Scary Story Startup Kit

Includes
• NCTE Guideline on Teaching Storytelling
• Bibliography of resources: picture books, collections, recordings, and websites
• Enrichment guide for the classroom
• Guide to Building a Storytelling Club
• Details on how students can participate
3500 Piedmont Road NE, Suite 310
Atlanta, GA 30305
1-800-284-8784
www.augusthouse.com
Scary Story Week
Announcing August House
October 22-31, 2009
Dear Friend—
In honor of the release of The August House Book of Scary Stories (ISBN
978-0-87483-915-9, $15.95) August House invites you to celebrate Scary Story Week
with us October 22-31.Whether you celebrate in the lighted classroom or the darkness of your Halloween carnival, with properly selected reading resources and enrichment activities, you can satisfy language arts standards while having fun with your
students. Kids love reading, telling, writing, and performing scary stories because they
nurture their creativity and give them a safe outlet for facing and mastering their fears.
How can you participate?
• Share scary stories with your students (see flyer of August House titles in this
package or Juda Sima’s bibliography on page 11).
• Have your students create their own scary stories (see “Sharing Scary Stories in
the Classroom” on page 3 and Lyn Ford’s “Creating Creepy Characters” on page 4).
• Host a “Fright Night” event at your school, library, or community center—
costumes optional, but stories are a must!
• Encourage your students to share their scary stories with August House. (See
submission form on next page).
Here at August House, we have gathered resources that will help you engage your students in meaningful writing and reading activities. In return, we hope you will share
some of their work with us!
Sincerely,
Liz Parkhurst
Publisher
[email protected]
www.augusthouse.com
Scary Story Week
August House
October 22-31, 2009
Share Your Scary Story with August House!
All media welcome!
We will feature our favorites on a rotating basis October 22-31 on our Facebook page.
Send submissions to:
August House, Inc.
3500 Piedmont Road NE, Suite 310
Atlanta, GA 30305
FAX 404-442-4435
[email protected]
Name of Submission ____________________________________
Format (MP3, text file,Word file, PDF, etc.) ________________
Medium (file attachment, fax, CD, DVD, hyperlink, etc.) _______________
I assert that I am the creator of this work and have full power to grant permission for its use as described
below.
Student’s Name ______________________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip _______________________________________________________________
School/Grade _______________________________________________________________
I give permission to August House, Inc. to use my story for broadcast, promotion, or publication during the period
October 22-31, 2009. If selected, I understand I will be credited as creator of the work.
____________________________________________________________________________
Student’s Signature
Student’s e-mail address
____________________________________________________________________________
Parent’s or Guardian’s Signature
Parent’s or Guardian’s e-mail address
Students’ and parents’ names and e-mail addresses will not be shared with any third
party or be used for marketing or commercial purposes. Student and parent agree to
publication of student’s name with posting of his/her submission on August House’s
Facebook page.
The August House Book of
Scary Stories
Spooky Tales for Telling Out Loud
Edited by Liz Parkhurst
Ha r dc ove r, $ 15.95
IS BN 9 7 8 - 0 -8 7 4 8 3 -9 1 5 -9
• 144 pages
• 5.5" x 8.5"
Gr a de Le ve l : 5-8
I n te r e s t L ev e l: Ages 10-14
Scary stories. Everyone loves to hear them and everyone loves to tell them.
Scary stories are particularly popular among upper-elementary and middleschool kids, and the selections included here have been specifically selected
with them in mind.
Contributed by storytellers who work in school and after-school settings,
these stories have been crafted for telling out loud and have been tested before the most discerning critics—the kids themselves.
Includes enhanced features such as performance tips, background information on the stories, and profiles on the
contributing storytellers. This collection works on many levels: as an enticement for reluctant readers, as a resource book for adults
who work with them, or as a collection for kids to share at campouts and sleepovers.
L iz P a rk hu rs t has worked in the publishing field for nearly three decades and has a special affinity for scary stories, having previously acquired Favorite Scary Stories of American Children, Spiders in the Hairdo, and The Scary Story Reader. She is publisher
for August House, Inc., based in Atlanta, but works from her office in Little Rock.
We h a v e 1 3 o t h e r S c a r y S t o r y C o l l e c t i o n s . . . T H I RT E E N !
Spirits Dark and Light
Supernatural Tales from
the Five Civilized Tribes
Tim Tingle
ForeWord Magazine’s
2006 Book of the Year
(Popular Culture) Storytelling World Award
Ha r dc ove r, $ 15.95
IS BN 9 7 8 - 0 -8 7 4 8 3 -7 7 8 -0
• 5.5" x 8.5"
• 160 pages
Classic American
Ghost Stories
200 Years of Ghost Lore
from New England, the
Mid-Atlantic, the Great
Plains, the South, and the
Pacific Northwest
Deborah Downer
Pa p e r b a c k , $ 9 . 9 5
IS BN 9 7 8 - 0 -8 7 4 8 3 -1 1 8 -4
• 5.5" x 8.5"
• 216 pages
1-800-284-8784 (option 1)
Scared Witless
Thirteen Eerie Tales to Tell
Martha Hamilton
& Mitch Weiss
Illustrated by Kevin Pope
ForeWord Magazine’s
2006 Book of the Year Finalist
Ha r dc ove r, $ 15.95
IS BN 9 7 8 - 0 -8 7 4 8 3 -7 9 6 -4
• 7" x 10"
• 64 pages
www.augusthouse.com
Scary Story Reader
for Sleepovers, Campfires,
Car and Bus Trips
Richard and Judy Dockrey Young;
Illustrated by
Wendell E. Hall
Pa p e r b a c k , $ 1 1 . 9 5
IS BN 9 7 8 - 0 -8 7 4 8 3 -3 8 2 -9
• 5.5" x 8.5"
• 176 pages
Civil War Ghosts
Edited by Martin Greenberg, Frank McSherry,
& Charles Waugh
Pa p e r b a c k , $ 1 6 . 9 5
ISBN 978-0-87483-173-3
• 206 pages
Ghost Stories from
the American South
Queen of the ColdBlooded Tales
Scared in School
Pa p e r b a c k , $ 1 4 . 9 5
ISBN 978-0-935304-84-8
• 176 pages
Pa p e r b a c k , $ 9 . 9 5
ISBN 978-0-87483-408-6
• 176 pages
Pa p e r b a c k , $ 8 . 9 5
ISBN 978-0-87483-496-3
• 144 pages
W. K. McNeil
Favorite Scary Stories Between Midnight
of American Children
and Morning
Richard and Judy Dockrey
Young
Illustrated by Don Bell
Pa p e r b a c k , $ 4 . 9 5
IS BN 9 7 8 - 0 -8 7 4 8 3 -5 6 3 -2
• 128 pages
Historic Hauntings and
Ghost Tales from the
Frontier, Hispanic & Native American Traditions
Patrick M. Mendoza
Pa p e r b a c k , $ 8 . 9 5
IS BN 9 7 8 - 0 -8 7 4 8 3 -6 0 7 -3
• 128 pages
Roberta Simpson Brown
Ghostwise
A Book of Midnight Stories
Collected by Dan Yashinsky
Anne Izard Storyteller’s
Choice Award
Pa p e r b a c k , $ 1 1 . 9 5
IS BN 9 7 8 - 0 -8 7 4 8 3 -4 9 9 -4
• 224 pages
Roberta Simpson Brown
Ghost Stories from the
Pacific Northwest
Margaret Read MacDonald
Bowker Best Books for
Young Teen Readers
Pa p e r b a c k , $ 1 4 . 9 5
IS BN 9 7 8 - 0 -8 7 4 8 3 -4 3 7 -6
• 256 pages
Check Out These Urban Legend Collections!
Walking Trees
and Other Scary Stories
Roberta Simpson Brown
P a p e rb a c k , $ 1 1 . 9 5
I SB N 9 7 8 - 0 -8 7 4 8 3 - 1 4 3 - 6
• 140 pages
Spiders in the Hairdo
Exploding Toilet
Pa p e r b a c k , $ 7 . 9 5
IS BN 9 7 8 - 0 -8 7 4 8 3 -5 2 5 -0
• 5.5" x 8.5"
• 111 pages
Hardcover, $16.95
ISBN 978-0-87483-754-4
Modern Urban Legends
David Holt & Bill Mooney
Illustrated by Kevin Pope
Modern Urban Legends
David Holt & Bill Mooney
Illustrated by Kevin Pope
Paperback, $6.95
ISBN 978-0-87483-715-5
• 5.25" x 8.25"
• 112 pages
For more information, contact Cindy McFarlane, August House Customer Service Manager
1-800-284-8784 (option 1) [email protected] www.augusthouse.com
Guideline on Teaching Storytelling
A Position Statement from the Committee on Storytelling, 1992
Once upon a time, oral storytelling ruled. It was the medium through which people learned their history, settled their
arguments, and came to make sense of the phenomena of their world. Then along came the written word with its
mysterious symbols. For a while, only the rich and privileged had access to its wonders. But in time, books, signs,
pamphlets, memos, cereal boxes, constitutions—countless kinds of writing appeared everywhere people turned. The
ability to read and write now ruled many lands. Oral storytelling, like the simpleminded youngest brother in the olden
tales, was foolishly cast aside. Oh, in casual ways people continued to tell each other stories at bedtime, across dinner
tables, and around campfires, but the respect for storytelling as a tool of learning was almost forgotten.
Luckily, a few wise librarians, camp counselors, folklorists, and traditional tellers from cultures which still highly valued
the oral tale kept storytelling alive. Schoolchildren at the feet of a storyteller sat mesmerized and remembered the
stories till the teller came again. Teachers discovered that children could easily recall whatever historical or scientific
facts they learned through story. Children realized they made pictures in their minds as they heard stories told, and
they kept making pictures even as they read silently to themselves. Just hearing stories made children want to tell and
write their own tales. Parents who wanted their children to have a sense of history found eager ears for the kind of
story that begins, "When I was little ...." Stories, told simply from mouth to ear, once again traveled the land.
What Is Storytelling?
Storytelling is relating a tale to one or more listeners through voice and gesture. It is not the same as reading a story
aloud or reciting a piece from memory or acting out a drama—though it shares common characteristics with these
arts. The storyteller looks into the eyes of the audience and together they compose the tale. The storyteller begins to
see and re-create, through voice and gesture, a series of mental images; the audience, from the first moment of
listening, squints, stares, smiles, leans forward or falls asleep, letting the teller know whether to slow down, speed up,
elaborate, or just finish. Each listener, as well as each teller, actually composes a unique set of story images derived
from meanings associated with words, gestures, and sounds. The experience can be profound, exercising the thinking
and touching the emotions of both teller and listener.
Why Include Storytelling in School?
Everyone who can speak can tell stories. We tell them informally as we relate the mishaps and wonders of our day-today lives. We gesture, exaggerate our voices, pause for effect. Listeners lean in and compose the scene of our tale in
their minds. Often they are likely to be reminded of a similar tale from their own lives. These naturally learned oral
skills can be used and built on in our classrooms in many ways.
Students who search their memories for details about an event as they are telling it orally will later find those details
easier to capture in writing. Writing theorists value the rehearsal, or prewriting, stage of composing. Sitting in a circle
and swapping personal or fictional tales is one of the best ways to help writers rehearse.
Listeners encounter both familiar and new language patterns through story. They learn new words or new contexts
for already familiar words. Those who regularly hear stories, subconsciously acquire familiarity with narrative patterns
and begin to predict upcoming events. Both beginning and experienced readers call on their understanding of patterns
as they tackle unfamiliar texts. Then they re-create those patterns in both oral and written compositions. Learners
who regularly tell stories become aware of how an audience affects a telling, and they carry that awareness into their
writing.
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The August House Scary Story Starter Kit
page 1 of 15
Both tellers and listeners find a reflection of themselves in stories. Through the language of symbol, children and adults
can act out through a story the fears and understandings not so easily expressed in everyday talk. Story characters
represent the best and worst in humans. By exploring story territory orally, we explore ourselves—whether it be
through ancient myths and folktales, literary short stories, modern picture books, or poems. Teachers who value a
personal understanding of their students can learn much by noting what story a child chooses to tell and how that
story is uniquely composed in the telling. Through this same process, teachers can learn a great deal about themselves.
Story is the best vehicle for passing on factual information. Historical figures and events linger in children's minds
when communicated by way of a narrative. The ways of other cultures, both ancient and living, acquire honor in story.
The facts about how plants and animals develop, how numbers work, or how government policy influences history—
any topic, for that matter—can be incorporated into story form and made more memorable if the listener takes the
story to heart.
Children at any level of schooling who do not feel as competent as their peers in reading or writing are often
masterful at storytelling. The comfort zone of the oral tale can be the path by which they reach the written one.
Tellers who become very familiar with even one tale by retelling it often, learn that literature carries new meaning
with each new encounter. Students working in pairs or in small storytelling groups learn to negotiate the meaning of a tale.
How Do You Include Storytelling in School?
Teachers who tell personal stories about their past or present lives model for students the way to recall sensory
detail. Listeners can relate the most vivid images from the stories they have heard or tell back a memory the story
evokes in them. They can be instructed to observe the natural storytelling taking place around them each day, noting
how people use gesture and facial expression, body language, and variety in tone of voice to get the story across.
Stories can also be rehearsed. Again, the teacher's modeling of a prepared telling can introduce students to the
techniques of eye contact, dramatic placement of a character within a scene, use of character voices, and more. If
students spend time rehearsing a story, they become comfortable using a variety of techniques. However, it is
important to remember that storytelling is communication, from the teller to the audience, not just acting or
performing.
Storytellers can draft a story the same way writers draft. Audiotape or videotape recordings can offer the storyteller a
chance to be reflective about the process of telling. Listeners can give feedback about where the telling engaged them
most. Learning logs kept throughout a storytelling unit allow both teacher and students to write about the thinking
that goes into choosing a story, mapping its scenes, coming to know its characters, deciding on detail to include or
exclude.
Like writers, student storytellers learn from models. Teachers who tell personal stories or go through the process of
learning to tell folk or literary tales make the most credible models.Visiting storytellers or professional tellers on
audiotapes or videotapes offer students a variety of styles. Often a community historian or folklorist has a repertoire
of local tales. Older students both learn and teach when they take their tales to younger audiences or community
agencies. Once you get storytelling going, there is no telling where it will take you.
Oral storytelling is regaining its position of respect in communities where hundreds of people of every age gather
together for festivals in celebration of its power. Schools and preservice college courses are gradually giving it
curriculum space as well. It is unsurpassed as a tool for learning about ourselves, about the ever-increasing information
available to us, and about the thoughts and feelings of others.
The simpleminded youngest brother in olden tales, while disregarded for a while, won the treasure in the end every
time. The NCTE Committee on Storytelling invites you to reach for a treasure—the riches of storytelling.
This position statement may be printed, copied, and disseminated without permission from NCTE.
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The August House Scary Story Starter Kit
page 2 of 15
Sharing Scary Stories in the Classroom
Enrichment Guide
Try these ideas for incorporating scary stories into your classroom.
Spooky Stories Close to Home: Have students seek out scary stories with a personal connection. Encourage
students to ask their relatives about any scary stories in the family as well as ask neighbors and friends about scary
stories that have to do with the community. Share the stories as a class or compile the stories in a class book.
It is an effective idea to begin by asking a few ghost story starter questions.You will be surprised where this will lead.
• Have you ever been scared as a child? Did you ever discover what scared you, or is it a mystery?
• Have you ever scared someone else? What happened?
• Are there any ghost stories about the home you grew up in? Town? School?
• What scares you? Why?
Benign Beginnings for Eerie Endings: Provide a list of prompts for students and allow them to create their
own scary stories. Prompts could include, but should not be limited to the following:
• “There was something strange about my neighbor’s cat.”
• “I’ll never forget the night I had to stay late after school.”
• “People often say, ‘There’s no such thing as ghosts.’”
Creating a Chilling Chain: Create a chain story as a class. Start a story and ask a student to add a line or two.
Each student should continue to add to the story until an ending is reached.
Facing Your Fears: See Lyn Ford’s activity “Creating Creepy Characters” on the next page.
Create Your Own Ending: Take stories from the resource list on page 11 or from The August House Book of Scary
Stories and share the beginning with your students. Ask them to write their own ending.
Share a Scream: See page 1 of this document detailing how your students can enjoy stories submitted by other
students as well as contribute their own to the August House Facebook page.
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The August House Scary Story Starter Kit
page 3 of 15
Creating Creepy Characters
Lyn Ford
Face your own fears.
Build a character by first thinking of something that you fear—the dark at the top of the stairs, the unknown
something in your closet, the big dog down the street, the strange noise in the night, the bully who waits at the bus
stop, the neighbor who never speaks, the new teacher, what will happen if you don’t pass the test, the food in the
school cafeteria, the empty hallway, the night your neighborhood had a blackout, the sounds of a rainstorm, the scary
movie you watched, a crime reported on the evening news … What else could cause scary thoughts for you?
Turn your fear into something solid, real, monstrous or terribly dangerous. This becomes the
“villain” of your piece, or antagonist (this means “the other, ”the character who will meet, challenge, and/or torment
your main character, creating tension and action in the story).
Make a list of the traits “it” will have, and how it could be changed, defeated, destroyed, etc. You may not use all these
ideas in your story, but you need to know your “villain,” and its strengths and weaknesses, just as well as you know the
“hero.”
Foreshadow. Put “the creeps” in your reader's or listener’s head, and create the thing or scene that scares your
main character, by hinting at what is to come or to be met. This will lead readers into the story or scene.
Examples:
•
George knew he would never sleep. The noises, those horrid sounds, would keep him awake.
•
Lily heard laughter in the empty room.
•
•
Something waited at the top of the stairs.
Tap, tap, tap. Was it the branches of the nearby tree, or fingernails against the window?
Think: Who would be brave enough, bold enough, caught in a situation (he or she has no
choice but to go into the room, unlock the door, meet the neighbor, etc.), or sometimes dumb
enough (he or she takes a dare, goes somewhere that everyone knows isn’t safe, eats the
slimy gelatin just to see what will happen, etc.) to meet this “villain”? This person usually becomes
your main character, or protagonist.
Make a list of the traits he or she will need to get through the adventure. Even if you don’t use all of them in your
story, you need to know these traits in order to bring the character to life for your readers. You also need to decide
whether you want the protagonist to survive the adventure!
Use your five senses. Show (create a visual image in your reader’s or listener’s mind), don't
simply tell, by using descriptive phrases and words, and active verbs.
Examples:
Tells
Shows
She heard something.
Something whimpered.
He was scared.
I was clumsy.
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His teeth chattered. His fingers trembled. He couldn’t move.
Gasping, I turned to run, and stumbled over my own feet.
The August House Scary Story Starter Kit
page 4 of 15
Think of scary descriptive phrases for simple things:
•
A set of false teeth.
•
A really bad haircut.
•
An abandoned car.
•
•
•
A doll.
A window.
A curve in the road.
•
A tree.
•
Food you don’t like.
•
An animal.
Sometimes setting determines characters.
•
•
•
If your setting is a distant planet, who will your most important characters be (both protagonist and antagonist
must somehow fit into this setting: Astronauts? Aliens? Dinosaurs? Killer potatoes?)
Who would be in an old dark house, and why? The characters must fit into this setting.
Your characters are on the beach at midnight. Why? Who are these folks???
LYN FORD’s love of strange and spooky stories began in childhood. Her father told “spookers and haints” tales that
made her laugh … but kept her awake. As a fourth-generation storyteller and teaching artist, Lyn has traveled the
country sharing folktale adaptations and original stories rooted in her family’s multicultural “Afrilachian” oral
traditions. She lives in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.Visit Lyn at lynfordstoryteller.com
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The August House Scary Story Starter Kit
page 5 of 15
Helping Students Own Their Stories
Kevin Cordi
What does ownership mean? As an adult it is important to remember that allowing a child to “own” their work is not
forgetting the importance of coaching or directing the work. Instead, it is a way to collectively work together with
the child to achieve a common goal.
How to Help Students Own Their Stories.
1. Allow the Student to Choose the Story—Each student will feel more connected to the story if he or she
has helped in the process of selecting it. However, remember the child or young adult will often look to you in helping
them make their choices.
2. Encourage the Student to Set the Direction for the Story—Each child’s interpretation of the story is
unique and personal. Establish a means of “chatting about the story” (when the student feels ready) in order to allow
him or her to establish the direction of the story. Encourage risk taking and exploring new choices. Open-ended
questions are effective means of “chatting about the story.”
3. Adapt the Introduction and Conclusion to Meet the Teller and the Story—One of the best ways
to help with owning a story is to work with the beginning and the end of the story. Since these elements set the tone
for the story it encourages the student to “make it their own.”
4. Allow a Student to Let You Know When a Story Is Ready—There is a certain time when a student
feels the story is tellable. Work to find this moment as your goal. The more the student tells the story, the more the
student talks about the story, the sooner the time will arrive. However, some coaxing can help motivate the arrival.
5. Challenge the Students with Every Story—A story can become old and lifeless if a memorized pattern is
set early with the student and his or her telling. Help the student to see a story not as a fixed literary piece, but
instead as a flowing vehicle for enticing and inviting an audience. Keep the story active for the student by providing
for him or her numerous tellings in various settings and establish times for revisions and coaching.
6. Practice Is Quintessential to Ownership—A student must realize that the art of storytelling is a continual
art form. Instead of working toward telling for one event, establish a weekly or at least monthly engagement for
children or young adult storytelling. You will be surprised how many local establishments will invite your students to
tell on a monthly basis.
The greatest questions for directing a student are “Why?” and “Have you considered …?”
These are ownership questions. They compel a student to answer from their understanding of the telling. In this way
the student responds from their work, not yours.
KEVIN CORDI is a Fulbright scholar and nationally known storyteller and teacher who has been recognized by the
National Storytelling Network as “the first full-time storytelling teacher in the country.” He was raised with stories of
Appalachia by his West Virginia parents. He believes stories are the most effective teaching tools we have to offer
students. Find out more about Kevin and his work at www.kevincordi.com and www.youthstorytelling.com.
www.augusthouse.com
The August House Scary Story Starter Kit
page 6 of 15
Building a Storytelling Club
Judy Sima
There is no greater joy than seeing a child’s face shine in the light of your words as you tell a story. There is no greater
satisfaction than watching your passion for storytelling grow in the lives of children as they experience magic for
themselves and share it with others. In the words of Jane Yolen, “Touch magic…. Pass it on!”
Having discovered the power and magic of storytelling myself, I wanted to share this experience with my middle school
students. So in the spring of 1987, I put a notice of an after-school storytelling club on the morning announcements.
Fifteen students signed up; thus began the “Chatterton Talespinners.” The weekly meetings continued for seventeen
years and resulted in the writing and publication of a book, Raising Voices: Creating Youth Storytelling Groups
and Troupes. Coauthored with Kevin Cordi, the book has received numerous awards and inspired others to share
their love of storytelling with young people. This article is a summary of the most important topics covered in our
book.
When I initiated Talespinners my goals were small. I wanted my students to feel the same excitement and sense of
accomplishment that I did telling stories. My mother was in a nursing home at the time, and I wanted to bring my
students there to entertain the residents. Besides running the middle school library, I was also working a day and a half
in one of the three elementary schools in our school district. I wanted to bring the Talespinners to my elementary
building. The group met Wednesdays after school for an hour, beginning in March, and ended with a party in June. While
I had hoped to attract a large group, I only had ten regular members. Together we grew and learned from one another.
To build your storytelling club or group, begin by planning for success. The more time you spend organizing and
preparing, the less backtracking and changing you will need to do later on. You will feel confident and comfortable,
which in turn will give your students a sense of confidence and set the stage for fun.
Setting goals and objectives
Think about why you want to create a storytelling group and what you want the group to accomplish. One of your
goals should include a performance. Storytelling is a performance art. Your members need to know their efforts will
result in a visit to a preschool, kindergarten class, family performance, bookstore, senior center or other venue. Not
only will they know where they are going, they will know how long they have to prepare.
Meetings—when, where, how long, and how often
Where your group meets depends upon the age group you plan to work with and who you are. Usually middle and
high school students are able to meet after school. Meeting during lunch or an activity period during the day works
best for elementary age students. For teachers and librarians, you will want your own room for meetings. Volunteers,
youth workers, public librarians, and free-lance storytellers have to work around the school schedule or meet during
non-school hours or weekends.
Hold meetings once a week for an hour to an hour and a half. If you are limited to 45 minutes, try meeting twice a
week. Find a room with moveable tables and chairs or desks. This will allow you to rearrange the room for a variety of
activities such as listening to stories and working with partners or small groups. Decide on the duration of your
meetings. Raising Voices has a suggested six and ten week meeting format, each culminating in a storytelling
performance. Continuing to meet beyond the first performance allows for strengthening skills and additional
performances and field trips.
Attracting club members
Start small and build. In a K-5 school work with fourth graders. Train them to be good storytellers, then make them
form the backbone of your group the following year. In middle and high school, multi-age groups work well. The club
may have only a few members at first, but as the idea catches on, kids will bring their friends.
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The August House Scary Story Starter Kit
page 7 of 15
Recruiting new members may be as simple as making an announcement over the PA system or running an ad in the
student newspaper. If you are a teacher or librarian, speaking to students one-on-one or a classroom announcement
works well. If the young people you wish to attract may not be familiar with storytelling, or your meetings are going to
be held outside of school or at another location you’ll have to work harder. Make up flyers, posters, newsletters
describing the group and announcing the first meeting, then put them up and distribute them wherever young people
congregate. Plan a special storytelling event. Train a few youngsters ahead of time and make them the featured
storytellers. Tell some stories yourself or hire a professional. Serve refreshments—pizza and soft drinks are always a hit.
Be sure to leave time for an icebreaker activity. Discuss the purpose of the group, what you hope to accomplish, and
answer questions, then pass out permission slips and flyers for the first meeting.
Supplies: We recommend the following—chalkboard or flipchart, name tags, access to a copy machine, timer or
stopwatch, bell or whistle, golf pencils, book carts and access to books, attendance book, clipboard, boxes or a closet to
store supplies and props.
Establishing rules
Rules help meetings run smoothly and encourage members to treat each other with respect. Most importantly, you
need to create a safe environment where everyone feels accepted and where members feel free to try without fear or
ridicule or disapproval if they fail or make a mistake. Young people also need to learn how a good audience responds
when an individual is performing for them. They need to know how to act when they are performing for others.
Guidelines or rules for attendance and participation are also helpful. State your rules in a positive manner. Rules need
not be burdensome or oppressive. Determine rules with your club members to give them a sense of ownership, but
know ahead of time what you will and will not allow. Then guide the rule making process.
Meetings structure
Having a meeting structure will assure that you accomplish most of what you planned to do. Social time helps build
community. Allow the members to eat, chat, and catch up on news before the meeting begins or during the first five or
ten minutes. Attendance should be taken at that time either by signing in or answering to a roll call. It may be difficult to
end the sociability so use a ritual opening to begin each meeting. A song, poem, special light, call and response, bell or
simple welcome will set the tone and bring everyone to order. Raising Voices has a “Storyteller’s Pledge” that many
groups have found useful.
Young people need to hear stories if they are to become good storytellers. Always include a story in your meeting,
especially in the beginning. Telling a story after the ritual opening assures that you will not run out of time or have to
rush a tale at the end of the meeting. Tell stories yourself at first, bring in an experienced teller from outside, or invite
returning or former members to share a favorite tale. Encourage the group to watch for facial expressions, gestures,
pacing, voice and language. When the story ends, have the group briefly discuss what made the story come alive. While
you want them to enjoy the story, you will also want them to become aware of storytelling technique and performance.
After the story there should be an activity or lesson in which everyone participates. Arranging the members in pairs and
small groups assures that everyone will have a chance to be heard. Devote the first few meetings to activities that help
members get to know one another and to feel comfortable getting up in front of the group. As meetings progress, select
activities that will help members choose, learn stories and practice stories they will tell later to an audience.Your
students will need a lot of practice and feedback, but they’ll tire quickly of listening to one student practice in front of
the entire group. Plan activities that will keep them improving their stories without getting bored or losing interest.
After the activity, spend some time reflecting on what went well and what was learned. To reinforce the skills your
young tellers are developing, it is important that they verbalize what they’ve experienced. This is also the time to remind
your members about homework, announcements, and preparations for the next meeting. End the meeting with a ritual
closing; blow out the candle, sing a song, recite a poem, or speak to the good and welfare of the group.
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Choosing stories
The first few meetings of any storytelling group or club should be spent building community, becoming comfortable
with one another, getting up in front of a group, and expressing themselves in story. Then your storytellers can begin
selecting and learning stories. Always have a performance goal in mind, preferably with a definite date.
When working with young children, it is helpful if everyone learns the same stories in the beginning. As each member
retells the same story they learn story structure. The story is reinforced and the children gain confidence in their own
retelling. This is a good time to work on gestures, eye contact, and expression. When performance time comes and one
of the young tellers becomes unsure of his own story, he can always fall back on one of the familiar ones.
Allow older students several weeks to choose the story they want to tell. Provide photocopied stories of one or two
pages in length. Remind them to choose a story they can live with for a long time. Some students will find a story
immediately and stick with it. Others will seem to take forever to find that perfect story. Allow them to use stories
they’ve heard you tell. For bilingual students or students with reading difficulty, provide audiotapes or stories on CD.
Choosing stories from picture books can be a problem for young tellers. Many picture books are too long and wordy.
Others rely on the pictures to tell the words and require embellishment that beginners find difficult.
Learning to tell
A story should live and grow with the teller. As you teach storytelling skills, discourage memorization, which makes the
presentation stilted. There is always the danger of forgetting.You want your young tellers to make the story their own
so that when it is told the story seems natural and conversational. In Raising Voices, we suggest a six-step process to
learning stories. This includes choosing a story to tell, reading it out loud, creating a storyboard or story map, visualizing
the story, practicing in small groups, and performing for an audience. Each step is crucial to becoming a successful
storyteller and should be accompanied by activities and games to reinforce the story learning process and improve
technique.
Encourage your storytellers to help one another improve. One way to do that is to teach them how to give positive
feedback and helpful suggestions for improvement. Our society is always quick to criticize, but that has little place in a
storytelling club. Both the teller and the listener grow by looking for what worked well. Insist that two positive
comments be given before a suggestion for improvement. The storyteller always has the right not to accept the
suggestion.
Preparing for a performance
Make a checklist of everything you need to do to prepare for the performance or field trip. Do you need permission
slips, transportation, invitations, or flyers? Have you checked the school calendar to make sure there are no conflicts?
Have you made contact with the person in charge of the performance space or the place you are going to visit? Keep
phone numbers and other pertinent information handy. Arrange for someone to take pictures or video. Don’t forget to
contact the newspaper and invite the administration.
Provide an opportunity for your group to rehearse their stories without a microphone. Talk about appropriate attire for
the performance. Having a group T-shirt, cap, vest or simply a white shirt and dark pants or skirt insures that your tellers
will look professional. Dressing the part reinforces confidence. Discuss respectful behavior before, during, and after a
performance. Choose the lineup of storytellers. If some of your storytellers have learned several stories, decide which
ones they are going to tell. Never let someone tell who is not prepared. This makes for improvised stories that go on
and on or go nowhere. Appoint an emcee to tell about the group and introduce the tellers.
After the performance, revel in the glory of a job well done. Spend time reliving the highlights of the day. Find something
positive to say about each storyteller and encourage your members to praise each other and themselves. Discuss what
can be improved upon for the next performance, but don’t dwell on it. Use the momentum and excitement to spur
your group to work harder, improve their skills, and learn new stories.
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Storytelling isn’t for everyone. Do not be discouraged if some of your students drop out. There may be extenuating
circumstances. Students may not want to devote the time it takes to learn and perfect storytelling skills. Decide how
much effort you will spend getting wayward students back to the meetings. Allow a child to leave gracefully. Let him
know that he is a terrific kid and that he is welcome back any time.
As your storytelling year draws to a close throw a party. Spend some time evaluating the past weeks and months with
your group and on your own. What went well, what can be improved, what changes will you make the following year.
Most of all, pat yourself on the back.You did it! Your storytellers gained invaluable experience. They’ve developed poise,
self-confidence, and a love of stories. They’ve learned to cooperate, appreciate, encourage and support one another.You
can rest, for a while, secure in the fact that you have kindled the storytelling flame in the lives of your young people. All
you have to do is snap your fingers to set the fire ablaze again.
JUDY SIMA is a retired school librarian, free-lance storyteller, and widely published author of articles on storytelling. She
has presented workshops across the country and contributed to NSN’s Beginner’s Guide to Storytelling and
Telling Stories to Children. She is the coauthor of Raising Voices: Creating Youth Storytelling Groups and
Troupes (with Kevin Cordi), a 2004 Storytelling World Honor Book. Contact Judy at [email protected] for an
autographed copy; $37 includes shipping and handling.
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Scary Stories – Bibliography
PICTURE BOOKS
Bang, Molly. Wiley and the Hairy Man. Aladdin Paperbacks. 1987.
Carter, David A. In a Dark, Dark Wood: An Old Tale with a New Twist. Simon and Schuster. 1991.
Crum, Shutta. Who Took My Hairy Toe? Albert Whitman. 2001.
DeFelice, Cynthia. Dancing Skeleton. Macmillan. 1989.
Del Negro, Janice. Lucy Dove. DK Publishers. 1998.
Galdone, Joanna. Tailypo. Seabury, 1997.
Hamilton, Martha and Mitch Weiss. The Ghost Catcher: A Bengali Folktale. August House. 2008.
Hodges, Margaret. The Boy Who Drew Cats. Holiday House. 2002.
Kimmel, Eric. Baba Yaga: A Russian Folktale. Holiday House. 1991.
May, Jim. The Boo Baby Girl Meets the Ghost of Mable’s Gable. Brotherstone. 1992.
Mayer, Mercer. There is Something in My Attic. Dial. 1988.
Milord, Susan. The Ghost on the Hearth. August House. 2003.
Riggio, Anita. Beware the Brindlebeast. Boyds Mill Press. 1994.
Ross, Gayle. The Legend of the Windigo: A Tale From Native North America. Dial. 1996.
San Souci, Robert. Cinderella Skeleton. Harcourt Brace. 2000.
Also: The Boy and the Ghost: A Folktale from the American South. Simon and Shuster. 1989.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Bantam, Doubleday, Dell. 1991.
Seeger, Pete. Abiyoyo. Macmillan. 1986.
Van Allsburg, Chris. The Widow’s Broom. Houghton Mifflin. 1992.
Wahl, Jan. Tailypo! Holt. 1991.
Williams, Linda. The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything. HarperCollins. 1986.
Wood, Audrey. Heckedy Peg. Harcourt. 1992.
Yep, Laurence. The Man Who Tricked a Ghost. Bridgewater Books. 1993.
STORYTELLING COLLECTIONS
Asfar, Dan. Ghost Stories of Michigan. Ghost House Publishing. 2002.
Bang, Molly. Goblins Giggle and Other Stories. Peter Smith. 1988.
Brown, Roberta Simpson. Scared in School. August House. 1997.
Also: Queen of the Cold-Blooded Tales. August House. 1993.
The Walking Trees and Other Scary Stories. August House. 1991.
Bruchac, Joseph and James. When the Chenoo Howls: Native American Tales Of Terror. Walker and Company. 1998.
Brunvand, Jan Harold. Too Good to Be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends. Norton Paperback. 2001.
Carus, Marianne. 13 Scary Ghost Stories. Scholastic. 2000.
Cohen, Daniel. The Phantom Hitchhiker and Other Ghost Mysteries. Kingfisher. 1995.
Also: Dangerous Ghosts. Putnam. 1996.
Ghostly Tales of Love and Revenge. Putnam. 1992.
Screaming Skulls: 101 of the World’s Greatest Ghost Stories. Avon. 1996.
Southern Fried Rat and Other Gruesome Tales. M.Evans. 1983.
Colby, C.B. Scary Stories for Halloween Nights. Sterling. 2005.
Downswell, Paul. True Ghost Stores. Usborne Books. 2003.
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Forgey, William. Campfire Tales. The Globe Pequot Press. 1999.
Greenberg, Martin, Frank McSherry & Charles Waugh, eds. Civil War Ghosts. August House. 1991.
Hamilton, Martha and Mitch Weiss. Scared Witless: Thirteen Eerie Tales to Tell. August House. 2006.
Haskins, James. The Headless Haunt and Other African-American Ghost Stories. Harper Trophy. 1994.
Holt, David and Bill Mooney. Spiders in the Hairdo: Modern Urban Legends. August House. 1999.
Also: The Exploding Toilet: Modern Urban Legends. August House. 2004.
Jacobs, Jacob. English Fairy Tales. Dover Dell. 1967.
Jennings, Paul. Unreal! Eight Surprising Stories. Puffin. 1995.
Also: Uncanny! Even More Surprising Stories. Puffin. 1995.
Unbearable! More Bizarre Stories. Puffin. 1994.
Uncovered! Weird, Weird Stories. Puffin. 1996.
Justice, Jennifer, editor. The Ghost & I: Scary Stories for Participatory Telling. Yellow Moon Press. 1992.
Krovatin, Christopher. The Best Ghost Stories Ever. Scholastic. 2004.
Leach, Maria. Whistle in the Graveyard: Folktales to Chill Your Bones. Puffin. 1982.
Also: The Thing at the Foot of the Bed.
Low, Alice. Spooky Stories for a Dark and Stormy Night. Hyperion. 1994.
Lyons, Mare E. Raw Head, Bloody Bones: African-American Tales of the Supernatural. Aladdin Paperbacks. 1991.
MacDonald, Margaret Read. When the Lights Go Out: 20 Scary Tales to Tell. H.W. Wilson. 1988.
McKissack, Patricia. The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural. Scholastic, 1992.
Martin, Rafe. Mysterious Tales of Japan. Putnam. 1996.
Musick, Ruth Ann. The Telltale Lilac Bush and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales. The University Press of
Kentucky. 1965.
Oliver, Jane. A Treasury of Spooky Stories. Kingfisher. 1992.
Olson, Arielle and Howard Schwartz. Ask The Bones: Scary Stories from Around the World. Puffin Books. 1999.
Parkhurst, Liz, ed. The August House Book of Scary Stories. August House. 2009
Prelutsky, Jack. Nightmares, Poems to Trouble Your Sleep. Mulberry Books. 1993.
Also: Headless Horseman Rides Again.
Reneaux, J.J. Haunted Bayou and Other Cajun Ghost Stories. August House. 1994.
Roberts, Nancy. Civil War Ghost Stories & Legends. University of South Carolina Press. 1992.
Also: Animal Ghost Stories. August House. 1995.
San Souci, Robert D. Short & Shivery: Thirty Ghostly Stories Retold from World Folk Literature. Bantam
Doubleday Dell. 1987.
Also: More Short & Shivery: Thirty More Terrifying Tales from World Folklore. Bantam
Doubleday Dell. 1994.
Even More Short and Shivery: Thirty Spine-Tingling Stories. Bantam Doubleday Dell. 1997.
A Terrifying Taste of Short and Shivery: Thirty Creepy Tales. Delacorte. 1998.
Dare to Be Scared: Thirteen Stories to Thrill and Chill. Cricket Books.
Double Dare to Be Scared: Another Thirteen Chilling Tales. Cricket Books.
Triple-Dare to Be Scared: Thirteen Further Freaky Tales. Cricket Books.
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Schwartz, Alvin. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Lippincott. 1981.
Also: More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Lippincott. 1984.
Scary Stories Dark 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones. Harper Collins. 1991.
Scott, Beth and Michael Norman. Haunted Heartland: True Ghost Stories from the American Midwest.
Dorset Press. 1985.
Spaeth, Frank, ed. The Phantom Army of the Civil War and Other Southern Ghost Stories. Llewellyn
Publications. 1997.
Walker, William A. Jr. Five-Minute Chillers. Sterling Publishing. 1995.
Windham, Kathryn Tucker. 13 Tennessee Ghosts and Jeffrey. University of Alabama Press. 1977.
Also: 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey, Jeffrey Introduces 13 More Southern Ghosts, 13
Mississippi Ghosts and Jeffrey, Jeffrey’s Latest 13: More Alabama Ghosts.
Woodyard, Chris. Haunted Ohio III (the Haunted Ohio Book Series). Kestrel Publications. 1994.
Yashinsky, Dan. Ghostwise: A Book of Midnight Stories. August House. 1997.
Young, Richard and Judy Dockery. Favorite Scary Stories of American Children. August House. 1990.
Also: Ghost Stories from the American Southwest. August House. 1990.
Ozark Ghost Stories. August House. 1995.
The Scary Story Reader: Forty-one of the Scariest Stories for Sleepovers, Campfires,
Car & Bus Tips – Even for First Dates. August House. 1993.
Zullo, Allan. Haunted Schools: True Ghost Stories. Rainbow Bridge Troll. 1996.
STORYTELLING HOW-TO BOOKS and CLASSROOM APPLICATION
Barton, Bob and David Booth. Stories in the Classroom: Storytelling, Reading Aloud and Role playing
with Children. Heineman. 1990.
Barton, Bob. Tell Me Another: Storytelling and Reading Aloud at Home and in the Community.
Heineman. 1986.
Bauer, Caroline Feller. New Handbook for Storytellers: with Stories, Poems, Magic, and More. American
Library Press. 1995.
Collins, Rives and Pamela J. Cooper. The Power of Story: Teaching Through Storytelling. Prentice Hall. 1996.
Davis, Donald. Telling Your Own Stories: For Family and Classroom Storytelling, Public Speaking, and
Personal Journaling. August House. 1993.
de Vos, Gail. Storytelling for Young Adults: A Guide to Tales for Teens. Libraries Unlimited. 2003.
Gillard, Marni. Storyteller Storyteacher: Discovering the Power of Storytelling for Teaching and
Living. Stenhouse Publishers. 1996.
Green, Ellin. Storytelling Art & Technique. Libraries Unlimited. 1996.
Hamilton, Martha and Mitch Weiss. Children Tell Stories: A Teaching Guide. Richard Owen Publishers. 2005.
Haven, Kendall. Super Simple Storytelling: A Can-Do Guide for Every Classroom, Every Day. Teacher Idea
Press. 2000.
Also: Close Encounters with Deadly Dangers, Amazing American Women, Marvels of
Science, Marvels of Math, Voices of the American Revolution; Write Right!; New Year’s to
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Kwanzaa; Women at the Edge of Discovery; Voices of the American Civil War.
MacDonald, Margaret Read. The Storyteller’s Start-Up Book: Finding, Learning, Performing, and Using
Folktales. August House. 1993.
Maguire, Jack. Creative Storytelling: Choosing, Inventing, and Sharing Tales for Children. McGraw Hill. 1985.
Mooney, Bill and David Holt. The Storyteller’s Guide: Storytellers Share Advice for the
Classroom, Boardroom, Showroom, Podium, Pulpit, and Center Stage. August House. 1996.
Norfolk, Sherry and Jane Stenson, Diane Williams. The Storytelling Classroom: Applications Across the
Curriculum. Libraries Unlimited. 2006.
Rubright, Lynn. Beyond the Beanstalk: Interdisciplinary Learning Through Storytelling. Heinemann. 1996.
Sima, Judy and Kevin Cordi. Raising Voices: Creating Youth Storytelling Groups and Troupes. Libraries
Unlimited. 2003.
Spaulding, Amy. Wisdom of Storytelling in an Information Age. Scarecrow Press. 2004.
CDs and DVDs
Brown, Roberta Simpson. Scary Stories for All Ages. August House.
Hamilton, Mary. Haunting Tales: Live From Culbertson Mansion. Hidden Spring Audio. 2001.
Holt, David. The Hairy Man Meets Tailybone. High Windy Audio.
Also: Mostly Ghostly Stories – Collectors Edition. High Windy Audio.
Spiders in the Hairdo: Modern Urban Legends. August House.
Young, Richard and Judy Dockery Young. Favorite Scary Stories of American Children. Vols 1 and 2. August
House. 1991.
WEBSITES
American Folklore. http://www.americanfolklore.net/spooky-stories.html
Boy Scout Trail. www.boyscouttrail.com/stories.asp
Classic Horror Stories. www.underworldtales.com/classic.htm
Gather ‘Round the Campfire. http://www.jame
sgang.com/campfire
Ghosts and Stories. www.ghostsandstories.com
Halloween Ghost Stories. http://www.halloweenghoststories.com
Halloween Website. http://www.halloween-website.com/scary_stories.htm
True Ghost Stories. http://www.trueghosttales.com
Copyright © 2009 Judy Sima 248-644-3951 www.JudySima.com
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Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance
We Teach to Tell and Tell to Teach
Mission Statement
The Purpose of the Youth, Educators, and Storytellers (YES!) Alliance Special Interest Group is twofold:
• To promote youth storytelling through the Youth Strand
• To encourage educators and other adults to use storytelling with youth as an educational tool in classrooms and in
other settings through the Curriculum Links and Storytelling Strategies Strand (CLASS)
Focus of YES!
Youth, Educators and Storytellers (YES!) Alliance teaches to tell and tells to teach.
Youth Storytelling strand of YES! focuses on teaching young people to tell stories, helping them prosper in
the role of storytellers.
Curriculum Links and Storytelling Strategies (CLASS) strand of YES! encourages and supports
educators and other adults who work with youth to use storytelling as an educational tool.
The goal of YES! is to inspire storytelling by and for youth. Members are youth storytellers, youth storytelling
coaches, teachers, librarians, full-time storytellers, and other leaders who view storytelling as a vital, essential art.
Through YES! youth storytellers are meeting kindred spirits. Educators are discovering that storytelling actively
engages students in learning. Full-time storytellers are learning about curriculum and how children learn through
participating in YES!
Mentoring, motivating, and providing venues for young tellers are responsibilities of Youth Storytelling.Youth
Tellabration has been one of the most successful activities for preschool-high school tellers. As a community of
storytellers, we understand that youth are the future of storytelling. We invest in that future by spotlighting youth
storytelling groups, offering suggestions and problem-solving ideas, and showcasing successful models.
CLASS values the integration of storytelling into the P-12 curriculum, providing practical support as educators use
storytelling. Lists of curricular ideas and differentiated activities to promote the integration of storytelling are
generated and shared. Mindful of learning objectives and state standards, educators integrate storytelling into
reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies.
Join us as we discover new directions in the effort to discover what storytelling can offer today's youth. We will
give you the tools to accomplish great things with young people. Tomorrow's storytellers need you today!
Why We Use Stories
Our media-oriented world provides constant visual images. Test scores and learning standards are stressed. YES!
explores how storytelling helps students use their own imaginations as they develop basic skills across curricular
areas.
yesalliance.org
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