Storytelling, Booktalking, Plays, and Fingerplays
Online Resources
Storytelling
- Australian Storytelling
Home of the Australian Storytelling Guild.
- Illinois Storytelling
The homepage for storytellers in Illinois. Their motto is: community, diversity, and a touch of whimsy. This website includes a listing of storytellers.
- International Storytelling Center
Connected with the Smithsonian, this website is a great resource to finding out the history of storytelling.
- National Storytelling Network
Bringing together and nurturing individuals and organizations that use the power of storytelling in all its forms.
- The Storytelling FAQ
Everything you wanted to know and more about storytelling. Includes an international focus. See also this site's large collection of storytelling links organized by category and annotated.
Booktalking
- Booktalking Ideas
Provides two to four booktalking ideas for each title that is highlighted in this Web Site.
- Booktalks-Quick and Simple
Launched in 1995 by Nancy Keane, a school media specialist, this database contains over 1,000 booktalks and is updated monthly. You can locate booktalks by title, author, subjects, and interest level. Also provides booktalking tips compiled from LM-NET listserv messages.
- Random House Book Talks
Provides booktalks prepared by school library media specialists for more than 250 titles. You can locate booktalks by title or author.
- Scholastic Books for Children & Young Adults Booktalks
Provides booktalks contributed by Joni Richards Bodart for several dozen Scholastic titles
- Youth Services Librarianship Wiki
This page provides a general overview of research about and techniques for booktalking.
Fingerplays
- Fingerplays for Young Children: Songs and Chants with Actions and Directions
Includes links to audio versions.
- Preschool Fingerplays, Action Poems, Nursery Rhymes, and Songs
Has links to just what the title says!
- Reading is Fundamental
Lists and has videos for many fingerplays for babies and toddlers.
Print Resources
TEXT. 808 KIDSC2004
Dunley, Deborah. The Jumbo Book of Drama. Toronto: Kids Can Pres, 2004.
Contains theather games, plays, scripts, costumes ideas, and more. This book has many activities and information for use in libraries and classrooms that can get kids involved with and excited about theather.
S.011.62 F877b
Freeman, Judy. Books Kids Will Sit Still for 3: A Read-Aloud Guide. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.
This annotated guide to read-aloud books examines 2,000 titles in the following categories: easy fiction and picture books; fiction; folk tales, fairy tales, myths, and legends; poetry, nonsense, and language-oriented nonfiction; biographies; and general nonfiction.
027.6251 G831s2010
Greene, Ellin and Jancie M. Del Negro. Storytelling: Art and Technique. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited , 2010.
This books gives an overview of storytelling in libraries for different purposes and audiences. It provides information on planning and performing storytelling as well. It also contains a selection of tales recommended for storytelling.
Q.S.016.812 K148p
Karp, Rashelle S. and June H. Schlessinger. Plays for Children and Young Adults: An Evaluative Index and Guide. New York: Garland, 1991.
This volume provides evaluative reviews for 3,560 plays for children ages 5-18 that were published between 1975 and 1989. The plays are indexed by author, title, subject, genre, and playing time.
Q. S.016.3982 M145s2001
MacDonald, Margaret Read. The Storyteller's Sourcebook: A Subject, Title, and Motif Index to Folklore Collections for Children, 1983-1999. Detroit, MI: Gale Group, 2001.
This volume indexes and summarizes over 500 folk tale collections and over 300 picture books.
S.372.642 M145s
MacDonald, Margaret Read. The Storyteller's Start-Up Book. Little Rock, Arkansas; August House, 1993.
Begin your storytelling experiences with this friendly source book which includes tips for finding, learning, and performing folk tales. Twelve very tellable folk tales, arranged in an easy-to-use format, are also part of this great start-up book.
021.70973
Manhood, Kristine. Booktalking with Teens. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2010.
The first half of this book explores the emotional experiences of teens while reading as well as the themes and genres of teen literature. The book then moves into preparing and delivering booktalks, selecting books for different audiences, and intertwining booktalks with the library's goals.
