You think you know everything about people you've researched?
I'm always pleasantly surprised and impressed by the "Who was/Is?" series of J Bios.
As someone who has worked on and studied a lot about the Bard, not only is this biography about William a great intro for kids, it also asks all of the unanswered questions about his life that we'll never know, and throws in some info for people like me (who thinks that they may know everything about the bard) just to give you more insight into this legendary person.

The book does a great job of addressing issues during the time like Queen Elizabeth, the plague and the disrespect of acting troupes, religion, war and politics of the time. It doesn't hold back, but if you've ever read up on those subjects during the 1500's, they don't share everything either. I do like its honesty and not sugarcoating the issues of Shakespeare's times.

There's also a great timeline at the back of all of these books: 1 that focuses on his life and works, and 1 that focuses on world history moments of his life, which was cool too.

The illustrations in each book are also very nice and help kids better understand.

Biography: This easy to read biography about William Shakespeare provides lots of information in an amusing form. The author tells about what Shakespeare's early years as a child were probably like, since little information is available. Illustrations of typical homes in the 1500s and vivid descriptions of the town of Stratford, make the time period come alive for readers. Within the chapters, the author has included two page additional informational spreads on topics that students may need to know more about such as the black plague, the Spanish Armada and Good Queen Bess. The illustrations in the book are simple black and white drawings, but add alot to the understanding of the text. Illustrations include maps, buildings and scenes from plays. The only drawback of this book may be the topic itself. The easy to read nature of the book make it a great addition to 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms, but the topic may not be of interest to students at that level. It may be more useful for students interested in independent research on a famous person or what life was like in the middle ages.

Never being a big fan of Shakespeare, this brief biography made me appreciate his work a bit more

Learned:
-hundreds of words and phrases were coined by Shakespeare (e.g. cold-blooded, love letter, puppy dog, zany, knock knock knock! Who’s there?, too much of a good thing, wild goose chase, etc.)
-he was born in Stratford, England in 1564
-his dad was a glove maker (and belts, purses, aprons)
-he married Anne Hathaway when he was 18 and she was 26
-he fathered Susanna then twins — Hamnet and Judith
-soon after the twins were born, he left Stratford and the family for England (famine was severe and they needed money)
-he became a playwright and wrote in the new poetic style called blank verse which doesn’t rhyme but has rhythm; Shakespeare specifically mastered iambic pentameter (if clapping, every other beat would be loud and this pattern repeats five times in each line)
-his plays were bold because they spoke of what happened in his country and time rather somewhere distant like most plays
-his characters make his plays interesting, making them as complicated as real people
-tragedy, comedy, history — he could write anything, and the audiences loved it
-the Black Death (bubonic plague) swept London 1592-1594 claiming 200,000+ lives (and almost a third of Europe in 3 years) and shut down theaters; people fled the city for the countryside
-not being able to conduct plays, he then became taken seriously as a poet, writing 154 sonnets over the years (14 line poems with complicated rhyme patterns)
-theaters re-opened, and he joined an acting group called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, with whom he’d remain for the rest of his career
-he helped his father John get a coat of arms (to move up in social class and be thought of as gentlemen, based on family background and noble deeds, sometimes very expensive)
-he continued writing great plays, constantly showing that nothing in life is clear and simple
-his greatest comic role he created was John Falstaff, a lying, cheating, drunken old knight
-the theater him and the LCM owned was on land they didn’t own, so they carried all the parts of the theater and rebuilt it and called it The Globe
-on play days they would raise flags: black for tragedy, white for comedy, and red for history plays
-when Queen Elizabeth died, she chose King James of Scotland to succeed her; he changed the LCM name to the King’s Men
-in 1610 after more than 20 years in London (and sending money to the family), Shakespeare returned home to Stratford; he died in 1616 at the age of 52

This book is for a 3rd-5th grade classroom and I used to love this book when I was in upper elementary school. These books go into detail about how the person grew up, how they got to be who they are, their career, and how they passed away. These books are very interesting to read and are easy enough to read for younger students. They go into enough detail to be informative and helpful, but not too much detail that kids won't be interested in them. These books are a series and they have them for a lot of historical figures. The illustrations on the cover makes them stand out too because of the caricature style.
I would implement these books into my classroom by having my students pick a historical figure and then having them do a small presentation on the person.

This book by Mannis had a lot of depth in history to it and was shown not only as a read for young children but for young people too. Though I have one objection- it will most likely not be interesting to the age group that it's recommended for (kids 7yr-10yr) and I think it would be much more appriciated by girls and boys that are a little older and would understand everything (though if you are homeschooling a child, I would highly recommend) because it wasn't just dealing with Shakespeare himself but with the whole time period. There was also some mentioning of death and beheading which I don't think is really of interest to little girls and boys. This whole series is very enjoyable and I liked the way the author wrote. She shows politics of the times, and how Globe Teather came out very well! I would recommend knowing more about his works and the time period before reading this book but it was a great biography that was made even more alive with the illustrations inside. This was a book that was very easy to understand, fun to read but with a lot of quality that not many of today's books have. I have always loved reading biographies but especially these were really wonderful. Great writing and a good imagination makes this book a one of a kind. Here is my review:

Who was William Shakespeare takes you on a journay through the life of a poet who has been admired for decades. Made to satisfy any history lover this book is a reader's dream. Not much is known about this genius of a man but the little that is, is put in this book in a beautiful format and with a wide language range and word use, Celeste makes William Shakespeare come alive and write a poem just for you :)

I would recommend...

Interest level: Medium
Reading level: Easy
Grade level: 5th-8th

Quite a decent children's biography of William Shakespeare, with quality black and white pictures throughout.

Book Review: Who Was William Shakespeare? (5 Stars)

"Who Was William Shakespeare?" is an enchanting introduction to the life of the legendary playwright that left me utterly captivated and eager to explore his works. The way the author weaves together Shakespeare's fascinating biography with insights into his timeless plays and sonnets is nothing short of magical. I found myself particularly drawn to the idea that this man, who lived over 400 years ago, crafted stories and characters that still resonate with our modern lives. The vivid descriptions of his theatrical world, complete with the hustle and bustle of the Globe Theatre, made me feel like I was witnessing his genius firsthand. Even though I haven't read any of his plays yet, this book ignited a spark of curiosity in me, compelling me to dive into his masterpieces soon. Each chapter felt like a delightful glimpse into his creative genius and the historical context of his time. I appreciated how the book highlighted Shakespeare's wit, humor, and profound understanding of human nature, making me realize just how relevant his works are today. Overall, I can't recommend this delightful read enough—it's a perfect gateway to the enchanting world of Shakespeare, and I'm now more excited than ever to experience his literary brilliance!

This is a great series to introduce upper elementary students to famous people. And even adults can learn something! Did you know a flag was flown outside the Globe theater to indicate there was a performance - black flag for a tragedy, white for comedy, & red for history. (Library)

Simple and very good.

Read-aloud with kids. October '24.

More info about Shakespeare himself would have been nice. A lot of sidetracks about Queen Elizabeth and going into plots of his plays.

Who Was William Shakespeare by Celeste Davidson Mannis, it covers his childhood and late adult hood and very small section on his young adulthood. There are some very informational parts of the book then there are not.
I HATED it!!!!! This book, it was awful, it is the worst who was book ever!!! Half of the story is just not about him but more about London. In my opionon it should be called London and one famous guy named Shakespeare.
I would never suggest this book to anyone!! Unless you are a hardcore shakespeare you would hate this book!!!

I read this book with my 11-year-old daughter. This whole series of biographies is so good for elementary readers. We have been on a Shakespeare kick lately, and it was interesting to read about how his personal life, his plays, and politics in England all lined up.