Cool Story Programs for the School-Age Crowd
A storyteller and librarian has written yet another book loaded with fresh programming ideas. Eighteen well-developed plans with wacky themes that kids will love will bring literature to life with a minimum of stress for public librarians, teachers, and school media specialists. Each lesson begins with a thumbnail sketch of the entire program, listing resources, followed by a "Preparation and Presentation" section. Many genres support the theme, including picture books, poems, short stories, and chapter books; in addition, clever activities punctuate each lesson. "Clickety-Clackety, Creaky-Squeaky Stories" begins with Reid's patented "Storyteller Warm-Ups" that involve hilarious mouth and tongue calisthenics. Among the books and activities that follow are Lisa Wheeler'sOld Cricket, a poem by Paul Fleischman, a musical click-clacking activity, Doreen Cronin'sClick, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, and Rudyard Kipling's "The Elephant's Child." Two sections, "Mix and Match Picture Books" and "Mix and Match Chapter Book Selections," give the programmer ample choices for appropriate material; "Tweaking the Program Theme" gives specific suggestions for tailoring the program for preschoolers and for fifth and sixth graders. The depth of Reid's knowledge of children's literature and his understanding of what appeals to kids is noteworthy, and the result of all this expertise is a useful book with surefire suggestions for winning programs.- Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.