Books like Romeo & Juliet, Pride and Prejudice, and the Great Gatsby have long been mainstays in the classroom. These titles are considered classics based on their universal concepts and timeless themes. Yet, the heavy language and dated customs can make those themes inaccessible for today’s teens.
Retellings and adaptations for young adults can be a method of bridging the gap between classic works and teen interests today. Such retellings take the characters and plot out of their original era while maintaining the concepts that make them classics.
Though these novels should in no way be used in place of the originals, they can go a long way toward enriching student’s understanding of them. Take, for example, Epic Fail, a YA adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. The author takes the Bennet’s and Mr. Darcy out of Austen’s setting and places them in a Los Angeles high school. The witty banter, family embarrassment, miscommunication, and happy ending all remain, but the setting, language and society reflect what teens see and experience today. Epic Fail illuminates Pride and Prejudice for those who have trouble finding the story through the language.
Check out a few of these great adaptations:
Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper (Romeo and Juliet)
Epic Fail by Claire Scovell La Zebnik (Pride and Prejudice)
Jake, Reinvented by Gordan Korman (The Great Gatsby)
The Dashwood Sister’s Secrets of Love by Rosie Rushton (Sense and Sensibility)
Jenna and Jonah’s Fauxmance by Brendan Halpin and Emily Franklin (Much Ado About Nothing)
Going Bovine by Libba Bray (Don Quixote)
