Needless to say, today is Book Day. We want to offer you 6 classics of literature that weren't written for a children's audience, but their adaptations are so good that they are a great way for boys and girls to get to know the classics. And it is that historically, in Spain, there are already classic books adapted for children in the XNUMXth century.
As the writer Arturo Pérez-Reverte says, children's adaptations of classic works are, in many cases, children's first contact with authentic literature. Almost every publisher has adapted the great Spanish and universal classics for children. Some of them in comic, digital or bilingual versions, so that there are no excuses when approaching reading.
Why is it good for children to read classic books?
Many experts agree that promoting the reading of age-appropriate classic books among children is the best way to learn to enjoy literature. If a Primary school boy or girl reads an adapted play and, ten years later, he reaches the original, it will not come back to him again, he will remember that he read it, that it exists. This is maintained by Enrique Castillejos, president of the General Council of Official Associations of Pedagogues and Psychopedagogues of Spain.
It is in the family where the love for literature and reading must be instilled, for this it is important let the children choose what they want to read. Reading classic books are always recommended, and even more so if they are appropriate for the child's age. But do not forget that there are other themes, such as , science, or ecology that may also interest you. Ask before giving.
Adaptations of classic books they should be attractive, exciting, with affordable language, with illustrations that help to understand the story. If they are also accompanied by notes of humor and characters with whom children identify, we will have future readers insured. We propose some adaptations of classical Spanish and universal literature.
Classic Spanish books adapted to children's literature
We will start with a classic, which has been very adapted to children, the Lazarillo de tormes. Perhaps because children can feel very identified with the character. In this case, we are going to recommend the adapted edition of María Jesús Chacón and illustrated by David Hernando. It is recommended from the 9 years.
Don Quijote de la Mancha For children it is a perfect classic story for Primary Education, that is, from 6 years old. The version we recommend is adaptation by Rosa Navarro Durán and Francesc Rovira Jarqué. As a button shows, this Quixote begins like this: In a place in La Mancha, whose name I don't want to remember, lived Don Quixote, a gentleman who liked books so much that he could spend hours and hours reading ...
Platero and me, Juan Ramón Jiménez's book, despite being written in fairly simple language, is not aimed at children. To make it more understandable to children, Editorial Susaeta presents its edition illustrated by Juan Ramón Alonso, who has drawn in more than 300 books, many of them adaptations.
Classics of world literature for children
En The odyssey, of the poet Homer, edited by SM children will find monsters, ships lost at sea, natural disasters, fights, gods ... This edition presents the adventures of Ulysses in comic form, and his return to the island of Ithaca to be with his beloved wife Penelope.
The classic book edition Dracula, by Bram Stoker made by Susaeta is magnificent. It features illustrations by Alberto G. Ayerbe, and presents this classic novel in a bilingual format, so that the reading boy, or the reading girl, from 12 years old can practice reading in both languages.
Alice in Wonderland is a classic book, written by Lewis Carrol, that many adults believe it was written for children. Nothing is further from reality. We recommend this adaptation of the Planeta publishing house, with illustrations by John Tenniel, about the adventures of Alicia.