Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

Tagged: abridged, abridged classics, Great Illustrated Classics, how to use, Reluctant Reader

This topic has 9 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 6 months ago by Kristen.

Viewing 10 posts - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

Author
Posts
November 19, 2012 at 9:10 pm
Lesley Letson
Participant
so I had someone gift a good many of these to me – I am very thankful – however, there is something in me that cringes a little – should I pass these “adapted” versions along to someone else and stick to the unabridged originals, or lighten up and let them read them. I don’t want them taking up precious space on my shelves if I need to just pitch them, but then I don’t want to be a stick in the mud that is overly picky. Please chime in with your thoughts or opinions on these books!
November 19, 2012 at 9:25 pm
suzukimom
Participant
I’d pass them on… they are SO watered down – and then the student might not want to read the real one because they “already read it”
November 19, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Rachel White
Participant
Pass along or give to local thrift store…they are extreme twaddle. I agree with suzukimom. It will ruin their book “taste buds”, so-to-speak.
November 19, 2012 at 11:22 pm
missceegee
Participant
I was gifted an entire new set and they went directly to the thrift store. IMO they are a waste of precious reading time and retain none of the beauty of the original writing.
November 19, 2012 at 11:57 pm
Lesley Letson
Participant
ya’ll seem to be confirming my gut (which “they” always say you should trust!) – thanks! I look forward to reading any other comments as well though….
November 23, 2012 at 6:53 am
SueinMN
Participant
I’ll be the desenting voice. I like them and found them good for a reluctant reader especially boys. There were some that I read and specifically I remember Ivanhoe was really good. I read it and then read the original and I thought the original could have used some editing and I was fine with my son just reading the GIC version.
I first heard about these by a speaker who believes in lots of literature and she thought they would good for young people to read now and then read the original later. A good book invites a reread and I don’t see why this would discourage them from reading the original later.
November 23, 2012 at 11:45 pm
2flowerboys
Participant
I agree! We read a condensed version of Black Beauty a couple of yrs ago…this prompted older ds to read the real one the end of last school yr.
November 24, 2012 at 12:11 am
suzukimom
Participant
A good book invites a reread and I don’t see why this would discourage them from reading the original later.

I do think that these do have a place, and yes, I could see how they could help a reluctant reader….
One thought I had on the above quote though, is that although these classic illustrated books are made from good books that do tend to invite a reread….. some of these re-writes are not nearly that good at all – and so discourage a reread.
We are avoiding them at this point in our family.
November 24, 2012 at 2:57 am
LDIMom
Participant
I bought 4 at a used book store for 25 cents each. I didn’t have the time to look them over, but liked them well enough at first glance.
My 10YO son who is an avid reader and loves classics quickly realized they were twaddle for him for lack of a better way of putting it.
However, for my 12YO son, who is an ELL student and just starting to enjoy reading in English (he still reads in Mandarin for his free reading), these books were the perfect choice. Now he is starting to pick up the unabridged versions and thumb through them.
I have found in our family that they definitely have a place. If you have a reluctant reader or a child who has learning challenges, these might be a great find (or gift).
November 25, 2012 at 4:48 am
Kristen
Participant
I have several of them and plan on having my children in their younger years read them and the originals down the road. Especially my reluctant reader. My sister used them alongside the originals. She would start out reading the original and when they got to a part that was harder to understand she would reread it in the illustrated version.