Newtown Youth Telling Tales

Newtown students AnnaMaria Marini and Caroline McArdle will join professional storytellers Martha Bishop, Keith Hughes, M.J. Moriarty, and Laconia Therrio for the Tellabration! event, Friday, November 20, at 7:30 pm, at the C.H. Booth Library.

AnnaMaria, a sophomore at NHS, and Caroline, a seventh grade home-schooler, are both excited to be a part of the mammoth storytelling event made up of dozens of storytelling happenings all over the world. Its purpose is to introduce adults and children to the pleasures of the oral art of storytelling.

 “Talking in front of people is fun. You get to make them laugh by spinning a yarn,” said AnnaMaria. She will tell the story of The Green Knight, a medieval tale wherein Sir Galahad accepts the Green Knight’s challenge without realizing the consequences.

Caroline’s story is The Singing Toad, a Mexican folk tale that she picked from one of her favorite books because it “looked funny.” The story begins when a farmer and his three sons cannot grow their corn because the crop keeps getting mysteriously torn up. She is thrilled to be presenting her tale, but added, “I’m looking forward to listening to the professionals, too.”

Both girls say they come alive before an audience. They love to entertain — to make people both laugh and cry.

Tellabration! is one of the programs offered by The Connecticut Storytelling Center, based at Connecticut College in New London. A full listing of all 30 Tellabration! sites in Connecticut with dates and times can be found at constorycenter.org or by calling The Connecticut Storytelling Center at 860-439-2764.

Reserve a place for the November 20 program online at chboothlibrary.org or call 203-426-4533.