Why Stories are Important | How-To Tell | Discussion about Stories | Reference Materials | Lists | Journals
Individual Storyteller's Websites | Organizations | National Storytelling Groups | Regional Storytelling Groups
Junior Great Books: The Value of Folktales
http://www.greatbooks.org/typ/146.0.html
Discusses the values that folktales hold and gives explanations for how they enrich the quality of life.
Teaching Storytelling: A Position Statement from the Committee on Storytelling
http://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/category/curr/107637.htm
(National Council of Teachers of English)
Better Kid Care: Storytelling
http://www.nncc.org/Literacy/better.storytell.html
Brief guidelines for selecting and preparing stories to share with children, focusing on four major categories of telling (including well-suited examples) for traditional, rhythmic, main character, and felt board stories.
Sources for the Analysis and Interpretation of Folk & Fairy Tales
http://www.folkandfairy.org
Because stories have more than just entertainment value, as the title of the site mentions, it provides extensive lists of sources that deal with the analysis of issues and concepts found in fairy and folk tales.
Suite 101: Folklore
http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/folklore
Online articles about issues and concepts found in fairy tales, myths, and their portrayal, with opportunity given for discussion and commentary.
Encyclopedia Mythica: Folklore
http://www.pantheon.org/areas/folklore/folklore
Extensive online dictionary providing short definitions or descriptions of creatures and places of myth or folklore legend from all cultures. Everything from Abominable snowman to Zwarte madam.
Project Gutenberg
http://promo.net/pg
The Internet's oldest producer of free electronic books," this site allows searching for texts and is a resource for finding and then downloading folk/fairy tales online.
Tales of the Punjab
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/steel/punjab/punjab.html
The online text of the 1894 book edited by Flora Annie Steel, including 43 different folktales, as told by the people living in the Punjab.
Research Guide: FOLKLORE
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~english/ResearchGuides/rg_folklore.htm
Reference list developed by the library at Brigham Young University. Includes select books, journals, and indexes pertaining to folklore.
Tell Me A Story
http://www.web.net/~story/mbstory.htm
An annotated bibliography of stories, books, articles, etc… about and for storytelling.
Urban Legends Reference Pages
http://www.snopes2.com
This is exactly what the title claims, an extensive resource for rumors and urban legends, including history of the rumor, and an analysis for some to help determine if they are true or not.
Storyteller.Net
http://www.storyteller.net
Multipurpose site for storytellers including news and articles about storytelling, an archive of text and audio stories, and a database for finding tellers in your area.
Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute: Folktales
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1993/2ryteller.net
Curriculum units for teachers about a wide variety of topics about folktales. Each unit includes an introduction, overview, lesson plans, plus many additional activities.
Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute: The Oral Tradition
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1984/4
Developed in the same format as the folk tale curriculum units listed in the site above, these lesson plans, unit overviews, and activities cover a variety of topics about oral tradition.
Folk and Fairy Tales: Web Site Links
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/folklinks.html
Amazing comprehensive finding aid/directory full of links and hints for finding folk and fairy tale resources and online texts.
Internet School Library Media Center
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil
Although this site may be in the process of being taken down by the owner, it currently provides links and information for topics related to storytelling and folk tales, many found under the Elementary Language Arts category of the site.
Mythology: MYTHING LINKS
http://www.mythinglinks.org
Designed for research, this site provides links and information for themes, mythologies, and traditions divided by geographical region. It is updated to include current events and news for myth followers.
Professor D.H. Ashliman
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/ashliman.html
Personal site of the retired professor, it provides lists of links to fairy/folk tale resources, with some being fun/educational sites. Several of the lists pertain specifically to Germanic folklore. This site also includes the professor's publications and contact information.
Marvels & Tales: Journal of Fairy-Tale Studies
http://www.langlab.wayne.edu/MarvelsHome/Marvels_Tales.html
Information about this journal including the content of past and current issues.
StoryArts
http://www.storyarts.org
Developed by teller Heather Forest, this site provides lesson plans, ideas for using storytelling in the classroom, educational links, plus an online store containing Heather's books and recordings.
StoryConnection
http://www.storyconnection.net
While providing information about storyteller Dianne de Las Casas, including her schedule, stories, press kit, and fan info, this site also includes information helpful for parents and teachers about making storytelling a part of children's lives. Checking out the "storytelling links" part of her page is such a good idea as it provides links to the homepages of over 100 storytellers, plus similarly extensive lists of sources, organizations, awards, and educational resources.
Library of Congress American Folklife Center
http://www.loc.gov/folklife
This research center was designed to record and document American life over the centuries. Their site includes archives, finding aids, educational resources, recordings, and publications of history and life in the United States, everything that makes up our folklore.
NCTE: National Council for Teachers of English
http://www.ncte.org
A quick search for "folk tales," "myths," or "fairy tales" in their site will result in lesson plans and creative ideas for encouraging students to become involved with the stories they are learning and encountering.
Youth Storytelling
http://www.youthstorytelling.com
Site for "Voices Across America", the nationwide effort to "create youth storytelling clubs in schools and communities across the United States, and the world." Includes links to resources for telling, information for how to get started, and information about special interest groups.
National Storytelling Network
http://www.storynet.org
"Bringing together and nurturing individuals and organizations that use the power of storytelling in all its forms."
Northlands Storytelling Network
http://www.northlands.net
The largest regional storytelling organization in the country, NSN serves tellers and storytelling enthusiasts in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan.
Illinois Storytelling, Inc.
http://www.storytelling.org
The organization's site provides a detailed directory of storytellers, festivals, workshops, and storytelling events in Illinois and the Midwest.
C-U Storytelling Guild
http://www.prairienet.org/custorytellingguild/
The guild is a group of local storytellers who meet together monthly to plan events and share ideas and stories. Their site is great for finding out about local storytelling events.
