I audio-ed the BBC version of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving in the car. To me, this is the perfect way to read Sleepy Hollow, especially coming into it from reading nothing but YA. Now don't get me wrong, YA is awesome, but it is a tough transition to make from YA to the classics.I felt the audio had set the mood perfectly. There were creepy sound effects (yeah driving to this on a dark stormy night is not such a good idea). There was also piano mood music at different intervals. Also the voice of the reader was excellent, I felt like I was listening to my grandpa tell me a ripping yarn. With audiobooks, having a good narrator is very important, with a bad reader it's very hard to lose yourself in the words since you are so focused on the voice. Since this is a classic, getting lost in it really does present a challenge, unless it is done right.With the story itself, there is a lot of build-up. This is for a purpose. Irving really sets the scene and the tone with the build-up. We get to know Ichabod Crane who does not look like Johnny Depp, but more like the Disney version - he is tall and lanky. We get to know Katrina Von Tassle who is kind of a slut (her petticoats show her ankle,. y'all she might as well be a stripper). We get to know Von Braun who is meat-head douche with nothing better to do but try to hook up with Katrina. The Headless Horseman does not make his appearance until the last third of the book, and let me tell you there is build-up and anticipation.I must say, there is a reason this short tale continues to delight and scare readers year after year. I highly recommend you find out for yourself. If you can't do the 64 pages of classic language, then audio it. It's perfect for the October drive through falling leaves and cloudy skies. ( )

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Adapted and Illustrated by Jeff Zornow, based upon the works of Washington Irving.

This is a graphic novel, written and illustrated like a comic book. The story is set in the late 1700's in a quiet little village rumored to be haunted. The townspeople are very superstitious and tell of seeing "specters and mournful ghosts" during the night. A new school teacher comes to town, Ichabod Crane, who is a "goofy looking fellow." He soon begins to exchange ghost stories with the women, as he has joined the female social circle. He soon falls in love with the town beauty, but is rejected by her late one night. As he makes his way home that late dark night, he soon find himself in a race for his life, as the Headless Horseman chases him across the village. Ichabod Crane is never seen again, so says the legend.

I have always liked this story. I enjoyed the fast paced action of the story and the graphic illustrations. I like how the story ended, with his disapearance, never to be seen again. It left me, the reader, wondering if he really disapeared, did the headless horseman take his head, or did he just run away as fast as he could??? This book has a glossary in the back which gives the definitions to several words from the story.

Extension Activity: For older students--Research the history of this story. Then have the students create their own graphic novel, individually or in groups. The students could use the computer to create the book, or illustrate and write by hand. ( )