The 2004 Storytelling World Resource Awards
Below are the 2004 winners and honors selected from several hundred nominated stories, books, and recordings. The major evaluative criterion for the stories was "story-listener appeal" (rather than ease in retelling) and "usefulness for story-tellers" for the items considered in Category 7. Beneath each award title is a short descriptive phrase about the resource contents. For resources not independently produced, a publisher's code is enclosed in parentheses after the author/performer's name. The ordering information for these award resources is provided at the end of this section. For color photos of ALL honored resources identified below, see the 2004 May/June issue of Storytelling Magazine/Storytelling World. To purchase a copy of this magazine, go to the NSN web site.
Category 1: Stories for Young Listeners
(See also Categories 2, 5, 6.)
Winner:
Jackalope
A sassy "hare-raising" tale
by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel
(Harcourt)
Honors:
Fireboat
The heroic adventures of the John J. Harvey
by Maira Kalman
(Penguin Putnam)
Moon's Cloud Blanket
A Native-American tale
Retold by Rose Anne St. Romain
(Pelican)
The Magic Gourd
A lesson about greed
by Baba Wagu Diakit
(Scholastic)
The Ticky-Tacky Doll
A solution for overcoming a starting-school difficulty
by Cynthia Rylant
(Harcourt)
Jake Gander, Storyville Detective
A Little Red Riding Hood mystery twist
by George McClements
(Hyperion)
An Ant's Day Off
The importance of taking an occasional break from work
by Bonny Becker
(Simon and Schuster)
Ella Fitzgerald, The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa
Narrated by Billy Dee Williams
Text by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Based on Hyperion book with same title
(Weston Woods)
Don't Say Ain't
A young girl's struggle with "proper speech"
by Irene Smalls
(Charlesbridge)
Category 2
Stories for Pre-Adolescent Listeners
(See also Categories 1, 3, 5, 6.)
Winners:
Babu's Song
An intergenerational story about dealing with poverty
by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen
(Lee & Low)
Togo
A true story of bravery during an Arctic dogsled adventure
by Robert J. Blake
(Penguin Putnam)
Honors:
The Snake's Tales
A tale of a time when stories didn't exist
by Marguerite W. Davol
(Orchard Books)
Thank You, Sarah
The story behind the woman who saved Thanksgiving
by Laurie Halse Anderson
(Simon and Schuster)
The Name of the Child
A young boy's adventure in overcoming fear
by Marilynn Reynolds and Don Kilby
(Orca)
Ray Charles
The rag-to-riches story of Charles' life
by Sharon Bell Mathis
(Lee & Low)
John Henry
The tale of the legendary slave
Retold by Bill Balcziak
(Compass Point)
The Faerie's Gift
The folktale of a woodcutter's wise use of one wish
Retold by Tanya Robyn Batt
(Barefoot Books)
John and Tom
A dramatic true story about a man and his horse
by Willem Lange
(Vermont Folklife Center)
The Storytelling Princess
A risky journey to find a dream prince
by Rafe Martin
(Penguin Putnam)
The Brass Serpent
A biblical story of the caduceus
by Eric A. Kimmel
(Pitspopany)
Category 3
Stories for Adolescent Listeners
(See also Categories 2, 4, 5, 6.)
Winners:
Escapes
A collection of true stories from the edge
by Laura Scandiffio
(Annick)
The Light of Christmas
The true meaning of the Christmas spirit
by Richard Paul Evans
(Simon and Schuster)
Honors:
The Tale of Mussa and Nagib
A story about forgiving and forgetting
On CD Holding Up the Sky, Peace Tales for Kids by Sarah Malone
(Peace Tales)
Crossing Bok Chitto
A Choctaw girl's support for a runaway slave family
On CD Archie's War and Other Choctaw Stories by Tim Tingle
(Storytribe)
The Funeral
A true story about perseverance
by William Sleator
From Soul Searching, Thirteen Stories About Faith and Belief
(Simon & Schuster)
Bottom's Up
One teen's experience with alcohol
by Michelle Langowski
From A Teen's Guide to Living Drug-Free
(Health Communications)
Mulga Bill's Bicycle
An Australian poetic bicycle adventure
On CD COOEE by Paul Taylor and Don Spencer
The Day My Dad Met His Hero
A nostalgic father-son story
On CD A Tale for All Seasons by The Storycrafters
Category 4
Stories for Adult Listeners
(See also Categories 3, 5, 6.)
Winners:
Bisclavret
A retelling of one of the Twelve Lais of Marie de France
On CD Sop Doll and Other Tales of Mystery and Mayhem by Milbre Burch
(Kind Crone)
The Honolulu Rapid Transit
A boy's journey toward parental respect
by Bill Jardine
and
Give It a Try
The inspiration behind the first Asian Miss America
by Angela Perez Baraquiro
Both from Chicken Soup from the Soul of Hawai'i
(Health Communications)
Honors:
The Spider's Dance
A fantasy story about musical talents
On CD Dancing in Dark Waters by Lorna MacDonald Czarnota
The Broken Glass
A story about dreams reconfigured through courage
On CD Stories from Within by Lani Peterson
Chocolate Covered Cherries
A special way to remember a loved one
by Dawn Holt
and
Ashley's Garden
How one mother coped with her daughter's death
by Candy Chand
Both from Chicken Soup for the Grieving Soul
(Health Communications)
The Gift
1001 things to do with a dead groundhog
On CD Groundhogology by Doug Elliott
Grandma U
A humorous children's story for new grandmothers
by Jeanie Franz Ransom
(Peachtree)
Category 5
Storytelling Collections
(See also any story collections listed in Categories 1-4 with specific stories identified..)
Winners:
Walking the Choctaw Road
Stories from Red People memory
by Tim Tingle
(Cinco Puntos Press)
A Time to Love
Stories from the Old Testament
by Walter Dean Myers
(Scholastic)
Honors:
Hausaland Tales
Stories and cultural information from Nigeria
by Gavin McIntosh
(Linnet/Shoe String)
Samurai Spirit
Stories of ancient wisdom for modern life
by Burt Konzak
(Tundra)
The Barefoot Book of Knights
Stories and information for younger listeners
by John Matthews
(Barefoot)
Happily Ever After
Folktales that illuminate marriage and commitment
by Meliss Bunce
(August House)
Horse Hooves and Chicken Feet
Mexican folktales and cultural information
by Neil Philip
(Clarion)
Category 6
Storytelling Recordings
CDs or DVDs for listening and/or viewing pleasure for any age
(See also the recordings listed in categories 1-4 with specific stories identified.)
Winners:
LiebermanLive
Stories recorded at the 2001 National Storytelling Festival
and
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Story pieces from an ancient puzzle
Both CDs by Syd Lieberman
Holidazed!
Stories of holiday disasters, discoveries, and delights
CD by Dolores Hydock
Live and Thriving
Two CDs of selected stories told at the 30th National Storytelling Festival
(National Storytelling Press)
Honors:
Women of the Sea
Two adventures of brave women
CD by Libby Franck
Texas Family Album
Texas stories
CD by Donna Ingham
Unanana and the Elephant
Stories and songs for younger listeners
CD by Regi Carpenter
Lou Gehrig
The life of the famous baseball player
CD by Carol Birch
Category 7
Special Storytelling Resources
Winners:
The World Before This One
An unusual novel told in legend
by Rafe Martin
(Scholastic)
The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness
A personal journey interwoven with prominent folktales
by Joel ben Izzy
(Algonquin)
Honors:
From My People
400 years of African-American folklore
Edited by Daryl Cumber Dance
(W.W. Norton)
The Healing Heart - Families
and
The Healing Heart - Communities
How storytelling builds strong families and healthy communities
Edited by Allison M. Cox and David H. Albert
(New Society Publishers)
Raising Voices
A guide for creating youth storytelling groups and troupes
by Judy Sima and Kevin Cordi
(Libraries Unlimited)
Moonbeams, Dumplings, and Dragon Boats
A treasury of Chinese stories and activities
by Nina Simonds and others
(Harcourt)
Bringing Out Their Best
Values education and character development through traditional tales
by Norma J. Livo
(Libraries Unlimited)
Speaking Rules
Classroom activities for creating masterful speakers and storytellers
by Cathy Miyata
(Pembroke)
More Precious Than Gold
A Jewish history chapter story
by Evelyn Mizrahi Blatt and Eve-Lynn J. Gardner
(Hachai)
Contact Information for the 2004 Award Resources
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 1-800-722-7202
Annick Press, www.annickpress.com
August House, www.augusthouse.com
Barefoot Books, 3 Bow St., Cambridge, MA 02138
Carol Birch, carolbirch@earthlink.net
Charlesbridge, 85 Main St., Watertown, MA 02472
Cinco Puntos Press, www.cincopuntos.com
Clarion Books, 1-800-225-3362
Compass Point Books, www.compasspointbooks.com
Dolores Hydock, www.storypower.org
Donna Ingham, www.donnaingham.com
Doug Elliott, www.dougelliott.com
Faith Communications, www.tasteberriesforteens.com
Hachai Publishing, www.hachai.com
Harcourt, www.harcourtbooks.com
Health Communications, www.chickensoup.com, www.hcibooks.com
Hyperion Books for Children, 114 Fifth Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10011
Kind Crone Productions, www.kindcrone.com
Lani Peterson, www.Leadershipstories.com
Lee and Low Books, www.leeandlow.com
Libby Franck, libby.franck@verizon.net
Libraries Unlimited, www.lu.com
Linnet Books/The Shoe String Press, books@shoestringpress.com
Lorna MacDonald Czarnota, www.storyhavenstudio.com
National Storytelling Press, 132 Boone Street, Suite 5, Jonesborough, TN 37659
New Society Publishers, www.newsociety.com
Orca Book Publishers, Box 468, Custer WA 98240
Orchard Books, davol@ttlc.net
Paul Taylor, www.paultaylor.ws
Peace Tales, www.peacetales.org
Peachtree Publishers, www.peachtree-online.com
Pelican Publishing Company, www.pelicanpub.com
Pembroke Publishers, www.pembrokepublishers.com
Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 345 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014-3672
Pitspopany Press, 40 East 78th St., Suite 16D, New York, NY 10021
Regi Carpenter, soaringstories@aol.com
Scholastic Press, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, www.SimonSaysKids.com
Storycrafters, www.storycrafters.com
Storytribe Publishing, 4417 Morningside Way, Canyon Lake, Texas 78133
Syd Lieberman, 2522 Ashland, Evanston, IL 60201
Tundra Books, www.tundrabooks.com
Vermont Folklife Center, P. O. Box 442, Middlebury, VT 05753
Weston Woods Studios, www.scholastic.com/westonwoods
W.W. Norton & Company, www.wwnorton.com