This book is a perfect introduction to appreciating and understanding William Shakespeare's lasting legacy. Shakespeare's universal themes—loyalty and betrayal, love and hate, honor and dishonor, to name but a few—have imbued not only English literature but many other cultures worldwide. Inspired by scenes from Shakespeare's plays, kids can invent new words and compose sonnets—just as he did. Making a quill pen, creating a fragrant pomander ball, and cooking a dish of stewed apples show what daily life was like in the Elizabethan era, when Shakespeare lived. Staging swordplay and creating authentic costumes bring the theater arts to life. Kids will get their first taste of the bard's sublime craft and experience Elizabethan England with 21 fun activities an a bounty of historical detail.