Adapted or Abridged - Exodus Books

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So, first question: what exactly is the difference between "abridged" and "adapted"? They're similar in concept, but it's a straight-forward answer. If it's just shortened, but all the language is from the original, that's an abridgment. An adaptation is not merely abridged, but has been rewritten in different (often age-appropriate) language.

We have a love-hate relationship with these sorts of books. While we don't generally encourage the reading of abridged editions, we do understand that some parents want to expose their kids to great stories before they're old enough to read the real thing. Sometimes, these can be brilliantly retold, good enough to be considered literature in their own right, and authors like Rosemary Sutcliff, Alfred Church, and Padraic Colum spent most of their careers creating books like this. William Shakespeare's plays have also often been adapted by authors like Charles & Mary Lamb or E. Nesbit. Because they don't usually have the same title as the originals, we often don't label them as adapted or abridged in our database entries; if they do share the title, we'll list it as "retold".

Many adapted books of today are NOT these books, often hastily-rewritten, mass-produced adaptations that really oughtn't use the title of the original. Sure, the main plot points are there, but classics are more than just bare bones plots; part of what makes a book great is the quality of the author's expression, the wit and grace he or she uses to tell their tale. An abridged or heavily edited version almost always demolishes the poetry of the original and presents classic stories as simple bullet-point collections of incidents. For us, if the book does not clearly state the name of the editor/adapter, we'll generally avoid carrying it.

That said, if you intend to have your kids read the original later on, these could provide a decent introduction to provide some familiarity before jumping into Great Expectations or The Iliad. Sometimes reading the classics can be confusing during the first few encounters, and having some knowledge of the general plot, characters, and theme beforehand can be useful (though remember that, in an adaptation, you're getting the editor's interpretation of the theme rather than the theme itself).

Abridgements can be a bit tricky, because they're not always labeled as such. Some huge books, like Les Misérables or Count of Monte Cristo, bear some cutting here and there and a good abridgement makes them more accessible. For others, like Robinson Crusoe and Gulliver's Travels, some publishers have elected to make editorial cuts that they chose not to declare as abridgments, but they're not the full originals. We do our best to make these cuts obvious (see a list here).

With all that said, most of the abridged and adapted classics we have in stock are listed below. Some of them are valuable for their illustrations alone (particularly the Little Unicorn books, with full-color pictures by the Brothers Hildebrandt) or their value as collector's items, but we would encourage you not to consider these your final exposure to the titles. There are riches that await!

Introduction by Eli Evans, with C. Hollis Crossman
Formerly home educated and now father of five, Eli loves discovering amazing books, new and old, and is an artistic curator at heart. The owner and manager of Exodus since 1998, his focus is on offering thoughtful and well-written books that inspire the imagination and promote creativity and diligence while living for God. Read more of his reviews here.

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Parent Categories

Fiction & Literature

Adapted or Abridged

Subcategories

Classics Graphic Novel Adaptations

Classics Retold

Great Illustrated Classics

Sterling Classic Starts

Classics Retold

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3rd grade (Ages 8-9)

	Action Bible Expanded Edition God's Redemptive Story by Sergio Cariello from David C. Cook for 2nd-6th grade in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO) $32.99
	Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (adapted) by Adapted by David Blair and illustrated by John Bradley, Original by Lewis Carroll 1st.Edition from Courage Books for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Animal Farm Graphic Novel by George Orwell, Adapted and Illustrated by Odyr from Mariner Books for 3rd-Adult in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC) $19.99
	Around the World in 80 Days (abridged) by Jules Verne, abridged by Hilda Young, illustrated by Gianni Demo from World Distributors (Manchester) for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $16.00 (1 in stock)
	Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo from Walker Books for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Beowulf by Michael Morpurgo from Candlewick Press for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Black Ships Before Troy The Story of the Iliad by Rosemary Sutcliff & Alan Lee from Frances Lincoln Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $22.99
	Boxcar Children #01 - Graphic Novel by Gertrude Chandler Warrner (creator), Shannon Eric Denton (adapter), Mike Dubisch (illustrator) from Albert Whitman & Company for 1st-4th grade in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Canterbury Tales Selected, translated, adapted and illustrated by Barbara Cohen & Trina Schart Hyman from William Morrow & Company Medieval Literature for 3rd-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $17.50 (1 in stock)
	Canterbury Tales (adapted) by Geoffrey Chaucer, simplified by Michael West and illustrated by Victor Ambrus from Longman for 3rd-6th grade in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
	Carlo Collodi's Pinocchio (adapted) by Marianna Mayer (translator and adapter), illustrated by Gerald McDermott from Four Winds Press for 1st-3rd grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Chaucer for Children A Golden Key by Mrs. H.R. (Mary) Haweis from Cheapest Books for 3rd-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $14.99
	Chaucer for Children A Golden Key by Mrs. H.R. (Mary) Haweis from Yesterday's Classics for 3rd-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $21.95
	Chaucer for Children A Golden Key by Mrs. H.R. (Mary) Haweis from Living Book Press for 3rd-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.49
	Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Pop-Up Book by Ian Fleming, abridged by Albert G. Miller, illustrated by Gwen Gordon and Dave Chambers from Random House for Kindergarten-Adult in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC) $25.00 (1 in stock)
	Christy - Young Readers Edition by Catherine Marshall, adapted by Anna Wilson Fishel for 3rd-6th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit (adapted) by Joel Chandler Harris, illustrated by Don Daily from Running Press for Preschool-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	CS: The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle Abridged from Sterling Publishing Co. for 2nd-4th grade in Sterling Classic Starts (Location: SER-SCS) $3.00 (1 in stock)
	Dangerous Journey The Story of Pilgrim's Progress by Oliver Hunkin (abridger) from Eerdmans Allegorical and Moral Stories for 3rd-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $25.00
	David Copperfield (adapted) by Charles Dickens; retold by Clare West from Oxford University for 3rd-6th grade in Adapted or Abridged (Location: SER-ABR) $8.00 (1 in stock)
	Don Quixote and the Windmills by Miguel Cervantes, retold by Eric Kimmel, illustrated by Leonard Everett Fisher from Farrar, Straus and Giroux for 2nd-4th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	ECL: Gulliver's Travels (abridged) by Jonathan Swift, illustrated by Don Irwin for 3rd-8th grade in Educator Classic Library (Location: VIN-ECL)
	Eyewitness Classics: Odyssey (adapted & annotated) by Homer 1^st edition from DK Children for 3rd-8th grade in Adapted or Abridged (Location: SER-ABR)
	Favorite Tales from Shakespeare by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by Donald Lynch from Grosset & Dunlap for 2nd-6th grade in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	First Book of Tales of Ancient Araby First Books by Charles Mozley from Franklin Watts for 1st-4th grade in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
	Flying to Neverland with Peter Pan A Lyrical Journey with Song from the Broadway Musical by J. M. Barrie, Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Carolyn Leigh from Blue Apple for Nursery-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Gift of the Magi: Collectors Edition Adapted from the story by O. Henry by O. Henry, illustrated by Robert Sauber from Unicorn Publishing House for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Christmas & Advent (Location: HOLIDAY)
	Gilgamesh the King by Ludmila Zeman from Tundra Books (NY) for 1st-4th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Golden Key Graphic Novel by George MacDonald, adapted and illustrated by Stephen Hesselman from Rabbit Room Press for 3rd-6th grade in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC) $29.99
	Hear It Read It: Treasure Island CD included from Sourcebooks for 1st-4th grade in Adapted or Abridged (Location: SER-ABR) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Heidi's Friends (adapted) A Sequel to "Heidi" by Johanna Spyri, illustrated by Sergio Leone from Grosset & Dunlap for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
	How Tevye Became a Milkman by Gabriel Lisowski, Sholem Aleichem from Holt, Rinehart and Winston for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Iliad (retold) or, Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff & Alan Lee from Frances Lincoln Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Iliad Graphic Novel by Homer, adapted by Gareth Hinds from Candlewick Press for 3rd-8th grade in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC) $17.99 $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Illustrated Stories from Shakespeare by Willam Shakespeare, retold by Rosie Dickens and illustrated by Christa Unzer from Usborne for 2nd-5th grade in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
	John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress by Geraldine McCaughrean from Overlook Press for 2nd-7th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Jungle Book (adapted) by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Don Daily from Applesauce Press for 1st-4th grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
	Kersti and Saint Nicholas (adapted) by Hilda Van Stockum, Revised and Adapted by the Author's Family from Boissevain Books for 2nd-5th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Kings of Rome - Cycle 1 Copper Lodge Library by Stephanie B. Meter (editor) from Classic Conversations Press for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Classical Conversations (Location: CUR-CC) $14.95
	Last Quest of Gilgamesh by Ludmila Zeman from Tundra Books (NY) for 1st-4th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.95 $6.00 (2 in stock)
	Les Miserables (adapted) Stepping Stones: A Chapter Book by Victor Hugo, Adapted by Monica Kulling from Random House Historical Fiction for 1st-4th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $2.50 (1 in stock)
	Man in the Iron Mask Graphic Novel by Roy Thomas, Hugo Petrus (penciler), Tom Palmer (inker), June Chung (colorist) from Marvel Publishing for 3rd-8th grade in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
	Miguel de Cervantes's Don Quixote by Marcia Williams (adapted from Miguel de Cervantes) 1^st edition from Candlewick Press for 1st-4th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	More Tales from Shakespeare by Marcia Williams from Candlewick Press for 3rd-7th grade in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
	Mr. William Shakespeare's Plays by William Shakespeare presented by Marcia Williams from Walker Books for 3rd-6th grade in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
	Much Ado About Nothing for Kids Shakespeare Can Be Fun by Lois Burdett from Firefly Books for 2nd-5th grade in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
	Odyssey (retold) by Barbara Leonie Picard from Oxford University for 3rd-4th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Odyssey of Homer by Alfred J. Church (reteller), illustrated by John Flaxman from Macmillan for 3rd-6th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Peter Pan (abridged) by J. M. Barrie, abridged by Vic Parker and illustrated by Claudia Venturini from Viking Press Fantasy for 2nd-5th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $7.20 (1 in stock)
	Pilgrim's Progress (adapted) John Bunyan's Classic Story Adapted for Children by Written by Anna Trimiew, illustrated by Drew Rose from Great Commission Publications Allegorical and Moral Stories for 1st-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Pilgrim's Progress (retold) A retelling of John Bunyan's classic by Written by Tim Dowley, Illustrated by Steve Smallman from Candle Books Allegorical and Moral Stories for 1st-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Pinocchio (adapted) by Freya Littledale from Schola Publications, Inc. for 1st-3rd grade in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Plutarch's Lives for Boys and Girls by W.H. Weston (reteller), Plutarch from Yesterday's Classics for 3rd-6th grade in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET) $17.95
	Revenge of Ishtar by Ludmila Zeman from Tundra Books (NY) for 1st-4th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.95 $6.00 (2 in stock)
	Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children by James Baldwin from Yesterday's Classics for 2nd-4th grade in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET) $11.95
	Romeo and Juliet - The Young Reader's Shakespeare by Adam McKeown (Retold by), illustrated by Peter Fiore from Scholastic Inc. for 3rd-6th grade in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges & Trina Schart Hyman from Little, Brown & Company Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 2nd-3rd grade 1985 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $8.99
	Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges & Trina Schart Hyman Fir from Little, Brown & Company Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 2nd-3rd grade 1985 Caldecott Medal winner in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE) $18.99
	Secret Garden (adapted) by Frances Hodgson Burnett, adapted by James Howe and illustrated by Thomas B. Allen from Random House Books for Young Readers for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
	Selection from The Canterbury Tales by Selina Hastings, illustrated by Reg Cartwright from Henry Holt and Company for 3rd-6th grade in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
	Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (retold) by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Michael Foreman from Candlewick Press for 2nd-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (retold) by Michael Morpurgo from Candlewick Press for 2nd-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Stage full of Shakespeare Stories 12 Tales from the Bard, Retold for Children by William Shakespeare, Retold by Angela McAllister, Illustrated by Alice Lindstrom from Quarto Knows for 2nd-6th grade in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
	Stories from Shakespeare by Retold by Nicola Baxter, Illustrated by Jenny Thorne from Barnes & Noble for 2nd-4th grade in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
	Stories from the Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser, retold by Jeanie Lang and illustrated by Rose Le Quesne from CreateSpace for 3rd-6th grade in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET) $7.50
	Stories of Beowulf Told to the Children by H. E. Marshall from Yesterday's Classics Myth & Legend for 2nd-5th grade in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET) $9.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Stories of Roland Told to the Children by H. E. Marshall from Yesterday's Classics for 2nd-5th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $9.95
	Stories of Siegfried Told to the Children by Mary MacGregor from Yesterday's Classics for 3rd-7th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $9.95
	Swiss Family Robinson in Words of One Syllable by I. F. M. from Mcloughlin Bros. Inc for 1st-3rd grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $14.00 (1 in stock)
	Tale of Two Cities (adapted) - Audiobook by Jim Weiss from Peace Hill Press for 3rd-8th grade in Greathall Storyteller CDs (Location: CD-WEISS) $7.50 (1 in stock)
	Tales from Shakespeare by Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb from Wordsworth Classics Shakespeare Stories for 3rd-8th grade in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
	Tales from Shakespeare Puffin Classics by Charles & Mary Lamb from Puffin Books Shakespeare Stories for 3rd-8th grade in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $8.99
	Tales from Shakespeare Junior Deluxe Editions by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard from Grosset & Dunlap for 3rd-8th grade in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
	Tales from Shakespeare by Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb from Tiger Books International for 3rd-8th grade in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET) $12.00 (1 in stock)
	Tales from Shakespeare Calla Editions by Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb from Dover Publications Shakespeare Stories for 3rd-8th grade in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
	Tales From Shakespeare by Marcia Williams from Candlewick Press for 3rd-7th grade in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
	Tales from Shakespeare by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by Elizabeth Shippen Elliott from Dilithium Press, Ltd. Shakespeare Stories for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Tales from Shakespeare Manhattan Young People's Library by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by Louis Rhead from Gilbert H. McKibben Shakespeare Stories for 3rd-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $18.00 (1 in stock)
	Tales from the Odyssey, Part 1 by Mary Pope Osborne 1^st edition from Disney-Hyperion for 2nd-5th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.99
	Tales from the Odyssey, Part 2 by Mary Pope Osborne 1^st edition from Disney-Hyperion for 2nd-5th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $8.99
	Tenggren's Golden Tales from the Arabian Nights by Gustaf Tenggren from Golden Books for 1st-6th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	The Adventures of Robin Hood (abridged) The Classic Tale by J. Walker McSpadden, Abridged by Christopher Stella, Illustrated by Greg Hildebrandt from Courage Books for 3rd-6th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Uncle Tom's Cabin - Young Folks' Edition Reprint from Country Books in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
	Wanderings of Odysseus Story of the Odyssey by Rosemary Sutcliff & Alan Lee from Frances Lincoln Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT)
	Wind in the Willows (adapted) by Kenneth Grahame from Dalmatian Press for 3rd-5th grade in Adapted or Abridged (Location: SER-ABR) $3.50 (1 in stock)
	Wrinkle in Time Graphic Novel by Madeleine L'Engle, Adapted and Illustrated by Hope Larson from Square Fish Publishing for 2nd-8th grade in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC) $16.99
	Young Classics: Heidi by Johanna Spyri, retold by Sally Grindley and illustrated by Pamela Venus from Family Learning for Kindergarten-3rd grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)

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