Why am I passionate about this?

I am passionate about the importance of telling stories in the classroom. My career has been as a children’s librarian in public libraries, but with much time spent telling stories in schools. My daughter and her husband followed in my footsteps as storytellers and found that using storytelling in the classroom has so many benefits. We all offer workshops for teachers, write articles encouraging storytelling, and try in any way possible to grow the corps of teachers who discover this joyful addition to the classroom.


I wrote

Teaching with Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling

By Margaret Read MacDonald, Jennifer MacDonald Whitman, Nathaniel Forrest Whitman

Book cover of Teaching with Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling

What is my book about?

Use storytelling to enhance your curriculum. Clear suggestions for learning and telling stories in the classroom with 22 easy-to-tell folktales.…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Story Vine

Margaret Read MacDonald Why did I love this book?

I found some wonderfully unusual formats for storytelling here. The book includes string figure stories, drawing stories, finger play stories, riddle tales, and tales told with dolls and incorporating music. I use some of the simple stories like the mosquito string figure tale when I’m teaching beginning tellers. My students find them easy to learn and fun to use.

By Anne Pellowski,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Story Vine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Anne Pellowski gives readers instructions to use a variety of methods to show and tell stories from around the world in this fascinating and informative collection.

The Story Vine is an unusual collection of stories that have been loved by youth and elders alike around the world, each of which requires the storyteller to use string, nesting dolls, sand painting, drawings, or musical instruments to help embellish the tale.

With stories from Africa, Japan, America, Australia, and Central Europe, each story is accompanied by clear, step-by-step instructions, as well as line illustrations, so even a beginner can grow into a…


Book cover of Children Tell Stories: Teaching and Using Storytelling in the Classroom (Multimedia DVD included with the book)

Margaret Read MacDonald Why did I love this book?

It is exciting to encourage students to start telling stories too. This book had lots of good ideas that I use in my storytelling classes for children. Kids enjoyed activities like rolling a yarn ball back and forth across a circle as they add to a story. The book includes 25 easy-to-tell tales for student beginners. And I learned from watching the DVD Children Telling Stories: A Storytelling Unit in Action that was included.

By Martha Hamilton, Mitch Weiss,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Children Tell Stories as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The revised edition of this award-winning guidebook on storytelling in the classroom includes over 80% new material. The authors provide compelling rationales for the value of storytelling, links to state standards, detailed storytelling unit tips, uses throughout the curriculum, and bibliographies. Includes a multi-media DVD with demonstrations of storytelling by the authors, teachers and students, plus related materials and resources.


Book cover of Once Upon a Time... Storytelling to Teach Character and Prevent Bullying

Margaret Read MacDonald Why did I love this book?

I found that owning a collection of tales organized by these themes was very useful. Over 100 short folktales on themes of cooperation, courage, diversity, empathy, friendship, generosity, honesty and fairness, perseverance, respect, responsibility, self-control, and bullying prevention. Pearmain also gives suggestions for telling these and for extending them in the classroom. Wrapping an idea in a story really helps the concept sink in for the listener. Having a collection like this helped me build programs for use in the library.

By Elisa Davy Pearmain,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Once Upon a Time... Storytelling to Teach Character and Prevent Bullying as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This book features 99 multi-national and multi-cultural folk tales with familiar character and bullying prevention themes but encapsuled in wonderfully diverse stories. The author, a professional storyteller, provides actual stories plus chapters on how to tell a story, not just read it; activities for students; and bulliten board ideas. She also provides hints and tips for teaching kids the art of storytelling which encourages communication skills and classroom unity.


Book cover of Moral of the Story: Folktales for Character Development

Margaret Read MacDonald Why did I love this book?

This book contains twelve easily told tales that can be used to discuss character development. The Norfolks include suggestions for classroom use of the tales. I like to recommend this to the teachers in my storytelling classes as the advice comes from a teacher who has written several other books on using stories in the classroom.

By Bobby Norfolk, Sherry Norfolk,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Moral of the Story as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

To kids everywhere, in the hope that their elders will never stop telling stories.

Throughout history, traditional cultures have recognized the role of storytelling in teaching values to children. This user-friendly, hands-on guide to using storytelling and folktales in character education provides not only rationale for this approach, it includes stories. These twelve stories are fun, time- and audience-tested, and accessible to a wide range of listeners, from preschool to high school.

The tales are enhanced by suggested activities or informal lesson plans, source notes, and extensive bibliographies that point the reader to additional sources of folktales suitable for character…


Book cover of The Art of Storytelling: Easy Steps to Presenting an Unforgettable Story

Margaret Read MacDonald Why did I love this book?

This book is written specifically for those telling stories in religious settings. However, the advice on learning and presenting stories is so clearly and usefully presented, that I would suggest this as a good read for anyone hoping to share stories with children. If you are planning to tell stories in a religious setting, this is definitely your go-to book.

By John Walsh,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Art of Storytelling as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Can you captivate an audience with your story?

Many of us would love to hold the attention of a crowd, a classroom, or just a group of our friends by telling them a great story. We have felt the pressure of a public presentation or the disappointment of telling a story that others ignore. We are ready to be heard, ready to captivate.

In The Art of Storytelling, John Walsh takes us through the steps to presenting a compelling story—outlining the strategies that helped him move from stutterer to storyteller. This book will help any person with a story to…


Explore my book 😀

Teaching with Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling

By Margaret Read MacDonald, Jennifer MacDonald Whitman, Nathaniel Forrest Whitman

Book cover of Teaching with Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling

What is my book about?

Use storytelling to enhance your curriculum. Clear suggestions for learning and telling stories in the classroom with 22 easy-to-tell folktales. Chapters include using story to foster community, build character, improve communication, explore cultures, enhance creativity, build confidence, and extend into many areas of the curriculum. 

The authors hope to convince you that storytelling is an important and joyful addition to your classroom. Taking just five minutes a day for a told story can leave memories that will last a lifetime. This book won the Anne Izard Storyteller’s Choice Award. Margaret Read MacDonald is also the author of The Storyteller’s Start-up Book, Twenty Tellable Tales, and The Parent’s Guide to Storytelling. 

Book cover of The Story Vine
Book cover of Children Tell Stories: Teaching and Using Storytelling in the Classroom (Multimedia DVD included with the book)
Book cover of Once Upon a Time... Storytelling to Teach Character and Prevent Bullying

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Interested in storytelling, folklore, and art?

Storytelling 127 books
Folklore 381 books
Art 955 books