Friends of Montclair Library

April 23rd is celebrated as William Shakespeare’s birthday – his 448th, to be exact. Shakespeare and his works have inspired other authors with countless themes, variations and turns of phrase over the ensuing years. Why not celebrate by reading one of his works, a book about him, or some fiction inspired by him? If you don’t have time for a full play, his sonnets are bite-sized Shakespeare (and perfect for National Poetry Month!).

• The Complete Works of Shakespeare edited by David Bevington
• Shakespeare’s Sonnets edited by Stanley Wells
• Shakespeare by Anthony Burgess
• Shakespeare: The World as Stage by Bill Bryson
• Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt
• A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare, 1599 by James Shapiro
• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
• The Tempest by William Shakespeare; edited by Peter Holland
• The Great Night by Chris Adrian (inspired by “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and set in San Francisco)
• Shakespeare’s Landlord [ebook] by Charlaine Harris

Plus a few for the kids:

• William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream retold by Bruce Coville (grade 2+)
• William Shakespeare & the Globe by Aliki (grades 3-6)
• Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema (grade 3+)
• Shakespeare’s Theatre by Andrew Langley (grade 5+)
• Shakespeare’s Scribe by Gary Blackwood (grades 5-8)
• The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne (grades 5-8 – this one’s at another branch, but worth requesting)
• Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield (grade 6+)