So there I was, plowing through the kid's books at Goodwill, hoping for some 99 cent treasures. Bingo. Four volumes of Beatrice Potter's Peter Rabbit stories, in like new condition. Sold. But wait, here's another, an "adaptation". What, we're going to shorten these stories, edit them, put several original pages on one page? Please! Avoid books that use these terms: adapted by; abridged; based on; re-told. (There is one class of exceptions. Since folk tales and legends were, by nature, spoken rather than written, they can frequently be re-told in contemporary grammar without compromising the story.) For the rest, for the classics, avoid adaptations. If necessary, wait to read them until your children are ready for the real thing. You, and they, won't be disappointed.
Question: Are there exceptions to my rule? (Abridgments or adaptations that are actually preferable to the originals)
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