100 books like The Story Vine

By Anne Pellowski,

Here are 100 books that The Story Vine fans have personally recommended if you like The Story Vine. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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

Margaret Read MacDonald Author Of Teaching with Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling

From my list on storytelling for teachers.

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.

Margaret's book list on storytelling for teachers

Margaret Read MacDonald Why did Margaret 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 Author Of Teaching with Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling

From my list on storytelling for teachers.

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.

Margaret's book list on storytelling for teachers

Margaret Read MacDonald Why did Margaret 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 Author Of Teaching with Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling

From my list on storytelling for teachers.

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.

Margaret's book list on storytelling for teachers

Margaret Read MacDonald Why did Margaret 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 Author Of Teaching with Story: Classroom Connections to Storytelling

From my list on storytelling for teachers.

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.

Margaret's book list on storytelling for teachers

Margaret Read MacDonald Why did Margaret 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…


Book cover of Cat's Cradle: A Book of String Figures

Tatyana Feeney Author Of Little Owl's Orange Scarf

From my list on for those who love yarn and knitting.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always loved making things with paper, fabric, or through drawing. I was taught needlepoint and crochet by my grandmother when I was young. Unfortunately, I didn’t practice this much and don’t really know how anymore. As I got older, I wanted to learn how to knit and do a bit more than basic sewing by hand. I am still learning, and I love seeing how people create using fabric and yarn. This has crept into books I write and illustrate and also the books I like reading!

Tatyana's book list on for those who love yarn and knitting

Tatyana Feeney Why did Tatyana love this book?

I used to play lots of string games as a kid. I realized as my kids were growing up, that kids don’t know these games anymore and I wanted to find something that would teach them at least a few that I remembered from my childhood.

I loved this book because it shows, with simple diagrams, some of the basic string games like Cat’s Cradle and it also includes string to get started with.

Not only that, there is a little history of string games for those who might want to know how they all started.

By Anne Akers Johnson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cat's Cradle as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How to do Cat's Cradle, Jacob's Ladder, Cup and Saucer, Eiffel Tower and Witch's Broom.


Book cover of Kamishibai Man

Sanae Ishida Author Of Little Kunoichi, The Ninja Girl

From my list on Japan.

Why am I passionate about this?

My parents were both born and raised in Japan but met in New York and eventually settled in Los Angeles, where I grew up. My first language was Japanese and as a nisei (second generation), I am deeply steeped in my Asian heritage. I am continually inspired by the art and storytelling that originates from Japanese culture and love to incorporate them into my own work.

Sanae's book list on Japan

Sanae Ishida Why did Sanae love this book?

I grew up reading about and experiencing “kamishibai,” which is a Japanese storytelling format using illustration boards. This book by Allen Say gorgeously renders the life of a kamishibai man and what seems like his dying art of sharing stories. I remember trying to make my own kamishibai in elementary school and I’ve been toying with the idea of making one again. The book is a gem!

By Allen Say,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Kamishibai Man as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Kamishibai man used to ride his bicycle into town where he would tell stories to the children and sell them candy, but gradually, fewer and fewer children came running at the sound of his clappers. They were all watching their new televisions instead. Finally, only one boy remained, and he had no money for candy. Years later, the Kamishibai man and his wife made another batch of candy, and he pedaled into town to tell one more story—his own. When he comes out of the reverie of his memories, he looks around to see he is surrounded by familiar…


Book cover of Mushishi Volume 1

Priya Huq Author Of Piece by Piece: The Story of Nisrin's Hijab

From my list on graphic novels that use environment as storyteller.

Why am I passionate about this?

Environmental storytelling in comics is something that I’ve always admired and want to be better at. As a cartoonist I’m always thinking of better ways to tell visual stories, because it’s fun.

Priya's book list on graphic novels that use environment as storyteller

Priya Huq Why did Priya love this book?

Mushishi is possibly my favorite comic of all time. It doesn’t just use the environment as storyteller, but tells stories about environments in a way you wouldn’t expect. Though it’s a series of stories about people and their relationships, neither are divorced from the world itself. I cannot recommend this series enough and it is a huge influence on my own work.

By Yuki Urushibara, William Flanagan (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mushishi Volume 1 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THEY HAVE EXISTED SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME.

Some live in the deep darkness behind your eyelids. Some eat silence. Some thoughtlessly kill. Some simply drive men mad. Shortly after life emerged from the primordial ooze, these deadly creatures, mushi, came into terrifying being. And they still exist and wreak havoc in the world today. Ginko, a young man with a sardonic smile, has the knowledge and skill to save those plagued by mushi . . . perhaps.


Book cover of The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller

David Baboulene Author Of The Primary Colours of Story

From my list on how stories work and how to write your story.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was lucky enough not only to get published in my thirties, I also got a film deal for those first two books. I was flown to Hollywood and it was all very grand. However, what they did to my stories in translating them into film scripts horrified me. And ruined them. And the films never got made. I started to look deeper into what ‘experts’ did, and it was awful. I became obsessed with how stories work, developed my own ‘knowledge gap’ theory, proved it through my Ph.D. research, and became a story consultant in the industry. Story theory has completely taken over my life and I love it!

David's book list on how stories work and how to write your story

David Baboulene Why did David love this book?

This book is different. After a slew of books all pedaling the same material based on the dreaded Hollywood formula, it was really good to find something that bucked the trend. 

Truby focuses on morality in stories. He maintains that every story is actually a moral argument, and gives his practical steps for harnessing that morality and using it to create a strong story. 

I feel there is a lot to be said for this. The only real flaw is that there are actually twelve sensible bases for a story and although the moral argument is undeniably one of those that generates a strong story, it is important for writers to understand all of them.

By John Truby,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Anatomy of Story as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"If you're ready to graduate from the boy-meets-girl league of screenwriting, meet John Truby . . . [his lessons inspire] epiphanies that make you see the contours of your psyche as sharply as your script."
―LA Weekly

John Truby is one of the most respected and sought-after story consultants in the film industry, and his students have gone on to pen some of Hollywood's most successful films, including Sleepless in Seattle, Scream, and Shrek. The Anatomy of Story is his long-awaited first book, and it shares all his secrets for writing a compelling script. Based on the lessons in his…


Book cover of Little Stories of Your Life: Find Your Voice, Share Your World and Tell Your Story

Claudia Amendola Alzraa Author Of The Cosmic Whispered Verses of Awakened Motherhood

From my list on books for spiritual mothers.

Why am I passionate about this?

I wear many hats in my life, but none matter as much as the hat: mama. As a clairaudient medium who works first-hand with mothers on their spiritual journeys, I feel as though I know what spiritually conscious parents hope to find and be moved by in the books they read because I know what my spirit needs during this wild and overwhelming adventure called motherhood. It can be an isolating path to walk, and these books not only felt like a helping hand during the rockiest moments but also like a warm hug when I needed it most. 

Claudia's book list on books for spiritual mothers

Claudia Amendola Alzraa Why did Claudia love this book?

This is not even a motherhood-focused book, but it absolutely had to make this list. It completely transformed my motherhood journey. It helped me find my new identity in motherhood. It allowed me to recognize that I have stories to tell - about my experience as a mother and also about myself separate from motherhood.

It allowed me to take life a little slower and be more intentional and mindful in my living and parenting. It’s essentially what moved me to start writing my poetry book in the first place. It helped illuminate my life in a way I never noticed before. I am a better mother because of this book. 

By Laura Pashby,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Little Stories of Your Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Embrace the power of storytelling with Little Stories of Your Life. Start telling your own story, find your creative self and be more mindful.

Combining the wellbeing benefits of mindfulness, creativity and daily photography, this book shows you how to use words and photographs to capture precious little moments and how to share these in order to connect with others.

Each chapter explores the different ways you can tell your own stories, considers why you might choose to tell them and helps you to create a patchwork of tiny tales about your life, however small they might be. Throughout the…


Book cover of The Moral Premise: Harnessing Virtue & Vice for Box Office Success

Marshall Dotson Author Of Actions and Goals: The Story Structure Secret

From my list on story structure.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been a student of story structure for decades. As a novelist, this initially started as a means to learn as much as I could from those with more experience than myself, but quickly grew into a passion. I read everything on the subject I could get my hands on and eventually began analyzing the plots of novels and movies for myself, amalgamating what I had learned with my own theories and insights which coalesced into a wholly new structural paradigm. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with many talented screenwriters and novelists to help them shape their stories using Six Act Structure. 

Marshall's book list on story structure

Marshall Dotson Why did Marshall love this book?

As the title suggests, Williams’ book focuses on identifying the Moral Premise at the heart of your story idea and building around it. It’s a very thematic approach to storytelling. This Moral Premise essentially breaks the story into four components: a positive “virtue”, a negative “vice”, desirable consequences (success), and undesirable consequences (defeat). You can use this to create a simple structure of “Vice leads to undesirable consequences (defeat), while Virtue leads to desirable consequences (success)”. I'm admittedly oversimplifying it, but it's a great tactic to get to the heart of your story's theme and strengthen your narrative. 

By Stanley D. Williams,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The Moral Premise reveals the foundational concept at the heart of all storytelling and successful box office movies. In concrete terms it explains how you can create your own success and, in the process, entertain, delight, challenge, and uplift this generation and the ones to come.


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in storytelling, Japan, and Tokyo?

Storytelling 126 books
Japan 511 books
Tokyo 92 books