Book is 106 pp. Number 21 in the series Playing with Plays, Beowulf for Kids presents three dramatized versions of the Beowulf story designed for different sized groups of performers: "6-10+," "9-13+," and "12-17+." The book describes the plays as "Melodramatic Modifications" (title page) and advertises them as "VERY funny and easy to perform!!!" (back cover copy). John Lesslie Hall is credited as translator on the title page and at the head of each play text, and a few lines in the play texts are highlighted, a marker that is explained in the Foreword as identifying those taken directly from "the original book," meaning Hall (4); but the plays, as "creatively modified" (title page) by Thayer and Kelso, owe virtually nothing to Hall other than the general storyline. After the book's main content, and following a pronunciation key (80) and acknowledgments (81), a series of excerpts from various Playing with Plays scripts advertises the company's other offerings: The Three Muskateers for Kids, King Lear for Kids, Frankenstein for Kids, etc.

The first play (8-30), for about 6 to 10 actors and stated to take about 15 minutes in performance, begins:

Act 1 Scene 1

GRENDEL THE MURDERER

(Enter HROTHGAR)

HROTHGAR: I am a great king! I need a Great Hall as great as I! It will be a mead-hall grander than men ever have heard of.

(DANE runs on stage and mimes building quickly; Dane exits)

HROTHGAR: Oh look! It is finished! (10)

And ends:

(WIGLAF stands over BEOWULF's body)

WIGLAF: Gentlest of men, most winning of manner, friendliest to folk-troops and fondest of honor: You were a cool dude, Beowulf. Strong. Brave. Even a little cray to think, at your age, you could fight a dragon by yourself. Okay. Bye.

(WIGLAF and GEAT SOLDIER exit; play ends with BEOWULF lying on the stage) (30)

The second version (32-55), for about 9 to 13 actors and stated to take about 20 minutes in performance, begins:

ACT 1 SCENE 1

GRENDEL THE MURDERER

(enter HROTHGAR)

HROTHGAR: I am a great king! I need a Great Hall as great as I! It will be a mead-hall grander than men ever have heard of.

(DANES run on stage and mime building quickly; they exit)

HROTHGAR: Oh look! It is finished! (34)

And ends:

(ALL stand around BEOWULF's body)

WIGLAF: Gentlest of men, most winning of manner, friendliest to folk-troops and fondest of honor: You were a cool dude, Beowulf. Strong. Brave. Even a little cray to think, at your age, you could fight a dragon by yourself. Okay. Bye.

(WIGLAF and GEAT SOLDIERS exit; play ends with BEOWULF lying on the stage) (55)

The third version (56-79), for about 12 to 17 actors and stated to take about 25 minutes in performance, begins and ends identically with the second version.

BAM.