I own both the illustrated and originals of
- The Hedge of Thorns
- Teddy’s Button
- The Three Weavers (new, unread as of yet)
We love both. The illustrated copies are shortened, but are still quite long for a picture book and keep the story well, IMHO. We’ve read the originals, too, and we enjoy them equally. The only other abridged book we own is The Little Pilgrim’s Progress. We avoid abridged stories b/c they are generally poorly done and change the author’s intent, but I didn’t find it to be so with these.
Off the top of my head, we’ve read the following with our 9, 6 & 3 yo. The 3yo isn’t as interested, but picks up more than you’d think.
- Nobody Loves Me
- Fire in the Sky
- Throw Me Overboard
We’ve just purchased all of their dramatized audio books and they are awesome! We esp. liked A Peep Behind the Scenes and Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince.
Incidentally, I really love their books for older teens – adults. Ishmael is probably my all time favorite book, along with The Hidden Hand. Currently I’m reading Shepherd of Bethlehem and really enjoying it as well.
You could call Lamplighter. They are very knowledgeable about their books and make good suggestions for your age kids.
Christie