Language & Literature (The Great Illustrated Classics)

From a company called Waldman Publishing comes a series of books with one purpose in mind: rewrite the classic novels of our modern world into books geared toward young readers. 66 classics ranging from Aesop's Fables to The Invisible Man re-tell masterpieces in abridged versions that are easy enough for children to read. Almost everyone has come across one of these books at some point or another, yet not everyone appreciates the value of these books. The Great Illustrated Classics give young readers the first taste of great literature. They allow them to be exposed to the stories that had the most lasting impressions on readers for ages while still being able to read on a level suitable for them. Another factor that is helpful in the series is that on every other page there is a full-page drawing that corresponds with the text. This helps young readers grasp the content more easily and be able to truly visualize the story. What these stories lack is the presence of the original author's artistic writing and use of literary devices. This, however does not take away from the stories because the purpose of the books is to introduce young scholars to the classics. If they read an abridged story which focuses mainly on the action of the story, they will have a much greater hunger to read the classics in their unabridged forms when these children get older. I have had this personal experience and it has greatly effected me. I own 38 of the 66 books and have read at least half of the ones I own. They have shown me that reading the classics actually does serve a purpose in gaining knowledge. A great facet of the series is that despite the revision of the works, the details remain the same. I proved this to myself when I read The Great Illustrated Classic version of The Picture of Dorian Gray for my summer reading assignment heading into 11th grade. When I was asked to write a detailed essay on the book, I received the highest grade in the class: 100%. I hope to pass my collection onto my children someday in order to educate them in the classic works of literature.