Yrp My First Classics Reading Library

I purchased these books for my 7-year-old when I realised the reading books she was getting from school were boring her. She's a very strong reader and very inquisitive so giving her stories a bit more complex was a no-brainer. She read the entire library in about 2 days and talked about the various stories she'd read for several weeks. The stories are very well abridged and beautifully illustrated making them more suitable for the younger reader, with more complex books also providing shot guides and relevant information (Pronunciation guides in Midsummer Night's Dream & a family tree for Wuthering Heights, also beautifully illustrated.) It was also a delight to share some of my favourite stories with my daughter in a way that she could understand and enjoy. It was far more enjoyable reading and talking about these books together than the books she received from her school. They really made her think and ask genuine questions about the themes and histories of each story. If your little one is a bright little button looking for something more interesting, I definitely recommend this collection.

I have a couple of these Usborne sets and I love how they make some of the classics accessible to younger readers. Illustrations are great and on very page. Very good value when you factor in the amount of books for the money. A small gripe is that depending on the combination of sets you buy you end up with duplicate versions of the same books but I just gift those to family. Others have complained that some of the content is inappropriate, depending on the age of the reader you would want to have a look at the books first and remove some of them if you fell they are not ready for some of the themes or illustrations (deaths etc).

My great niece really enjoyed these. Her mother read them to her at bedtime and said they were very well received.

I would say these are more suitable for 7/8/9 year olds. I bought them for my 6 year old but they are too difficult for him but my 8 and a half year old (dyslexic) son hasn't stopped reading them since they arrived. I find it hard to find anything really captivating. He loved Macbeth, Dracula, Black Beauty and Robin Hood! He rarely enjoys reading but the books contain great classic, in depth stories with text that is accessible. He is really enjoying them and can't put them down. Great books that don't condescend a child's ability to grasp more mature content written in a way that makes reading fluid. Really recommend - maybe especially for boys.

I think that this set of English classics would be an ideal next step for those whose confidence at reading is growing. Each tale is abridged down to about sixty pages and told in an entertaining way, whilst keeping the atmosphere of the original story. Moreover, each page is illustrated so is good for young readers.

Pride and prejudice did not come with the collection even though it said it is in the collection

My little one (8 years) and I love these books, short enough to read in one sitting and excellent for introducing kids to some classics without them being overwhelmed

Bought this set for my 6 and 4 year old, they love them! My 6 year old is now obsessed with Shakespeare, after reading Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night's Dream. The blue books are the ideal level for him to read himself. The purple's are a similar language level, the chapters are just a little longer.