Books for You

Dubrovin, Vivian. Storytelling Adventures: Stories Kids Can Tell. Masonville, Colorado, Storycraft Publishing, 1997.

This would be the perfect book for a teen volunteer or page in your library who is interested in helping with a storytelling club. The content predisposes it to program planning and management, but the kid-friendly publishing style makes it approachable.

Dubrovin, Vivian and Barbara Dubrovin. Storytelling Discoveries: Favorite Activities for Young Tellers. Masonville, Colorado, Storycraft Publishing, 2002.

With everything from storytelling using an overhead projector to tellings that involve crafts and props, Storytelling Discoveries emphasizes active storytelling and sharing.

Engel, Susan. The Stories Children Tell: Making Sense Of The Narratives Of Childhood. New York: W.H. Freeman, 1995.

A tremendous resource that provides background on storytelling in the young, The Stories Children Tell addresses many common questions, such as: Why do children tell stories? What do those stories mean? What are the origins of storytelling in general? How do I foster narrative development and the emergence of a narrative voice?

Hamilton, Martha and Mitch Weiss. Children Tell Stories: A Teaching Guide. Katonah, New York: Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc., 1990.

Giants in the field of youth storytelling, Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss wrote this book to honor “all of the student storytellers who have taught us so much.” Children Tell Stories provides everything you might need to start your storytelling program; it is truly a don’t-miss resource.

Kinghorn, Harriet R and Mary Helen Pelton. Every Child a Storyteller: A Handbook of Ideas. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1991.

The students in your storytelling club will be arriving in half and hour and you haven’t had time to prepare. Quick! What do you do? You reach for Every Child a Storyteller and make use of the many quick and useful storytelling activities Kinghorn and Pelton have collected through years of experience.

Lipman, Doug. The Storytelling Coach: How to Listen, Praise, and Bring Out People’s Best. Little Rock, Arkansas: August House Publishers, Inc., 1995.

A must-have book from noted storytelling publisher August House, The Storytelling Coach is the ideal resource for librarians and teachers who are unfamiliar with storytelling coaching.

Mallan, Kerry. Children as Storytellers. New Town, Australia: Primary English Teaching Association, 1991.

This is a great resource for librarians and teachers who are interested in storytelling in the young. It provides background on the benefits of storytelling in children, and likewise provides practical, hands-on guidance for using storytelling with young people.

Rosen, Betty. And None of it was Nonsense: the Power of Storytelling in School. New York: Scholastic, 1988.

Perfect for teachers who don’t know where to start, Betty Rosen’s And None of it was Nonsense notes the numerous social, emotional, and intellectual benefits of using storytelling in classroom settings.

Sima, Judy and Kevin Cordi. Raising Voices: Creating Youth Storytelling Groups And Troupes. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2003.

The ultimate resource for developing storytelling groups for young adults, Raising Voices provides practical, how-to advice on establishing a teen storytelling troupe and mentoring the young voices that emerge therein.

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Books for Young Storytellers

Dubrovin, Vivian. Storytelling for the Fun of It: A Handbook for Children. Masonville, Colorado, Storycraft Publishing, 1994.

A very child-friendly text, Storytelling for the Fun of It provides examples of stories children can tell in a variety of settings, from slumber parties to the classroom.

Dubrovin, Vivian. Tradin’ Tales with Grandpa: A Kid’s Guide for Intergenerational Storytelling. Masonville, Colorado, Storycraft Publishing, 2000..

Family stories hold a special place in the world of storytelling. This book emphasizes that by honoring the validity of both children’s and the elders’ stories. Activities includes tandem storytelling and trading memories.

Hamilton, Martha and Mitch Weiss. How & Why Stories: World Tales Kids Can Read & Tell. Little Rock, Arkansas: August House Publishers, Inc., 1999.

A compendium of pourquoi tales from all over the world, this collection includes favorites and soon-to-be-favorites such as the Seneca tale that tells us where all the stories come from and the Thai story that clarifies why parrots only repeat what people say.

Hamilton, Martha and Mitch Weiss. Noodlehead Stories: World Tales Kid Can Read & Tell. Little Rock, Arkansas: August House Publishers, Inc., 2000.

This book is a testament to the fact that children the world over love stories about foolish people! These stories are typified by numskull characters who make hysterical mistakes.

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