A thousand years ago, in the Celtic kingdoms of Wales, great lords gave great feasts for their fighting men and courtiers. In timbered halls, for days on end, heaps of meat and bread were washed down with gallons of beer and mead. And in between the meals, when bellies were stuffed and spirits high, the storyteller rose and spun his tales of times long past.He told of lords, bold and generous. He told of ladies, grand and glorious. He told of friends, brave and faithful. But of all...

"I'm quick and smart as I can be. Try and try, but you can't catch me!"Mouse Deer sings his song as he walks through the forest looking for tasty fruits and roots and shoots. Though he is small, he is not afraid. He knows that many big animals want to eat him -- but first they have to catch him!In these delightful trickster tales from Southeast Asia, find out how Mouse Deer gets the best of his enemies -- Tiger, Crocodile, and the most dangerous animal of a...

One night of peace in a world of war."Christmas Day, 1914 . . . My dear sister Janet . . . It is 2:00 in the morning and most of our men are asleep in their dugouts -- yet I could not sleep myself before writing to you of the wonderful events of Christmas Eve. In truth, what happened seems almost like a fairy tale, and if I hadn't been through it myself, I would scarce believe it. Just imagine: While you and the family sang carols before the fire there in London, I did the same wit...

As the daughter of a great mandarin, Mi Nuong leads a sheltered life. But one day, sitting in her tower, a song floats to her from a distant fishing boat on the river."My love is like a blossom in the breeze.My love is like a moonbeam on the waves."The voice is so beautiful, she knows the singer must be young and handsome -- perhaps even a mandarin's son in disguise. Could it be that the song is for her? She longs to meet him, but how? And what will...

Taking from the rich and giving to the poor, Robin Hood and loyal followers fight for the oppressed against the evil Sheriff of Nottingham. Written in graphic-novel format.

****A "CENTRAL TEXT" IN NEW YORK STATE'S COMMON CORE CURRICULUM****Want to try reader's theater but don't know where to start? Or have you tried it but want to find ways to bring it more to life? Or are you just looking for a fun, easy way to lure young people into reading fluency, cooperative effort, effective communication, and love of literature?"Readers on Stage" is a collection of resources for scripting, directing, and teaching reader's theater, primarily to ages 8 an...

"Stories on Stage" is a collection of reader's theater scripts for young readers, adapted from stories by fifteen different authors, including Louis Sachar, Nancy Farmer, Russell Hoban, Wanda Gag, and Roald Dahl. Coming from such genres as humor, fantasy, and multicultural folktales, stories were selected for their dramatic quality, literary value, and appeal to young people. While focusing on ages 8 to 15, the collection features a wide range of reading levels.////////////////////...

Writing books for children is both art and business. If you dream of becoming a children's author -- or even if you're well on your way -- this handbook can help you in writing sellable stories, getting them published, and promoting your books.Topics include common myths about children's writing, children's book categories, elements of successful stories, manuscript format, submission strategies, contract negotiation, the publishing process, career building, and children's writer r...

A young, blind bard counts himself lucky when invited to live with the monks at a prominent Buddhist temple -- and more lucky still when asked to perform his epic verses at the court of a high-ranking lord. But why is his noble audience so violently moved by his tales of long-dead heroes?For ages 10 and up. Not illustrated!/////////////////////////////////////////////////Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Baker's Dozen," "The Sea King's Daughter," "La...

"I want shoes that are spiffy, not iffy."Katie is tired of her same old shoes, so she goes to the store to buy new ones. But with so many wondrous choices, how can she ever decide? In this fun story told in lively verse, a young girl gets a peek at the many possibilities open to her in life and embraces them with joy. For ages 2 to 8./////////////////////////////////////////////Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Baker's Dozen...

The storyteller stands beside the fire, swaying, dancing, miming, singing, reciting. With one hand he shakes a gourd rattle, with the other he swings a conga -- a flyswatter made with a buffalo tail on a wooden handle. Anklet bells tinkle as he moves. Three young men beat a wooden drum with sticks.Listening to him is a crowd of men, women, and children. They sing along at a song's refrain, they repeat whole lines of the story when he pauses to see if they're paying attention. They ...

"Folktales on Stage" is a collection of reader's theater scripts for young readers, adapted by award-winning children's author Aaron Shepard from his own folktale retellings. A wide variety of countries and cultures is represented, including Native America, Africa, the Middle East, Russia, Southeast Asia, and China. While focusing on ages 8 to 15, the collection features a full range of reading levels./////////////////////////////////////////////////Aaron Shepard is the aut...