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Adapted or Abridged

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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Adapted or Abridged
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66 Items found Print
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Active Filters: 2nd grade (Ages 7-8)
Action Bible Expanded Edition
by Sergio Cariello
from David C. Cook
for 2nd-6th grade
in Bible Stories for Kids (Location: BIBR-STO)
$32.99
Adventures of Mr. Toad
Disney's Wonderful World of Reading
from Random House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
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)
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)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
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)
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)
Christmas Carol (abridged)
by Charles Dickens, abridged and illustrated by Mercer Mayer
in Adapted or Abridged (Location: SER-ABR)
Christmas in the Big Woods
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder (adapted), illustrated by Renee Graef
Adapted from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Classic Tale of Peter Rabbit (abridged)
by Beatrix Potter, illustrated by Charles Santore
from Applesauce Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
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)
County Fair
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Reprint from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
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)
Dance at Grandpa's
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Deer in the Wood
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Reprint from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Deer in the Wood
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Doctor Dolittle and the Pirates
by Al Perkins
from Random House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (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)
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
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
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
$8.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Going to Town
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Renee Graef
Reprint from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Going West
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Hear It Read It: Treasure Island
from Sourcebooks
for 1st-4th grade
in Adapted or Abridged (Location: SER-ABR)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
How Tevye Became a Milkman
by Gabriel Lisowski, Sholem Aleichem
from Holt, Rinehart and Winston
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
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
$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)
Little House Birthday
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Little Prairie House
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Little Prairie House
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Miguel de Cervantes's Don Quixote
by Marcia Williams (adapted from Miguel de Cervantes)
1st edition from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
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)
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)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Pilgrim's Progress (adapted)
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)
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)
Prairie Day
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Reprint from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Revenge of Ishtar
by Ludmila Zeman
from Tundra Books (NY)
for 1st-4th grade
$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
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)
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (retold)
by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Michael Foreman
from Candlewick Press
for 2nd-6th grade
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (retold)
by Michael Morpurgo
from Candlewick Press
for 2nd-6th grade
Stage full of Shakespeare Stories
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 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
$9.95
Sugar Snow
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Reprint from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Sugar Snow
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Summertime in the Big Woods
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
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)
Tales from the Odyssey, Part 1
by Mary Pope Osborne
1st edition from Disney-Hyperion
for 2nd-5th grade
$8.99
Tales from the Odyssey, Part 2
by Mary Pope Osborne
1st edition from Disney-Hyperion
for 2nd-5th grade
$8.99
Tenggren's Golden Tales from the Arabian Nights
by Gustaf Tenggren
from Golden Books
for 1st-6th grade
Ugly Duckling - Retelling
by Hans Christian Andersen, Retold by Catherine Lukas, Illustrated by Jill Bauman
from Reader's Digest Young Families
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Winter Days in the Big Woods
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Winter Days in the Big Woods
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Winter on the Farm
My First Little House
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
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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