What an amazing resource! This book is an excellent effective resource for anyone who works with schools, camps, libraries, and just wants to share it on from family book shelves. It is a must for storytellers who intend to tell scary stories to children under fourteen. This anthology of scary stories clearly demonstrates the rich selection of plots and stories that are common in America today. Many of the more traditional stories are provided with slightly different twists. This produces fun to read (or hear) collections for the new storyteller while still holding the interest of those readers (or listeners) who have heard these tales. There are several original stories that are found nowhere else – plus a large selection of the old standbys. Altogether there are twenty stories placed in five categories with four stories per group: Just Deserts, Ghostly Guardians, Dark Humor, Urban Legends and Fearless Females. You are bound to fit a tale to fit any need!

The stories included are not horror or suspense. Blood and gore are not privileged any place in this collection of tales. Instead, the concentration is good scary storytelling. The short length of the book and each story make it an easy take-along for sleepovers and camping trips.

Here you will find Margaret Read Macdonald’s version of the Dauntless Girl; in addition to a fresh twist of the graveyard dare story from Great Briton. The Gingerbread Boy, a tale collected by Mary Hamilton, and a Cinderella story told with a visit to a friendly neighborhood witch who is right out of Hansel and Gretel. Kevin Cordi’s “Aaron Kelly’s Bones,” serves as a great reminder of what to do when the dead come back to haunt the living. What better demonstration of the fact that the bones of old relationships get in the way of the current ones than a skeleton sitting in a rocking chair in your living room? Each story comes with notes and additional resources that could be use in developing a storyteller’s own version of the tale. Included with the collection are hints of
books, websites, and festivals to check out. I found the book very readable.

The stories were so fresh that I could not put the book down; I had to read it in one evening. At 144 pages this book will become one of the old standbys of any classroom for middle school, especially 5th and 6th grade. This is an important oral narrative resource for any teacher wanting to include storytelling in the curriculum this fall. Without reservation, buy it, you and the kids you work with deserve a good fright!

The August House of Scary Stories
ISBN 978-0-87483-915-9
Price : $15.95

To Purchase this book try Amazon -
The August House Book of Scary Stories: Spooky Tales for Telling Out Loud

or try the publisher’s webpage: August House

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Press Play to hear Carol Mon speak on applying fairytales to business on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Tired of the tin sound? Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of Interview #086 Carol Mon for $2.23 Applying Fairytales to Business.

Carol Mon writes...
Why tell stories to our children? Because it helps prepare them for life. An added benefit though, is we re-learn the important lessons within each tale. This reminds me of Robert Fulghum’s book “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” Definitely true if someone read or told you stories during your formative years.

Folk and fairy tales are full of values and morals that we learn through repetition. Generally, as children we don’t stop to think what moral is being taught we are just enjoying the story for entertainment. The characters in the story model good or bad behavior and we see the consequences of their actions. Without receiving a lecture from parents we learn appropriate behavior.

As an adult storyteller I am often re-learning and telling favorite childhood stories. A funny thing happened; I started seeing all kinds of lessons in the stories that could be applied to the business world. My favorite example is Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” The Emperor is like so many executives I have met, they intimidate those who work for them. Information does not flow freely and eventually the executive finds himself parading around in only his underwear.

I work with all kinds of business people now and try to get them to understand stories are not just for kids. We need to remember these stories, learn from them and apply them to our current situation. Business people see the tales as frivolous and a waste of time, they want to learn from “real” business situations experienced by colleagues so that they can learn from them. So, you tell them the story of the Emperor and change his title to Executive Vice President. The tailors become consultants selling services, the courtiers are direct reports. The consultants fool the EVP and although the employees see it they fear the EVP’s reaction if they speak out against the consultants. Eventually the consultants leave town and the EVP finds a huge bill with nothing to show for it.

Did the story really have to change to be accepted? Unfortunately the answer is probably yes and not just because of prejudice (stories are for children’s entertainment). Something we have in kindergarten that is destroyed in many of as we go through school is an imagination. Business people lack the imagination to see how the lesson in The Emperor’s New Clothes can be applied to them.

An Introduction to for Carol Mon:

Once, a long time ago there was an accountant named Carol Mon who spent several happy years working as an employee benefits specialist and payroll manager. When her company merged with another, it was time for her to leave the comfort of Connecticut Mutual, and find her passion in the world.

Her journey took her to WMRD, a small AM radio station in Middletown, CT. Wanting more, she moved on to ESPN, a sports network in Bristol CT. Still something was missing. So Carol packed her desk and continued her journey to become…a storyteller. Finally, she had found the passion she was searching for and felt at home in more ways then one.

Drawing on years of informally telling tales of travel, payroll problems, and media mishaps Carol honed her storytelling skills. She now journeys to such venues as Pfizer Corporation, the United States Coast Guard Academy and the National Association of Insurance Women to help people unlock the secrets of creating and telling compelling stories to strengthen communication skills. And she just loves making a difference in this unique way.

Carol is a member of the Connecticut Storytelling Center, Toastmasters International, the National Speakers Association, and is the Assistant Festival Director for the Connecticut Storytelling Festival. She is also the author of a booklet “Ten Telling Tips for Talkers – Storytelling Tips Everyone Should Know”.

For more information on Carol Mon go to
http://www.carolmon.com

Press Play to hear Ben Sota is the Artistic Director of the Zany Umbrella Circus and he speaks on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf about the art of showmanship.

Tired of the tin sound? Purchase a HQ Mp3 File of Interview #083 Ben Sota & the Zany Umbrella Circus for $2.23 A Conversation on Showmanship.

Ben Writes...
Thoughts of showmanship.

As a circus performer I able to show people fantastic things. Performances on the trapeze, tight wire. juggling seven balls, and give them a glimpse of what many think is impossible.

For me showmanship is about connecting that fantastic to my audience. For me showmanship is inclusion....

As a circus performer my characters stride to be unassuming and unpretentious. The performance uses storytelling to bridge that fantastic to an every day life.

A contract happens, the everyday mixes with the surreal and the audience has a memorable experience that they can relate to. These ideas and more are featured in my interview with storytellers Brother Wolf.

Enjoy, Ben Sota)

Bio of Ben Sota is the Artistic Director of the Zany Umbrella Circus

Ben has studied at the San Francisco Circus Center, Trapeze Arts, and Acro Sports. He has produced over thirty shows and performed at the National Council on Foundation, the National Storytelling Convention, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, at Al Hussein Amphitheater in Amman Jordan, and at hundreds of other venues.

In the spring of 2006 Ben had the honor of a performance at the White House in June of 2006, he raised eyebrows by dressing in burlap pants. He told senators and congressmen folk art stories of his grandfather’s circus in South Dakota during the dustbowl; this performance caused bipartisan smiles and conversations about the importance of the arts in situations of need.

More commonly than the White House, Ben can be found performing at arts festivals, for social justice causes, and community celebrations, and for schools and universities all over the world.

As a teacher the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts has selected Ben as an artist residency teacher. He has also been recognized by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh as is listed as an outreach teacher; he is a member of the Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour and is recognized as a commonwealth speaker of Pennsylvania. Recently he was awarded the Eben Demarest Trust, a prize based on his artist merit that Jackson Pollock once one.

In October of 2007 the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum debuted an interactive exhibit called “Circus for Social Change”. The 1,800 sq. ft. exhibit showcases Ben’s projects of giving around the world. The exhibit gives children a chance to walk on a tight wire and try out circus.

Ben’s work has been supported by the Heinz Foundation, the Grable Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, the Pittsburgh Foundation, and many others.

Ben has worked hard to bring circus to those who need it most. He has taught thousands to juggle, walk on a tightrope, and perform trapeze. Many of his students come from at-risk backgrounds

Recently Ben traveled to New Orleans, Jordan, andAfghanistan to perform and teach.

Patch Adams wrote, “I hope all will generously support your work it is real people to people aid” when speaking about Ben’s work.

Wavy Gravy wrote, “For the last 5 years I have watched Ben teach children juggling and aerial arts with patience, kindness, imagination, and great skill. Ben Sota is truly a GREAT artist. I highly recommend him without reservation as a unique and extraordinary talent in any performing or teaching situation.”

Learn more about Ben's Sota's work at http://www.zanyumbrellacircus.com

Press Play to hear Jackson Gillman speak on refining your performance using outside critique on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Jackson Gillman Bio.
"Stand-Up Chameleon" Jackson Gillman magically transforms himself into a wide array of eccentric characters through his many talents as mime, actor, songsmith and storyteller. As adept with children as he is with adults, his interactive performances are seasoned with skillful dialect, song, dance, mime and sign language. Shining through Jackson's wit and extraordinary versatility is his bemused, warm-hearted honesty. Jackson's humor evolves from finding that which is funny in human beings trying to be human and often tripping over their own being in the attempt.

Jackson has thrice been a featured performer at the National Storytelling in Tennessee, and has performed at festivals and schools throughout the country. For twenty years Jackson hosted a summer concert series of comedy, music and New Vaudeville on Mount Desert Island. Presenting a new thematic program each year, he set up comedy/music shop every summer and toured the rest of the year. Year-round he now brings his unique brand of one-man theater to diverse audiences across the nation. Whether performing on concert stages, at colleges, business functions, festivals, school assemblies or libraries, Jackson Gillman delights his audiences with his inventions while touching them with his personal warmth.

A Little Bit of Background please...

My theatrical career began unexpectedly, taking me far afield from my agricultural pursuits and my various migratory New England jobs as a maple sugarer, cider maker, and landscaper/arborist. After graduating in 1978 from the College of the Atlantic with a degree in Human Ecology -- very useful for a theatrical performer, by the way -- I decided to do something completely different for one summer.

What started as a lark -- spending a summer at the Deck House Cabaret as a singing waiter -- grew into devotion as I discovered the ease and joy I found in performing. In subsequent summers, I returned to the Deck House Cabaret, and I soon took a leading role in the musical ensemble's choreography and direction. I also developed a solo act that became a nightly feature. I went on to study many forms of dance and music, take workshops with mime mentors Tony Montanara and Benny Reehl, toured with a children's theatre company, and I established a solo performing career.

My original environmental background finds its way into some of my shows, and my repertoire has expanded to more than twenty different programs, with topics ranging from health and substance abuse awareness, to a variety of thematic musical reviews. Some of my show titles include: Disorderly Conduct, A Dad's Eye View, The Perfect High, A Fool For Love, and Newagelessness. About half of my programs are family oriented, including: Riot in the Garden, BUGS!, Autumn Wonders, and The Magic of Rudyard Kipling. While I'm generally known for my comedy and interactive performances, a more serious side is reflected in programs such as Hard Knocks and The Man who Planted Hope.

What perhaps distinguishes me most from other storytellers is my use of movement in telling. My background in mime and dance is apparent in most of my work, especially Levity in Motion and The Dancing Man. One of my many workshops, Storyscaping, has been very helpful to other professional storytellers in the effective use of movement, space, and visual composition.

Another dimension is added to my work in the four full-length programs that I perform with sign language interpretation. Playing the male lead opposite a deaf actress in Children of a Lesser God (voted Best Theatre in Maine, 1986), reinforced my love of signing. The exposure to that visual language significantly benefits all of my storytelling. Whether I actually am sign-interpreting or not, I approach my craft with what I feel is the core of good storytelling -- to assist the creation and transfer of clear images and emotions.

While most of my work is solo, I regularly welcome the opportunity to collaborate, with musical partners, and with my favorite storytelling colleagues. I believe that when I am fortunate enough to share the
stage with friends such as Michael Parent and Judith Black, the audience reaps the benefit of our synergy. But even when I am performing solo, the stage is peopled with many surprise guests. Many altered egos find outlet in my assortment of eccentric stage personae.

I'm a twenty-five year veteran of the New England Touring Artists Program and also served on the theatre advisory panel for the Maine Arts Commission. I have been a keynote presenter at many conferences and festivals, and featured at the National Storytelling Festival. I hosted a summer concert series for fifteen years on Mt. Desert Island. In some ways, I am a migrant worker, packing up my old kit bag to perform at schools, libraries, conferences, and festivals throughout the country.

And I really do believe that humor can enliven and enlighten any group, meeting, or gathering, and mine is based on a foundation of beneficence, hope, and a belief in the enduring power of the human spirit. Talk with me, and together we can develop a performance program that will be perfect for your next conference, meeting, banquet, or special event.
for more info Check out http://www.jacksongillman.com

Press Play to hear Jay O’Callahan speak about learning about Stories by telling to my Children on the Art of Storytelling with Brother Wolf.

Jay O'Callahan writes...

I'm at work right now on a story commissioned by NASA, The National Aeronautics and Space Administration to celebrate its 50th anniversary. As I create the NASA story I'm aware I'm using all of the knowledge I gained telling stories to my own children. As I told stories to my children I began using repetition, rhythm, changing my voice, using a gesture here and there and inventing situations that involved struggle or risk, When my son Ted was about nine months old I'd make up little songs and rhythms to make him smile. Just making my voice go up high and then suddenly come down delighted him.
One night Ted was sitting in a soapy bath and I read him some of James Joyce's Finnegan's Wake. He laughed at the sounds.

When Ted got older I read books to him like The Gingerbread Man and discovered that he loved the repetition running through the story.

Run, run fast as you can
You can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man.

I began reading one of Richard Scary's book in which there was a character called Pierre the Paris Policeman. The line was, "Pierre the Paris Policeman was directing traffic one day." I would sing that line with a French accent and lift up my hand to stop an imaginary car. The voice and accent brought the character alive. That was an important discovery. And if I read it in any other way it wasn't Pierre and Ted would say, "Say it right."

After my daughter Laura Elizabeth was born I told both my children "hand stories." I'd take one of their hands, look at the palm of the hand and let a line, a bump or a curve in the hand suggest an image and I'd begin the story. It might go like this. "Once upon a time Ted saw a pink cloud resting by a tree. The cloud looked sad so Ted went over to cheer it up." I was dreaming aloud and characters and images would spring to mind. I imaged that's always happened to storytellers. I liked telling the hand stories because they were quiet and personal and my children liked being the hero and heroine. Some of those hand stories eventually turned into the Artana stories which take place in a mysterious land where two children, Edward and Elizabeth are the hero and heroine.

As I was telling to my children I learned the importance of a listener, particularly a listener with the sense of wonder and delight. My children listened me into being a storyteller.

Now as I work on this complicated story about NASA I use the knowledge I gained from my children. I ask myself this question: What is wondrous about NASA? And I'm on the alert for compelling characters and the risks they take and the struggles of their lives. I try to incorporate rhythm and repetition; I use a voice to become a character and find that a gesture helps bring the character alive.

As I shape the story and as it grows, I'm using the listeners. The listeners draw out mysteries in the story that I would have missed without them. Here I am back to the beginning.

Biography

Jay O'Callahan grew up in a section of Brookline, Massachusetts which was called “Pill Hill” because so many doctors lived there. The 32-room house and landscaped grounds were a magical atmosphere for a child’s imagination to blossom. When Jay was fourteen, he started making up stories to tell to his little brother and sister to entertain them.

After graduating from Holy Cross College, a tour in the Navy took Jay to the Pacific. Returning to Massachusetts, he taught and eventually became Dean at the Wyndham School in Boston, which his parents had founded. "In the summers I’d go off to Vermont or Ireland to write. I also did a lot of acting in amateur theatre, and that’s where I met a beautiful woman (Linda McManus) who later became my wife. When we had our first child, I left teaching and became the caretaker of the YWCA in Marshfield, a big old barn on a salt-water marsh. That gave me time to write and to tell stories to my children. When I decided to call myself a storyteller, it was like getting on a rocket." Within three years, Jay was telling stories in hundreds of schools and in addition he was commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra to create and perform Peer Gynt with the orchestra. His stories were broadcast on National Public Radio's “The Spider's Web," which brought Jay national attention.

Jay was now publicly telling stories he had created for his children. His stories were filled with rhythms, songs and characters as diverse as Herman the Worm, Petrukian, a medieval blacksmith, and the Little Dragon. Orange Cheeks, inspired by a time Jay got in trouble as a little boy, was the first of his personal stories.

One of his most popular stories, Raspberries was born when Jay's son Teddy was four. Teddy banged his shin outside their cottage and was weeping, "I broke my leg." Jay told a story full of rhythms to cheer Teddy up.

Jay was also beginning to tell stories to adults. In 1980, while on vacation in Nova Scotia, he sat on and off for a month in the kitchen of an old man and a blind woman. Out of that kitchen came the story of The Herring Shed. “I realized then that part of my gift was to sit down with ordinary people where they were comfortable, listen, and later weave a story together so that others could enjoy it. The process still amazes me: one year I'm in a kitchen in Nova Scotia and a few years later, I’m performing The Herring Shed to a thousand people at Lincoln Center." Time Magazine called The Herring Shed "genius."After the Herring Shed came Jay's Pill Hill stories for which is was awarded a National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship. The Pill Hill stories are loosely based on his boyhood.

Storytelling has brought Jay around the earth. “The storyteller of old got on a horse. I get on a plane, parachute into a community and I’m part of its life for a while before moving on to the next one.” Jay has told stories to students at Stonehendge, to adults in the heat of Niger, Africa, to theatergoers in Dublin and London and at storytelling festivals in Scotland, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. His stories have also been heard on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. Jay’s stories also include commissioned works like The Spirit of the Great Auk, Pouring the Sun, Edna Robinson and Father Joe.

When he isn't on the road, Jay runs a writing workshop at his home. His other interests include reading everything from Walt Whitman to Herman Melville to Flannery O’Connor to Emily Dickinson. And he enjoys listening to jazz, classical music and opera. “I love Maria Callas. Her singing touches a joy that’s very deep.”

Jay has just finished a political novel called Harry’s Our Man, and is creating a story commissioned by NASA for its 50th anniversary.