Meredith Ann Pierce is a fantasy writer and children's librarian. "Let the Story Speak" discusses why Meredith finds sharing stories is so important and details some of her favorite methods for doing so. This presentation was presented on 19 May 2009 for "Conversations in Children's Literatre," a series of talks sponsored by the University of Florida's Center for Children's Literature and Culture and by Goerings Bookstore, located in Gainesville, Florida.

1. On Sharing Stories with Young People

2. #4
Conversations in Children’s Literature
Sponsored by
UF Center for Children’s Literature and Culture
Goerings Book Store
Presented by
ACLD Youth Services Department
Meredith Ann Pierce

3. Meredith Ann Pierce
Who Am I?

4. Books by
Meredith Ann Pierce
The Darkangel Trilogy The Firebringer Trilogy
Collection
Singletons Anthologies

5. Why I Love Stories
•They’re cool.
•They’re fun.
•They’re interesting.
•They’re informative.
•They’re a form of virtual reality.
•They’re how we think.

6. What Is a Story?
A story is one person telling another. . . .
•What happened
•To whom
•When and where
•What we think about it
•Why it happened
•How we feel about it

7. Stories Must Be Shared

8. My Assumptions About You
•You have or work with kids
•You love stories
•You want share stories with kids

9. Furtive Storytelling

10. Distance Writing
8,000,000 miles *
* Diagram is not to scale.

11. Bunraku

12. Storytelling with a Prop

13. Ways to Tell a Story
Written Word Interactive Multimedia
Novels Board Games
Short Stories Card Games
Chapter Books Software
Nonfiction Books Spoken Word Graphic Arts Electronic Games
Magazines Storytelling Painting MMORPGs
Newspapers Standup Illustration Virtual Worlds
Essays Speeches Comic Books
Blogs Sermons Dramatic Arts Rhythmic Arts Comic Strips
Readalouds Drama Songs Graphic Novels
Audiobooks Skits Poetry Manga
Reader’s Theater Improv Rap Picturebooks
Radio Plays Clowning Musicals Wordless
Radio News / Sports Puppetry Opera Story Cards
Poetry Cards Fingerplays Dance Tell & Draw
Riddles Activity Poems Jumprope Rhymes Animation
Movies Activity Songs
TV Shows Song Cards
TV News / Sports Rounds

14. Why I Love My Job

15. Board Books

16. Cardinal Rule #1
Never share a story
you don’t like.

17. Sandra Boynton

18. Lapsit
Readaloud Method #1

19. Babysitters
Teenagers
Old Ladies

20. Storyteller
a.k.a. Librarian
~
Storyteller
a.k.a. Babysitter

21. Storytime
Readaloud Method #2

22. Storytime
Readaloud Method #2
•Kids on floor.
•You on low stool.
•Audience directly in front.
•Pan slowly, if necessary.
•Read slowly—don’t rush.
•Memorize the book.

23. Babytime Template
•Opening Song
•Book #1
•Non-book Interlude A
•Book #2
•Non-book Interlude B
•Book #3
•Closing Song

24. Babytime Template
•Opening Song
•Book #1
Songs •Non-book Interlude A
•Book #2
•Opening
•Closing •Non-book Interlude B
•Hand motions •Book #3
•Simple •Closing Song
•Familiar
•Upbeat

25. Babytime Template
•Opening Song
•Book #1
Activities •Non-book Interlude A
•Book #2
•Fingerplays
•Activity Poems •Non-book Interlude B
•Activity Songs •Book #3
•Closing Song

26. Picturebooks

27. Picturebooks

28. Picturebooks
What Works for Readalouds
•Humorous
•Mysterious
•Fast-paced
•Action-packed
•Adventurous
•Whatever grabs you

29. Beginning Readers
Graded Vocabulary
Dr. Seuss Minnie & Moo series
--Denys Cazet

30. Wordless Picturebooks
(or Nearly Wordless)

31. Babytime Template
•Opening Song
•Book #1
•Non-book Interlude A
•Book #2
•Non-book Interlude B
•Book #3
•Closing Song

32. Preschool Template
•Opening Song
•Book#1
•Non-book Interlude A
•Book#2
•Non-book Interlude B
•Book #3
•Closing Song

33. Early
Elementary Template
•Opening Song
•Book#1
•Non-book Interlude A
•Book#2
•Non-book Interlude B
•Book #3
•Closing Song

34. Upper
Elementary Template
•Book#1
•Non-book Interlude A
•Book#2
•Non-book Interlude B
•Book #3

35. Middle /
High School Template
•Book#1
•Non-book Interlude A
•Book#2
•Non-book Interlude B
•Book #3

36. Flannelboards

37. Flannelboards
How to Make
•Photocopy Illustrations
•Interfacing
•Thick
•White
•Non-fusible
•Trace with Black Marker
•Color with Bright Markers
•Cut Out
•Store with Text, Instructions

38. Flannelboards
How to Make
•Photocopy Illustrations
•Interfacing
•Thick
•White
•Non-fusible
•Trace with Black Marker
•Color with Bright Markers
•Cut Out
The Old Woman and the Red Pumpkin •Store with Text, Instructions

39. Rounds
•Must be funny.
•Divide the room.
•Teach the song.
•Flipchart, if possible.
•Competition.
•Appoint a helper.
•Loudest wins.
•A tie is best.

40. Rounds
“Black Socks”
Black socks, they never get dirty.
The longer you wear them the stronger they get.
Sometimes I think I should wash them,
But something inside me keeps saying, “Not yet.”

41. Storytime Cards
•Song Cards
•Poetry Cards
•Joke / Riddle Cards
•Tongue Twister Cards
•Ink Pink Cards
•Story Cards

42. Storytime Cards
How to Make
•Posterboard. Lamination =
glare!
•Big is better.
•Markers or paste.
•Words on back.
•Do not laminate!
No lamination = no glare.

43. Storytime Cards
How to Perform
•Lay them in your lap.
•Flipping methods.
•Flip down.
•Flip up and discard.
•Flip up and hold.
•Practice!

44. Song Card Tips
•Cards in order.
•Once through slowly.
•Faster and faster.
•Belt it out.
•Keep the beat.
•Not too high.
•Confidence.
•Laugh.
•Keep flipping.
•Funny.

45. Booktalks
•Chapter bks, YA novels, bios, NF

46. Booktalks
•Chapter bks, YA novels, bios, NF
•Books in bag / on table

47. Booktalks
•Chapter bks, YA novels, bios, NF
•Books in bag / on table
•Excerpts
•Handout

48. Booktalks
•Chapter bks, YA novels, bios, NF
•Books in bag / on table
•Excerpts
•Handout
•Question

49. Booktalks
•Chapter bks, YA novels, bios, NF
•Books in bag / on table
•Excerpts
•Handout
•Question
•Background
•Characters
•Premise
•Partial plot
•Never give away the end!

50. Cardinal Rule #2
Familiarize yourself with your
material—present what you know.

51. Children’s Section
Best-Kept Secret
•Nonfiction
•Picturebooks for
Older Readers
•Storytelling
Material

52. Children’s Nonfiction
•Better illustrated
•Meticulously researched
•More vivid
•More succinct

53. Children’s Nonfiction
Teen Booktalks
•Natural disasters •Supernatural
•Cannibals •Freak accidents
•Explorers •Mummies
•Killer animals •Prehistoric
•Plagues

54. Children’s Picturebooks
Teen Booktalks&Readalouds
•Folktales
•Historical
•Narrative poetry
•Representational
illustrations

55. Storytelling Material
•Memorized
•Start small
•Methods
•Word for word
•Outline
•Make changes
•Practice

56. Why Storytelling?
•Ur story
•Sure-fire
•Connection
No distance at all: 1 + 1 = 1 (a singularity)

57. Motivation
•Find your hook
•Age group
•Message
•Being of service
•Entertainment
•Promoting children’s literature

58. Performance Anxiety
•Get over it. •Quiet audience.
•Breathe. •Sense of humor.
•Go slowly. •They don’t hate you.
•Rehearse. •They’re not there for you.
•Written itinerary. •They’re there for the story.
•Practice patter. •Let the story speak.

59. Training
•Public library •Tellebration
•Observe •Paid training
•Colleagues •Books
•Apprentice •Audio
•Storytelling group •Video
•Volunteer •Online

60. Material
•Public library
•Bookstore
•Personal library
•Memory
•Imagination
•Audience

61. ACLD Storytime Wiki
<http://ACLDstorytime.pbworks.com>

62. ACLD Storytime Wiki
<http://ACLDstorytime.pbworks.com>

63. ACLD Storytime Wiki
<http://ACLDstorytime.pbworks.com>

64. ACLD Storytime Wiki
<http://ACLDstorytime.pbworks.com>

65. ACLD Storytime Wiki
<http://ACLDstorytime.pbworks.com>

66. ACLD Storytime Wiki
<http://ACLDstorytime.pbworks.com>

67. ACLD Storytime Wiki
<http://ACLDstorytime.pbworks.com>

68. ACLD Storytime Wiki
<http://ACLDstorytime.pbworks.com>

69. ACLD Storytime Wiki
<http://ACLDstorytime.pbworks.com>

70. ACLD Storytime Wiki
<http://ACLDstorytime.pbworks.com>

71. ACLD Storytime Wiki
<http://ACLDstorytime.pbworks.com>
The only limit is our collective imagination.

72. Children’s Literature and Culture
is the origin of all literature and culture.
Join the Stewards of Story
•Experience
•Appreciate
•Learn
•Share

73. Cardinal Rule #3
Let the story speak.