Cool Drinks And

 Cool Stories

Relax and beat the heat with a delicious smoothie, then settle back and listen to myths and folktales from all over the world. Storyteller Martha Bishop will present captivating folktales and myths for rising sixth graders and up on Wednesday, June 27, from 4 to 5:30 pm, at the C.H. Booth Library. The program will also kick off ’Tweens and Teens Summer Reading 2007.

Ms Bishop is a leader and teller of Tellabration!, a worldwide storytelling event that creates a network of storytelling enthusiasts. She has been telling stories since she was a child. She maintains that all teachers are storytellers and she has been teaching and telling stories for many years.  Recently, she retired as the library/media specialist at Bethel Middle School. She has continued to perform in community theater productions and tells stories to anyone who will stop and listen. “There are stories all around us that simply need a voice,” said Ms Bishop.

Ms Bishop will tell her versions of folktales, both local and international, and retell a few Greek Myths, including one about Eris, goddess of strife, discord, contention, and rivalry.

“I want to emphasize that all stories deal with the same theme: a problem is identified and a solution is tried. The problems are timeless — love, jealousy, success, failure, and the solutions are, well, sometimes unpredictable,”  Ms Bishop said.

 ‘Tweens and Teens Summer Reading runs from June 27 to August 6. Food, tickets, and gift certificates are some of the prizes readers can win from local merchants in weekly drawings. Full details will be available at the kickoff program and in the library.

Please sign up at the main floor circulation desk, or call 426-4533.