The 2006 Storytelling World Resource Awards
Below are the 2006 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 2006 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.)
Winners:
Raccoon's Last Race
A disciplinary story about Azban the Raccoon
by Joseph and James Bruchac
(Penguin)
Alicia and the Little Monster
A fun story about facing fears
On CD One More Time by Bill Harley
(Round River Records)
Lu and the Swamp Ghost
A tale about friendship
by James Carville
(Simon & Schuster)
Honors:
Grandparents' Day
A story about an unconventional grandmother
by Nikki Tate
(Annick)
Destiny's Gift
An inspirational story for young writers
by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley
(Lee & Low)
DreddieLocks and the Three Slugs
A science lesson via a recrafted fairy tale
by Margaret Hyde
(Pelican)
The Last Badge
A challenge for a scout enthusiast
by George McClements
(Hyperion)
Precious and the Boo Hag
A spooky story about conquering fear
by Patricia C. McKissack and Onawumi Jean Moss
(Simon & Schuster)
Daisy and the Doll
A true story about early discrimination struggles
by Michael and Angela Shelf Medearis
(Vermont Folklife Center)
The Little Green Witch
A spoof on "The Little Red Hen"
by Barbara Barbieri McGrath
(Charlesbridge)
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
A tightrope walker's true story
Video of the book by Mordicai Gerstein
(Weston Woods)
Category 2
Stories for Pre-Adolescent Listeners
(See also Categories 1, 3, 5, 6.)
Winners:
Freedom Child of the Sea
A Caribbean folktale of slavery, hope, and faith
From Tales from the Isle of Spice
by Richardo Keens-Douglas
(Annick)
Dad, Jackie, and Me
A story about two kinds of prejudices
by Myron Uhlberg
(Peachtree)
Joey, Chloe, and the Swamp Monsters
An original story with a folktale flavor
On CD Blah Blah Blah by Bill Harley
(Round River Records)
Mississippi Morning
A boy's discovery of the Ku Klux Klan
by Ruth Vander Zee
(Eerdmans)
Honors:
The Mona Lisa Caper
A factual story about the theft of a great painting
by Rick Jacobson
(Tundra)
The Legend of the Curse of the Bambino
A baseball story about Babe Ruth
by Dan Shaughnessy
(Simon & Schuster)
Picasso and Minou
A story about Picasso's "blue" and "pink" periods
by P. I. Maltbie
(Charlesbridge)
The Boy Who Ran with the Gazelles
A story of life in the wild
by Marianna Mayer
(Penguin)
And Tango Makes Three
The true account of a penguin "family" with two fathers
by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
(Simon & Schuster)
Alley Oops
A story about bullying
by Janice Levy
(Flashlight)
Roberto Clemente
The story of the famous Puerto Rican baseball player
by Jonah Winter
(Simon & Schuster)
Zen Shorts
Three Zen short stories woven into a broader plot
by Jon J Muth
(Scholastic)
Category 3
Stories for Adolescent Listeners
(See also Categories 2, 4, 5, 6.)
Winners:
The Red Lady
A true ghost story
by Daniel W. Barefoot
From Haunted Halls of Ivy: Ghosts of Southern Colleges and Universities
(John F. Blair)
The Princess Knight
A lesson about female perseverance
by Cornelia Funke
(Scholastic)
Honors:
The Greatest Skating Race
A World War II survival story
by Louise Borden
(Simon & Schuster)
Ishiusu
A Japanese version of why the ocean is salty
On CD Far Away and Close to Home
by Michael Katz
Code Name: Wolf
A "wolf in sheep's clothing" story
From Astonishing Tales of Spiritual Truth
by Steven James
Joe Louis: America's Fighter
A story summary of the famous boxer's life
by David A. Adler
(Harcourt)
Category 4
Stories for Adult Listeners
(See also Categories 3, 5, 6.)
Winners:
The Herring Shed
A Nova Scotian story of personal strength
On CD Stories and Sea Songs by Jay O'Callahan
You Never Know What the End's Gonna Be
A personal story about facing prejudice
On CD Penny for Your Thoughts
by Diane Ferlatte
Pandora
A Texas-style Greek myth
On CD It's Not Easy Being a Goddess
by Barbara McBride-Smith
(August House)
Honors:
One Soul, Two Halves
A dog owner's true story
by Ellen Urbani Hiltebrand
From Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrates Dogs
(Health Communications)
The Gift
A story about perseverance and success
From Still Reflections
by Steven Fletcher
(Gentle Place)
Category 5
Storytelling Collections
Winners:
Drawing Stories from Around the World
An unusual collection of draw-and-tell stories
by Anne Pellowski
(Libraries Unlimited)
Chicken Soup for the African American Soul
A collection of stories written by African Americans
by Jack Canfield and others
(Health Communications)
Honors:
Fires!
Ten stories about destructive fires in human history
by Tanya Lloyd Kyi
(Annick)
Tibetan Tales for Little Buddhas
Three wisdom tales in English and Tibetan
by Naomi C. Rose
(Clear Light)
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:
Jeremy, A Christmas Story
A story about dreams and goals
CD by Jay O'Callahan Straight to Your Heart
Stories about love and life
CD by the Storyweavers
You Can Say That Again
Adapted fables and folktales
CD by Karima Amin
The Sword and the Rose
Stories about relationships
CD by Donna L. Washington
(DLW Storyteller)
Honors:
The Story of the Grail
The classic Arthurian quest story
CD by Liz Warren
The View from Here
New York state stories
CD by The Storycrafters
A Little Shiver
Spooky stories for young listeners
CD by Donna L. Washington
(DLW Storyteller)
Little, But Oh My!
The story of Berte Olson, Puget Sound's First Female Ferryboat Captain
CD by Jill Johnson
Words to the Wise
Wisdom tales from various cultures
CD by Tom and Sandy Farley
Pass It On
A journey through the Jewish holidays in story and song
Double CD by Karen Golden
Critters, Kids, and Cowboys
Classic and original stories for young listeners
CD by Christopher Leebrick
Category 7
Special Storytelling Resources
Winners:
Folk and Fairy Tales
A handbook of information
by D. L. Ashliman
(Greenwood)
Children Tell Stories, 2nd Edition
An information resource for teaching and using storytelling in the classroom
by Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss
(Richard C. Owen)
The Wisdom of Storytelling in an Information Age
A compilation of talks about the importance of storytelling
by Amy E. Spaulding
(Scarecrow)
Honors:
From the Winds of Manguito
Cuban folktales in English and Spanish
by Elvia Perez
(Libraries Unlimited)
Suddenly They Heard Footsteps
Storytelling for 21st century tellers
by Dan Yashinsky
(Knopf Canada)
Langston's Train Ride
A book and CD combination about Langston Hughes' poetry
by Robert Burleigh
(Scholastic)
Contact Information for the 2006 Award Resources
Annick Press, www.annickpress.com
August House, www.augusthouse.com
Charlesbridge, www.charlesbridge.com
Christopher Leebrick, www.allgoodstories.com
Clear Light Publishers, www.clearlightbooks.com
Diane Ferlatte, www.dianeferlatte.com
DLW Storyteller, www.DLWStoryteller.com
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, www.eerdmans.com/youngreaders
Flashlight Press, www.flashlightpress.com
Gentle Place Publishing, www.gentleplace.com
Greenwood Publishing Group, www.greenwood.com
Harcourt Children's Books, www.harcourtbooks.com
Health Communications, www.hci-online.com
Hyperion Books for Children, www.hyperionbooksforchildren.com
Jay O'Callahan, 800-626-5356
Jill Johnson, story@whidbey.com
John F. Blair, Publisher, 800-222-9796
Karen Golden, www.karengolden.com
Karima Amin, www.cdbaby.com/karimaamin
Knopf Canada, 300 One Toronto St, Toronto, ON, M5C 2V6 Canada
Lee & Low Books, 212-779-4400 Ext. 28
Libraries Unlimited, www.lu.com
Liz Warren, liz.warren@smcmail.maricopa.edu
Michael Katz, www.storytellermichael.com
Peachtree Publishers, www.peachtree-online.com
Pelican Publishing Company, www.pelicanpub.com
Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014
Richard C. Owen Publishers, www.RCOwen.com
Round River Records, www.billharley.com
Scarecrow Press, www.scarecrowpress.com
Scholastic, Inc., www.scholastic.com
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (Purchase our books from your favorite book seller)
Steven James, www.stevenjames.net
Storycrafters (Barry Marshall), www.storycrafters.com
Storyweavers (Lucinda Flodin), 847-695-2983
Tom and Sandy Farley, www.spont.com
Tundra Books, www.tundrabooks.com
Vermont Folklife Center, www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/childrens-books
Weston Woods Studios, 800-243-5020