages never to take for granted the way theatre awakens the imagination. Indeed, the heart of the story is Jack and Annie’s realisation that “without wand, spell, or charm,” Shakespeare can transport his audience to another time and place; the magic they seek is, in fact, his ability to “turn daytime into night” through his very words. This is a gift that you can hear in real time through the above recording of a monologue from Merchant of Venice – demonstrating once again the power of Shakespeare’s art.
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