Students Tell Their Own Stories at Feb. 9 Naperville Reads Program

Students from  and will share the stage with a nationally-known storyteller and author on Feb. 9. 

The storytelling students will be the opening act for Antonio Sacre, the Naperville Reads 2012 children’s author. The free public event begins at 7 p.m. in the Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., on the campus. Free tickets are available at all three Naperville Public Library buildings and at Anderson’s Bookshop.

The students will perform “The Storytelling Song” and then student storytellers Naomi Keane and Kylie Bickler will present individual stories. What better way to begin a program with a theme, “Everyone has a story. What’s yours?” with children telling stories?

“We’re very excited about this opportunity to tell stories in front of an appreciative audience,” explains Sue Black, the Storyteller in Residence for the two school groups.  The group of fourth through eighth graders began working on their stories early in November. They first presented “The Storytelling Song” at the Jan. 17 City Council meeting where Naperville Reads 2012 received a mayoral proclamation marking January and February as “Naperville Reads month..  The students enthusiastically demonstrated the storytelling theme. Their next stop is the Feb. 9 Antonio Sacre program.

Antonio is an internationally-touring writer, storyteller, and solo performance artist. He’s performed at the National Book Festival at the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, the National Storytelling Festival, and many international festivals. Widely recognized as a performer and workshop leader at museums, schools, and libraries, he is also a children’s author. His children’s books are The Barking Mouse, A Mango in the Hand: A Story Told Through Proverbs, and La Noche Buena: A Christmas Story.

Thirty-two members of Tattle Tales club are fourth and fifth grades from Clow Elementary. The remaining 19 are sixth through eighth grade students from the Fellowship of the Legend group at Gregory Middle School.  This is the 10th anniversary for the Clow group and the first year for the group from Gregory.  They will also perform at a spring storytelling festival.

Naperville READS is a partnership of Anderson’s Bookshop, Jumping Off the Page, Naperville Public Library, and . This program is partially funded by a grant from the City of Naperville.