Dickens’ famous serialisations of his stories were published in Victorian newspapers. They were written in order for him to pay his debts and, as a consequence, the final stories are generally exceptionally weighty books. They can certainly be off-putting for older children, including teenagers (and even adults). But for younger children, even a snippet in Dickensian language can be too much to handle.
But Dickens’ plot lines and characters are so exciting, robust and unforgettable, that everyone should be able to enjoy them. And, thanks to Usborne Publishing, even early independent readers can now enjoy some of the wonders Dickens has to offer.
An Accessible Dickens Read
There is nowhere better for young readers to begin with Dickens than the famed A Christmas Carol. A ghost story with a happy ending and even a moral thrown in is a perfect story to want to read. And here, the retelling by Lesley Sims of A Christmas Carol (Usborne 2003, ISBN 0 7460 6450 0) allows children to experience the story of the miserly Scrooge, who is taught the error of his ways by the visitations of various ghost, in accessible language.
The 64-page paperback book uses modern-day language and expression, easily identified by children. The text is not simplistic and patronising to independent readers and appears ideally suited to those of ages 6 and up. Dialogue is intermingled with prose to great effect, as are speech bubbles with the illustrations. These both add interest to the text and also include a little extra information to the main text.
Educational Illustrations
Equally, the illustrator, Alan Marks, has made wonderful use of watercolour illustrations on every page to reflect a little more of the original Dickens story. These paintings are highly detailed representations of the story itself and also of Victorian features, such as clothing, food and buildings inherent in Dickens’ tales.
The illustrations have good educational value and provide excellent talking points about Victorian life. And, although there are plentiful depictions of ghosts, including the legendary “ghost of Christmas yet to come”, none of the illustrations are particularly terrifying for younger readers. In the age of Harry Potter, any child who has experienced the vision of the Death Eaters will surely have no nightmares over these pictures!
An Added Extra from Usborne
In true Usborne style, the end of the book contains useful background information on Charles Dickens himself, focusing particularly on the social conditions in which Dickens had to live and how that impacted on his writing. There is just enough information here to get children interested in Charles Dickens and wanting to know more.
Usborne’s Young Readers Series, then, gives young children the opportunity to experience classic literature such as Dickens, making them accessible to all ages and ability ranges. Hopefully, getting to know important icons of English literature at a young age and reading them for pleasure in interesting, colourful books, will instil a love for the full and unabridged novels in years to come.
Related articles:
Introduce Children to Shakespeare
Claire Cowling - I became a freelance writer in 2007, after a career in teaching, followed by a long period as a stay-at-home parent. My background has ...
