Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
JOIN THE APPLECORPS!Want to write an AppleCorps Adventure
story? Want to tell us what you’d like
to read about in AppleSeeds? Write to
What’sInside?What’sInside?
Susan Buckley, EditorAnnabel Wildrick, Associate EditorSusan Gilzow, DesignerEllen Bingham, Copy Editor/Proofreader
Lou Waryncia, Editorial DirectorAnn Dillon, Art DirectorPatricia Silvestro, Rights & Permissions Coordinator Marcia Lusted, Assistant Editor
Editorial interns: Jade Zarzeka, R.M. Shuford, Amy MacArthur, Carmelle LaMothe
Art Intern: Courtney Garrity
Carus Publishing CompanyAndre W. Carus, Chairman and PublisherMarianne Carus, Editor in ChiefJason Patenaude, Chief Operating OfficerAmy Reisinger, Marketing Manager Karen Dauck, Production Manager
Customer Service: 800-821-0115
Advisory Board
Diane Brooks, Ed.D., Director (retired), CurriculumFrameworks and Instructional Resources Office,California Department of Education
P. Ann Kaupp, Anthropology Outreach Office,National Museum of Natural History, SmithsonianInstitution
Maryann Manning, Professor, University ofAlabama at Birmingham
Robert D. San Souci, Children’s Author
Sandra Stotsky, Professor of Education Reform, 21st Century Chair in Teacher Quality, University of Arkansas
Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, Author, Anthropologist
Phillip J. VanFossen, Ph.D., Director, AckermanCenter for Democratic Citizenship, Purdue University
Find every issue of AppleSeeds at
CobblestoneOnline.net
Indexed and/or abstracted in:Children’s Magazine Guide, PrimarySearch and Middle Search, Readers’Guide for Young People, Vertical File
Index and at www.CobblestoneOnline.net
ABOUT THE COVER:
What’s yourfavorite ghost
story? Did you ever tell it
around a campfireor under the covers?
In the best stories, words—or sometimesmusic or dance or painting—create a whole world in our imaginations. In this issue of AppleSeeds you’ll getsome good tips for telling stories. And you’ll find out more about why people have been telling storiesforever. (Credit: Susan Gilzow)
2 Storytelling: A Way to Shareby Robert D. San Souci
6Meet Hannah Wynne Teen Storytellerby Kathiann M. Kowalski
9 900 Cinderellasby Marcia Amidon Lusted and Judith C. Greenfield
12 Tellabration! by Dorothy Phillips Mobilia
14 YOUR TURNHow to Tell a
ReallyScary Storyby Robert D.San Souci
16 Tell Us a Story, Carmen! by Sharon Wright Mitchell
20 Top Ten Taletelling Tipsby Katherine Swarts
22 Inside the Circle: Meet Storyteller Joseph Bruchacby Aileen Easterbrook
24 The Gift of a Storyby Susan Kegel
26 A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words . . .and So Are a Dance, and a Song, and . . . by Annabel Wildrick
28 From Mouth to Pageby Robert D. San Souci
30 Stories from Home: Capture the Memoriesby Lynn York
33 CONTEST CORNERName That Bird!
Robert D. San Souci has written more than 60 books and countless magazine stories foryoung readers. Many of them are based onmyths, legends, folktales, and fairy tales fromaround the globe. He has won many awardsfor his books. He also wrote the film story for the Disney film Mulan, based on his bookFu Mulan: The Story of a Woman Warrior. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Consulting Editor
AppleCorps kids by Annette Cate
FEBRUARY
2009
“Storytelling mixes wise tales with stories ofwonder, adventure, and humor. Around the worldand through the ages, storytellers have handeddown these timeless stories. They continue toprovide unending riches to generations of listeners(and, when adapted to book form, generations ofreaders). The wisdom at the heart of these talesremains the same, but every generation needsfresh storytellers to keep them vital and alive.They ensure that the legacy and importance of storytelling remain strong to this day.“—ROBERT D. SAN SOUCI
Myth, folktale, legend, or fairy tale: What’s the difference?
The oldest kind of story is the myth. These storiesexplain natural processes, customs, or beliefs. Mythsoften involve supernatural beings, such as gods. Who they are, what they do, and how they interactwith humans and nature is the subject of many myths.
Many ideas from myths ended up in epic poems.These are long poems that tell the story of a hero and his or her companions. Epic poems were told—often over several nights—by bards, who might play a musical instrument to accompany themselves. (A bard was a poet and singer who told stories.) The oldest surviving epic poem is about 4,000
2
From the earliest times, storytelling has been important. It’s been away for people to explain to each other how the world began andhow it works. Stories help people preserve and celebrate their historyand culture. Through stories, people share experience, wisdom, moral teachings. They entertain each other.
years old. It is called Gilgamesh and tells the story of King Gilgamesh and his search for immortality—living forever.)
As story sharing continued, folktales spread. These stories are meant to be shared orally. Folktalesare often based on the beliefs of a group of people. A folktale is passed down from generation togeneration and has no known author—it belongs to “the folk.” Storytellers would delight and amazegroups of listeners with tales of heroes and heroines,daring quests, magical lands, and clever or funnycharacters. Sometimes, storytellers would thrill theiraudiences with tales of ghosts and nightmares.
3
by Robert D. San Souci illustrated by Janet Montecalvo
ONCE
UPON A
TIME...
A legend, like a folktale, is handed down from onegeneration to the next. It usually tells about a famousperson’s mighty deeds and adventures. Legends aregenerally based in truth but often become greatlyexaggerated. Many are so tangled up in stretchedtruths that it is impossible to separate what reallyhappened from what is made up. For example, manyhistorians believe there was a real person called King Arthur. In his time, he was a popular hero, andstories were told about him. Over time, the stories grew into legends. Eventually, the legends became so fantastic that the real person they were based on was no longer recognizable.
But legends aren’t always about peopleand their deeds. There are place-namelegends, for example. These might tell
how “Lover’s Leap” or“Headless Woman
Rock” got theirnames. Thepossibility
4
that the story just could be true is what separateslegends from folktales, fairy tales, and myths.
Fairy tales are first cousins to folktales. Sometimes,it is hard to distinguish between the two, becausemany fairy tales began as folktales. Fairy tales oftencontain lessons. Like folktales, many fairy tales haveno known author. But the author of some fairy tales isknown. For example, The Ugly Duckling and The LittleMermaid are both by Hans Christian Andersen.
Storytelling in its purest form—spoken, not read—remains an important part of many cultures today. In some African societies, it is the job of storytellers to keep their people’s history and culture alive.
In our country, we can see the rediscovery and blossoming of a new storytellingtradition. Every year, in every state,
there are gatherings of storytellers.These are the people who keep old stories alive. And they tellnew tales too. They nurture the river of stories and keep
it flowing forever.
5
THEEND
Like mostkids, Hannah
Wynne has always lovedhearing stories. But
Hannah doesn’t justlisten. At age 18,Hannah is already a professional
storyteller.As a little girl,Hannah toldstories to familymembers inValley City, Ohio.
Later, she sharedstories with friends
during school recess. “I loved giving oral book
reports,” adds Hannah.Often Hannah dressed as
a book character to tell herbooks’ stories to the class.
When Hannah was 15, a professional storyteller named
by KathiannM. Kowalski
ONCE
UPON A
TIME...
MEET HannahWynneTeen Storyteller
6
Janelle Reardon performed at a cousin’s birthdayparty. Hannah knew then that she wanted to become a storyteller, too. Soon afterward, Janelle begancoaching Hannah. Then Hannah began performing.
“All my stories right now are personal stories,” says Hannah. “Most of them are funny.” Most ofHannah’s stories are about eight minutes long. And most come from things that happened whenHannah was around 6 years old. But the stories aren’tjust memories, she says. “Our lives aren’t like moviesor books. We’re not moving toward one goal.”
Instead, starting with real events, Hannah makesup stories with a beginning, middle, and end. Even herfunny stories often have a lesson. In “The Revenge ofDr. Seuss,” young Hannah wanted to hear Fox in Socksover and over. But her mom was tired of that book. She had already read it many times for Hannah’s older brother and sisters.
Hannah told that story at the National YouthStorytelling Showcase in Pigeon
Forge, Tennessee, in 2007. Withit, she won the title of HighSchool Division Torchbearer.
Hannah’s tips forbeing a goodstoryteller :
☺ Find a story youlove. Make one up.Adapt a folktale.Start with somethingshort: one or twominutes long.
☺ Listen! You’re goingto learn a lot fromlistening to otherstorytellers.
☺ Slow down. Peoplecan’t understandyour words if yourush.
☺ Don’t just talkthrough the story,share it. A goodstoryteller invites youto come in and sharethe story.
☺ Even ifyou’renervous,try to actconfident.Remember,people want to hear yourstory.
☺ Mostimportant,have fun!
Hannah used to tell storiesto her classmates. She stilltells stories at school today—but as an invited speaker.
7
Hannah also met other young storytellersfrom across the nation. “The oldest was 18, andthe youngest was 7 that year,” says Hannah.“Everyone was fantastic.And I learned so muchfrom everyone.”
Today, Hannah tells stories at schools,libraries, recreationcenters, and storytellingfestivals. After college, she hopes to be aprofessional writer andcontinue storytelling.
Hannah especially loves when people laugh along with
her. Her stories often remind peopleabout events in their own lives. At its heart,
storytelling is about sharing a story or an experienceand connecting with the listeners. “The best way
to tell people what storytelling is,”Hannah says, “is to tell
them a story.”THEEND
8
Storytelling festivals giveHannah a chance to meetother professionals.
If someone asked you to name a fairy tale everyoneknows, chances are you might say Cinderella. But didyou know that the story of Cinderella is found all
over the world in many different cultures? In China, she is known as Yeh-Shen. In Appalachia, she
is called Ashpet. Some Native Americans know her as Little Burnt Face.
No matter what she is called, Cinderella is always beautiful and good. Sadly, othermembers of her family are jealous of hergoodness and beauty. They are cruel to her. She is made to wear rags and do theworst chores in the household. But then a magical person comes to help her.
Dressed in beautiful clothes, Cinderellameets a prince or a king who wants to marry her, but she is forced to runaway from him and wear her ragsagain. In the end, he finds Cinderella,after she proves her identity through a special test (remember the glassslipper?). Then they marry and live
ONCE
UPON A
TIME...by Marcia Amidon Lusted and Judith C. Greenfieldillustrated by Katrina Damkoehler
9
happily ever after. Around the world, there are morethan 900 different versions of this story, but they all follow this same basic plot.
One version of Cinderella was written in China more than a thousand years ago. Beautiful Yeh-Shen lives with herstepmother, who treats her badly. Yeh-Shen’s only friend is a pet fish, but herjealous stepmother kills and cooks the fish. An old man then tells Yeh-Shen to pray to thebones of her fish. The bones grant her a wish.Yeh-Shen is given a beautiful blue dress andtiny golden slippers, which she wears to a festival. But when she flees quickly so she won’t be recognized, Yeh-Shen losesone of her slippers. A man finds theslipper and sells it to the king, whofalls in love with the tiny slipper (in China, tiny feet were thought to be beautiful). When Yeh-Shen provesthat the slipper is hers, she and the king are married.
10
A Frenchman, Charles Perrault, wrote theCinderella story most of us know. But in some parts of our country, Perrault’s story went through
some changes. For example, in the AppalachianMountains of North Carolina, Cinderella is
known as Ashpet. Beautiful Ashpet wants to go to a church meeting. But jealousy
drives other women to hide her under a washtub. An old witch comes down
from the mountains and givesAshpet a pretty red dress and
tiny red slippers, “the littlest’uns you ever saw.” Ashpet
goes to the meeting in herpretty clothes. There, she
meets the king’s son. You canprobably guess what happens in the end.
In another American variationof Perrault’s story, the Micmac
people call her Little Burnt Face. Her jealous older sisters throw hotashes on the beautiful girl, scarringher face. In the end, her purity andhonesty are rewarded when LittleBurnt Face becomes beautiful againand she marries a great god.
The story of Cinderella hasfound its way all over the world.Why? Probably because the storyexpresses fears and hopes that
most people can understand. In the story of Cinderella, there
is something for everyone:magic, romance, andrealism. Cruelty is alwayspunished, and goodness isalways rewarded.
THEEND
11
Your
Turn
Scary stories are alwayspopular with listeners. Here are some tips on how to get themaximum “Boo!”out of a story.
1. Choose the right tale. A storythat is short and builds to a scaryclimax will jolt thelistener or triggerthe imagination. The listener is left towonder what really
happens at the end. (A goodexample of a “gotcha,” or “jump,”story is “The Golden Arm.”) Be sure
to match your “scariness level” toyour audience. Very young childrenlike mild scares, often mixed with
humor. Older listeners prefer more frighteningthings like urban legends such as “The Hook”
or “The Hitchhiker.” These and many other scarystories—from jokey to super-scary—are available in bookstores and libraries.
2. Create a spooky setting. Nighttime isbest, but a good scary story will capture listenersanytime. If possible, dim the lights and use candles.Be sure cell phones are off.
How to
Tell a
Really
Scary
Story
14
by Robert D. San SouciONCE
UPON A
TIME...
3. Practice telling your story. This is so you get a real feel for it. Decide when to lower yourvoice or raise it, when to speak slowly or rapidly,
where to pause or shout, and how to soundreally scary. When it’s time to tell your
story, remember to make eye contactwith your audience as much as
you can.
4. Keep description to a minimum. Make surelisteners know what they needto know about character,setting, and action—but don’tbore them with too manydetails. Don’t “overkill” withgory stuff—a little goes a longway. Leave the images to theaudience’s imagination.
5. End with a bang. Finishwith the strongest part of the
story. Don’t drag out the endingwith “at least, that was what I
heard. . . .” When you’ve finished,give the audience a quiet moment to
take in what they’ve just experienced.
6. Have fun! Enjoy yourself as you pullthe audience along and watch their
reactions. The more storytelling you do, the more relaxed
you become. And if you’re having
a good time,your audiencewill, too. THE
END
For some super scary stories, try these Dare to BeScared books by Consulting Editor Robert D. San Souci.
Order them at www.cobblestonepub.com
15
IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY
NIGHT . . .
by Katherine Swarts illustrated by Annette Cate
Top Taletelling TipsTop Taletelling Tips
20
ONCE
UPON A
TIME...
1010Before books were written and long before television
was invented, there were storytellers. Besides being funto listen to, storytellers keep history and folklore alive.
Do you wish you could tell stories everyone wouldlove to listen to? Try these top ten tips, and you’ll be on your way to becoming an awesome taleteller:
1Get to know plenty of stories. Read, read, read:fairy tales, picture books, magazine stories.
Remember the ones you like.
2Give credit where credit is due. This means you should always tell your listeners who wrote
the story you’re telling, or what culture it came from.
3Don’t memorize word for word. Don’t try to tell a story exactly as you read it. If you try to
memorize it and then forget a few words halfwaythrough telling, you could get lost. A better way to remember a story comes next . . .
4Break it into questions, and memorize theanswers. For example, ask yourself, Who is this
story about? What does she want? How does she try to get it? What does the character do first? Second?What happens at the end? Is it what she wanted? How does she feel?
5Practice. Read the story aloud several times before you try to tell it. Then tell it to your family
or friends. Watch their faces: Are they interested?Puzzled? Bored? Ask for helpful suggestions about how you could tell the story better.
6Use your voice wisely. Speak clearly. Try tosound like the character who is speaking. You
might whisper during scary parts, or shout and speakquickly when things get exciting. If there is an animalin your story, practice making that animal’s noise ormaking up a special voice for it.
7Use your body. Don’t stand stiffly with your armsdangling at your sides. Use your arms and hands
to gesture.
8Use your face. Be sure your expressions matchyour words. Smile with joy, frown with sadness,
widen your eyes with surprise. If your face looksbored while sharing an exciting tale, your audiencemight think you’re telling a joke, not a story.
9Choose your setting. Funny stories are greatat parties. Family stories are great around a
holiday dinner table.
10Now, make up your own stories. For ideas,write down things you liked about other stories.
Happy endings!
21
THEEND
by Susan Kegelillustrated by Ron Bucalo The Gift o
24
ONCE
UPON A
TIME...
Can a story be a treasure? I don’t just mean somethingwonderful. I mean TREASURE, as in something valuable,something that is owned by a particular person and thatcan be kept or given away.
Some native people of the Pacific Northwest viewstories in just this way. For the Haida and some otherNorthwest Coast people, some stories equal wealth. They are valuable possessions that are owned by certainpeople, just like houses or canoes. These stories tell aboutimportant themes, such as the origins of a family or the beginnings of humans. The stories are linked to other owned property such as dances, songs, ceremonialprivileges, and designs for decorating houses, poles, and feast dishes. The people who own these stories have status in the community.
This type of story ownership is governed by certainrules. For example, only those who own a story can tell it. Rule-breakers are ridiculed and shunned for a period of time. (To shun people is to avoid them.)
Story owners want everyone to know what they own. They hold elaborate parties to show off and sharetheir wealth with as many people as possible. At theseparties, called potlatches, story owners tell their stories.They perform the related songs and dances in front of many people. Potlatches are complex social andcultural gatherings at which wealth is displayed andshared by the hosts. Potlatches are held to celebrateimportant events in the community. At a potlatch, theguests are given many gifts by the hosts. By acceptinggifts, guests recognize the wealth of their hosts. One giftthat might be given at a potlatch is the right to a story.
Across North America, stories have long been highly valued by native people. Whether stories teachlessons to children, ask for spring rains, celebrate a hunt, or express thanks for a harvest, they aretreasured parts of Native American culture.
25
f a Story
THEEND
How many ways are there to tell astory? Let’s start with two: spoken wordsand written words. But did you know that stories can also be told through other forms of art? Have you ever heardthe expression, “A picture is worth athousand words”? In fact, many
paintings, drawings, and photographs tell stories.(Check out the TRY THIS box on the next page.)
What about dance? Many dancers tell stories with their bodies. As they move, theycan express happiness,pain, sadness,excitement, and anyother emotions. Somestories are told byindividual dancers.Other stories are toldby pairs or groups ofdancers performingtogether.
With dance usuallycomes music, whichcan help tell the story.Of course, music oftentells a story on its own.Some music—lovesongs, for example—have words that makethe story obvious.Other music isinstrumental, which
means it has no words. This kind of music can tellstories just as well as music with words can. As youlisten, you can feel the story that the music is telling.The fascinating thing about instrumental music is that
A Picture
Is Worth a
THOUSAND
WORDS
A Picture
Is Worth a
THOUSAND
WORDS . . . and So Are a
26
Chris Bussey is a member of the Grand Traverse Bandof Ottawa and ChippewaIndians in Michigan. He tells a story in dance at a powwow. Powwowsare get-togethers whereAmerican Indians sharetraditional stories through dance, music, and storytelling.
by Annabel WildrickONCE
UPON A
TIME...
the story can change dependingon how you are feeling when youlisten to it. The same song mightmake you feel scared one day andexcited another day. Try makingup a story to go with your favoriteinstrumental song. Write it down.Then listen to the same song onseveral other days. Read yourstory and see if it makes senseeach time you listen and read.Does the meaning of the song stay the same for you each time?
What other kinds of art can tella story? Do you have a favoriteway to express your stories? THE
END
TRY THIS:Look at the painting to the
right. It is by the artistNorman Rockwell. Think
about what you see. In yourmind, make up the story youthink the painting is telling.Ask a friend to do the same
thing. Now, share andcompare your stories
with each other. Are they similar? What kinds ofdifferences do your stories have?
Why are they different?
Dance, and a Song, and . . .
Charlie Maguire is a folksinger and storyteller. Withhis guitar he tells stories with the help of some Minnesotafourth graders.
This dancer tells a story to a local audience on thePacific island of Bali. As the audience takes part inthe story, the dancers tell of the kidnapping of aqueen and the battle to free her.
27
ONCE
UPON A
TIME...
From Mouth to Page
THE
END
*Find thisversion of
Cinderella inyour locallibrary orbookstore.
1
2
2
3
4 7
3
6
5
8
4
MIX AND MATCHMatch up these heroes with their TALLTALES. (If you don’t know these stories, find them in your library.)
Could hammer a railroad spikefaster than a machine
Rode a mountainlion instead of a horse
Could pull outtrees by theroots
Went barefootand wore a tinpot for a hat
Had a giantblue ox named Babe
Paul Bunyan
JohnnyAppleseed
Pecos Bill
JohnHenry
TonyBeaver
Once Upon a Time All Over the World…“Once upon a time…” In English, storytellershave begun with these words for hundreds ofyears. How do storytellers in other culturesbegin their stories?
Algeria (in Arabic): “I’ve told you what’scoming…”
In Tanzania and Kenya (in Iraqw):“I remember something that our father toldme and that is this…”
Turkey (in Turkish): “Once therewas, once there wasn’t. In old times,in a stack of hay…”
How about “…and theylived happily everafter?” In Nigeria,Goemai storytellersend with “…Mytale has finished,it has returnedto go andcome home.”
BY THE NUMBERS1001—That’s how many
stories Scheherazadetold! She told them to keep the Sultan (the king) happy.
Keeping the Sultan happywas important: he cut offthe heads of people who
made him unhappy!(Today we know
these stories asThe Arabian Nights.)
February 2009 • Volume 11 • Number 5
WWW.COBBLESTONEPUB.COM
Answers on page 33. Text by Marcia Amidon Lusted
ACROSS:
1. Joseph Bruchac’sgrandfather was an _______ Indian.
2. At a ______ gathering,story owners tell their stories.
3. Hannah ______ is ateen storyteller.
4. Stories passed fromone generation toanother.
5. A ______ spells out a story in littledrawings.
DOWN:
1. Ashpet is the_______Mountainsversion of Cinderella.
2. This is a storytellingfestival that takesplace everyNovember.
3. A ___ is the oldestkind of story.
4. ______ histories arestories told by livingpeople about the past.
5. Stories about afamous person’s deedsand adventures.
6. Versions of this fairytale are found inmany differentcultures.
7. Storyteller CarmenAgra Deedy was born in _____, Cuba.
8. Native Americansshare stories at a _______.
Cross-FramePUZZLE
5
DID
YO
U K
NO
W?
