The 2005 Storytelling World Resource Awards

For color photos, see the 2005 May/June issue of Storytelling Magazine/Storytelling World

 

Below are the 2005 Storytelling World winners and honors selected from the numerous nominated stories, books, and recordings. The major evaluative criterion for the stories was “story-listener appeal” (rather than ease in retelling) and “usefulness for storytellers” 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. Ordering information for these 2005 award resources is provided at the end of this section.

Category 1

Stories for Young Listeners

(See also Categories 2, 5, 6.)

Winners:

Armadilly Chili

A Texas-style spin on “The Little Red Hen”

by Helen Ketteman

(Albert Whitman)

 

Clorinda

The poetic adventure of a bovine ballerina

by Robert Kinerk

(Simon & Schuster)

 

Bellybuttons

A whimsical story about the origin of bellybuttons

On CD The Town Around the Bend by Bill Harley

(Round River Records)

 

Most Loved Monster

A fun story about parental love

by Lynn Downey

(Penguin)

Honors:

Always and Forever

A story about coping with death

by Alan Durant

(Harcourt)

 

Arizona Charlie and the Klondike Kid

One boy's adventure to overcome disappointment

by Julie Lawson

(Orca)

 

The Foot-Stomping Adventures of Clementine Sweet

A little girl's retaliation for being ignored

by Kitty Griffin and Kathy Combs

(Clarion)

 

Hildegarde and the Great Green Shirt Factory

A story about “the power of ‘EWE'!”)

by Ravay Snow

(Snowbound Press)

 

Carla's Sandwich

A fun story about being different

by Debbie Herman

(Flashlight)

 

Mary Had a Little Ham

The journey of a precocious and determined pig

by Margie Palatini

(Hyperion)

 

Category 2

Stories for Pre-Adolescent Listeners

(See also Categories 1, 3, 5, 6.)

Winners:

The Greatest Power

A story about how a young girl perceives power

by Demi

(Simon & Schuster)

 

Henry and the Kite Dragon

A true story about cultural rival groups

by Bruce Edward Hall

(Penguin)

 

Up the Learning Tree

A young slave's determined struggle to learn

by Marcia Vaughan

(Lee & Low)

Honors:

The Terrible Chenoo

A Micmac/Passamaquoddy story

In The Barefoot Book of Monsters! by Fran Parnell and Sophie Fatus

(Barefoot)

 

Reach for the Stars: A Little Torah's Journey

The true story of the Torah scroll given to Columbia's astronaut Ilan Ramon

by Sylvia Rouss

(Pitspopany)

 

The Wishing of Biddy Malone

A lilting tale of light and love

by Joy Cowley

(Penguin)

 

The Living Room

An older sister's “power” over a younger sister

On CD Rich in Love by Wanda Johnson

(Nomad)

 

I Wonder As I Wander

The fictional story behind the religious folksong

by Gwenyth Swain

(Eerdmans)

 

Jim Thorpe's Bright Path

A story of determination and perseverance

by Joseph Bruchac

(Lee & Low)

 

The Foolish Giant

A Spanish version of the “tops and bottoms” harvesting motif

On CD Sol Mates by Sadarri

(Global)

 

Snowflake Bentley

A video of the Caldecott-winning book about pursuing your passions

Text by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Narrated by Sean Astin

(Weston Woods)

 

Category 3

Stories for Adolescent Listeners

(See also Categories 2, 4, 5, 6.)

Winners:

The Island

A battle between good and evil castaways

Complete CD, by Jay O'Callahan

 

Priscilla and the Wimps

A bully story with an unusual, revengeful twist

by Richard Peck

From Past Perfect, Present Tense: New and Collected Stories

(Penguin)

Honors:

Brother Bartholomew and the Apple Grove

A “God will provide” story message

by Jan Cheripko

(Boyds Mills)

 

The Key under the Pillow

A Jewish story about honoring parents

by Leah Perl Shollar

(Hachai)

 

Pai and Kwan

An adapted Chinese folktale about the treatment of others

On CD Common Sense...and Uncommon Fun! by Linda Gorham

 

A Key to the Heart

A self-discovery story about conquering greed

From a book of Afghan folk tales also entitled A Key to the Heart

by Laura Simms

 

The Harmonica

A story inspired by the life of Holocaust survivor Henryk Rosmarin

by Tony Johnston

(Charlesbridge)

 

Category 4

Stories for Adult Listeners

(See also Categories 3, 5, 6.)

Winners:

Meet Lucy Stone

The story of a woman who changed America

Complete CD by Judith Black

 

Courage

A condensed description of a WWI incident

and

The Boys of Iwo Jima

The story behind the Iwo Jima Memorial

by Michael T. Powers

Both from Stories from a Soldier's Heart

(Multnomah)

 

Old Turtle and the Broken Truth

A timeless story about love, acceptance, and the nature of truth

by Douglas Wood

(Scholastic)

Honors:

The Ghost of Jean Lafitte

An adaptation of a legendary ghost tale

On CD Jambalaya by Dianne de Las Casas

 

Truck Crash Christmas

A Christmas morning surprise

On CD Where Were You in '72? by Willy Claflin

 

1918

A true wartime story by Marion Lewis Besmehn

On CD Troubles: Survival Stories of Welsh and Irish Women

 

The Best Christmas Gift Ever

One church's twist in its performance of the traditional Christmas story

On CD Christmas in Paradise by Tom Weakley

 

Sea Dog

The true story of a dog's rescue from an abandoned oil tanker

by Jon L. Rishi

and

A Lesson from the Sea

A story demonstrating the wisdom of the powerful sea

by Walker Meade

Both from Chicken Soup for the Ocean Lover's Soul

(Health Communications)

 

Two Socks on One Foot

A Jewish story about correcting mistakes

On DVD Celebrating Our Mistakes

(Diane Wolkstein)

 

Category 5

Storytelling Anthologies

(See also the anthologies listed in Categories 1-4 with specific stories identified.)

Winners:

Texas Ghost Stories

Fifty ready-to-tell chillers

by Tim Tingle and Doc Moore

(Texas Tech)

 

The Seven Good Years

Jewish stories of I. L. Peretz

Translated and adapted by Esther Hautzig

(Jewish Publication Society)

Honors:

Stories of Hope and Spirit

Folktales from Eastern Europe

by Dan Keding

(August House)

 

Scams!

True stories about outrageous swindlers and tricksters

by Andreas Schroeder

(Annick)

 

Pirates, Ghosts, and Coastal Lore

A collection of chilling stories from North Carolina

by Charles Harry Whedbee

(John F. Blair)

 

Category 6

Storytelling Recordings

Audio/videotapes and CDs for listening and/or viewing pleasure for any age

(See also the recordings listed in categories 1-4 with specific stories identified.)

Winners:

Silence: A Medieval Adventure in Story and Song

A warrior woman follows her heart's truth

CD by Dolores Hydock

 

The Harper and the King

The musical story of David and Goliath

CD by Odds Bodkin

(Rivertree)

 

CelloTales

A melding of music, myth, and memories

CD by Leeny Del Seamonds

 

Everybody's Fishin'

Stories, songs, and poems celebrating fish (and fisherpersons)

Double CD by Doug Elliott

 

The Teachers' Lounge

Stories and songs from Bill's elementary school days

CD by Bill Harley

(Round River Records)

Honors:

Deirdre of the Sorrows

Ireland's most beloved story of romance

CD by Diane Edgecomb

(Living Myth Audio)

 

Escape or Die

True stories of Holocaust survivors

Video by Ina R. Friedman

(Sam Starobin)

 

Category 7

Special Storytelling Resources

Winners:

Telling Tales: Storytelling in the Family

Discussions and examples of family stories

by Gail de Vos, Merle Harris, and Celia Barker Lottridge

(University of Alberta Press)

 

Women at the Edge of Discovery

Forty true science adventures and activity information

by Kendall Haven

(Libraries Unlimited)

 

Living Your Dreams

Several of Health Communication's previously published stories (with a descriptive plan for accomplishing personal goals)

by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

(Health Communications)

Honors:

The Exploding Toilet

Selected modern urban legends for storytellers' embellishment

by David Holt and Bill Mooney

(August House)

 

On the Edge: A collection of 17 hard-hitting Christian monologs for youth

Open-ended monologs designed to promote religious discussions

by Steven James

 

A Beginner's Guide to Storytelling

A handbook for new tellers

Edited by Katy Rydell

(National Storytelling Network)

 
Contact Information for the 2005 Award Resources 

Albert Whitman, 6340 Oakton St., Morton Grove, IL 60053

Annick Press, www.annickpress.com

August House, www.augusthouse.com

Barefoot Books, www.barefootbooks.com

Boyds Mills Press, 877-512-8366

Charlesbridge, 800-225-3214

Clarion Books, www.clarionbooks.com

Diane Wolkstein, www.dianewolkstein.com

Dianne de Las Casas, www.storyconnection.net

Dolores Hydock, www.storypower.org

Doug Elliott, www.dougelliott.com

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, www.eerdmans.com/youngreaders

Flashlight Press, Editor@FlashlightPress.com

Global Communication, globalsas@juno.com

Hachai Publishing, www.hachai.com

Harcourt Trade Publishers, 800-543-1918

Health Communications, www.hci-online.com

Hyperion Books for Children, 114 Fifth Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10011

Jay O'Callahan, www.ocallahan.com

Jewish Publication Society, www.jewishpub.org

John F. Blair Publishers, 800-222-9796

Judith Black, www.storiesalive.com

Laura Simms, www.laurasimms.com

Lee & Low Books, 888-320-3190

Leeny Del Seamonds, www.LeenyDelSeamonds.com

Libraries Unlimited, www.lu.com

Linda Gorham, www.lindagorham.com

Living Myth Audio, www.livingmyth.com

Marion Lewis Besmehn, mbesmehn@aol.com

Multnomah Publishers, www.multnomahbooks.com

National Storytelling Network, www.storynet.org

Nomad Productions, www.gulfcoaststorytelling.com

Orca Book Publishers, Box 468, Custer WA 98240

Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 345 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014-3672

Pitspopany Press, www.pitspopany.com

Rivertree Productions, www.oddsbodkin.com

Round River Records, www.billharley.com

Sam Starobin, starobin@alum.mit.edu

Scholastic Press, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, www.SimonSaysKids.com

Snowbound Press, www.snowboundpress.com

Steven James, www.stevenjames.net

Texas Tech University Press, 2903 Fourth St., Ste. 200, Lubbock, TX 79409

Tom Weakley, www.tomweakley.com

University of Alberta Press, Ring House 2, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2E1

Weston Woods Studios, 143 Main Street, Norwalk, CT 06851

Willy Claflin, www.willyclaflin.com