While we are fans of well-written retellings of classic works, we rarely recommend adaptations of classic books. While they maintain the plot structure of the novel, these abridgments usually mutilate the style and language of the original. The Great Illustrated Classics are no exception. Each book is a heavy abridgment of a classic work, and while reading these isn't remotely like reading the originals they serve as an introduction to the general gist of many famous novels. The hope is that your kids will revisit the original books when they're older, but we wonder how often this actually happens.
Priced cheaply, durable, and attractively consistent, they feature large print and black & white illustrations on every facing page so kids can zip through them. We used to carry these by popular demand, but have ceased from this and would like to encourage you to instead find books that are written at your kids' level.
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