"Raising Voices" Reviews

"Mounting evidence supports and recognizes that storytelling provides marvelous venues for the development of language skills among young people. Judy Sima and Kevin Cordi offer a reassuring blueprint, so librarians and teachers can avoid reinventing the wheel. Practical in its every suggestion, this book offers ideas for attracting kids to join a storytelling group, as well as organizational plans for both leaders and young participants. They incorporate activities to assist in learning stories, in presenting stories, and offer suggestions for raising funds. With this guide in, all who believe in story and its value for young storytellers will find them selves inspired and well on their way."
- Anne Izard Storytellers Choice Award

"Written by two veteran storytellers, this guide not only provides a valuable rationale for storytelling by youth but also offers specific steps for organizing teller groups. The tone throughout is consistently respectful of youth developmental needs, talents, and energy. Besides the organizing tips, there is also a chapter on keeping the group motivated and attendance consistent, which provides a "behavior contract." The resources list includes collections; stories; sources for props, instruments, and media; Web sites; and organizations. "For those teachers and librarians who believe in story and the value of storytelling with youth, this book is a must-purchase.""
- VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)

"Raising Voices shows how storytelling gives youth the opportunity to find and develop their own special voice that otherwise may never be heard....[h]as relevance and utility for Texas Speech Communication Association and Texas Forensic Association and that the field of communication needs such a venue as storytelling."
- Texas Speech Communication Journal

"A unique and reliable blueprint for beginning and sustaining a successful group or troupe of storytellers from grades 4 to 12....Raising Voices is the complete, and essential, handbook for this special group of storytellers."
- School Library Journal

"Starred Review Master storytellers Sima and Cordi offer a step-by-step approach to setting up and working with school age storytelling groups....This is an excellent resource for a teacher or library media specialist working with any age group of storytellers. The reproductive forms, checklists, sample letters and the extensive bibliography or recommended books alone make this a worthwhile purchase. Highly Recommended."
- Library Media Connection

"How I wish I had had this book when I was doing extended Oklahoma Arts Council residencies in the schools!...I recommend this book highly to storytelling groups of ALL ages!"
- Territorial Tattler

"steeped in the confidence of two expert storytelling organizers. You can do it. Sima and Cordi will help you."
- Story Bag

"I love words and I love this book. What a title - "Raising Voices!"

Raising - as in growing, gathering, introducing, recruiting, rallying, reinforcing, awakening, developing, guiding, training, mobilizing, motivating, nourishing, increasing, intensifying, promoting, pulling, provoking, lifting, supporting, exalting, dignifying, evoking, stirring up, and sending thru the roof.
R-A-I-S-I-N-G!

And not only raising, but raising Your Voice - articulate, call, cry, delivery, exclamation, inflection, intonation, modulation, murmur, mutter, roar, shout, song, sound, speech, statement, tone, vent, vocalize, yell, put into words, announce, articulate, assert, come out with, declare, deliver, divulge, emphasize, enunciate, give expression, inflect, intonate, present, proclaim, pronounce, recount, say, sound, speak, talk, vent, verbalize, vocalize and TELL.

Growing kids into speakers and speakers into thinkers and Raising Voices Loud enuf to be HEARD! And kids will be heard and not only heard but they will be more articulate."
- Carol Birch, Storyteller

"As a professional storyteller and story coach I know I will turn to this valuable resource again and again. It sparkles with insight, wisdom and every basic tool you could possibly need to nurture your own Storytelling Troupe. This concise and comprehensive hands-on guide is written with clarity and conviction. I predict it will become one of the bibles of storytelling, one which storytellers and teachers will turn to again and again. A must have for anyone interested in storytelling and passing on the ancient art of Oral Tradition!"
- Karen Chase, East Freetown, MA