Buy Judy's Books
Judy's Books
Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3More Books Kids Will Sit Still ForBooks Kids Will Sit Still ForBooks Kids Will Sit Still For series [3-Volume Set]Winner's Handbook: Best Books of 2014Once Upon a Time  • NEW!!!! The Handbook of Storytellers • NEW!!! The Handbook for Storytime Programs
Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3: A Read-Aloud Guide
Libraries Unlimited, ©2006.
{hardcover $70.00 hardcover; paperback $55.00; 917p.}
For use with ages 3-12.
Libraries Unlimited

Click on Product Search on the left.

Amazon HARDCOVER PAPERBACK Barnes and Noble HARDCOVER
PAPERBACK
Based on her extensive experience as a school librarian, national workshop presenter, storyteller, and book reviewer, Judy Freeman has poured her heart and soul into her first major book in a decade.

The book starts with a tribute to Judy's late mother, Gladys Freeman ("One Librarian to Another") and continues with extensive, all-new chapters offering entertaining, informative, and instantly useful approaches to reading aloud, storytelling, creative drama, Reader's Theater, and nonstop classroom and library activities across the curriculum. Find out "17 Things You Need to Know to Be a Great School Librarian." Learn how to evaluate a new book. See what it's like to be on the Newbery Committee.

It features a massive, annotated bibliography of 1,705 of her favorite read-aloud titles, all published within the last decade, that will keep children in grades PreK through 6 enthralled. These titles encompass picture books, fiction, folklore, poetry, biography, and nonfiction. Each of the 1,705 entries provides full bibliographic information and a meaty descriptive annotation so you can be reminded of what the book's about if you've read it, or be enticed to pick it up if you haven't.

There's a killer list of up to ten related titles to use for read-alouds, read-alones, thematic units, booktalks, and book discussion groups; and a list of subject headings so you can see where a book might fit into your curriculum, your library program, or your life. Best of all, there are Judy's "Germs": curriculum tie-ins and suggested activities to foster higher level comprehension and critical thinking skills and response to literature, including writing and illustrating prompts, research strategies, discussion questions, and problem solving ideas. Germs are small, pithy, doable ideas to take and, well, "germinate" as you see fit, adding your own spin, talent, and know-how. Take these pithy ideas and grow them into a lesson, a unit, or a good, meaty, meaningful follow-up to use with your kids and have a blast with books.

And finally, there's an updated bibliography of professional books; author, illustrator and titles indexes; and an amazing 100+ page subject index of thousands of subjects for easy access and making nonstop book connections.

"Wow! What a book!" is what Judy is hoping you'll say when you open this comprehensive source of thousands of inspirational literature-based ideas.

Here's what the critics have said so far:

PLANET ESME planetesme.blogspot.com
On August 1, 2006, Esme Raji Codell reviewed the book on her blog. (See: planetesme.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_planetesme_archive.html)
BOOKS KIDS WILL SIT STILL FOR #3: A READ-ALOUD GUIDE by Judy Freeman (Libraries Unlimited) I am actually pulling at the hair on my head, trying to decide where to begin to describe this lifework of one. Amazing. Woman. Starts with a list of seventeen things you need to know to be a good school librarian. Then sections on awards, reading aloud and reading alone, how to integrate books across the curriculum, how to do storytelling and reader's theater, and then, and then, and then! there is an annotated (!!!) list of over a THOUSAND recommendations, divided be genre (such as fiction, fairy tales, poetry, nonfiction), and each recommendation contains a "germ," or a springboard to discussion, a weblink, a project idea...and then, and then, and then! Every title has a mammoth list of related titles! Whooooaaaah. The thing that differentiates this title from other resource books is that this book, despite its dictionary-like girth, despite its encyclopedia-like wealth of knowledge, has personality. You can feel Freeman's enthusiasm and heart on every page, and her desire to pass on everything she knows to you, to make a community of readers a reality in America. Despite its price tag, being from a specialized publisher, I have found this book to be worth every penny, a one-stop shop for all you need to know about children's literature. The admiration I have for this woman and this boggling project brings tears to my eyes.

School Library Journal (October 1, 2006)
"This excellent resource will be a favorite with teachers who need assistance finding quality children's literature, and it will also aid librarians and media specialists. The updated compilation includes over 1700 new titles indexed by author/illustrator, title, and subject. Subjects range from the specific (baseball) to more general (picture books for all ages) to literary elements (point of view). Freeman discusses the underlying reasons behind careful book selection and includes strategies to teach readers and a subject listing to assist teachers with book selection for reluctant readers. She encourages educators to create lifelong learners, library users, and book lovers."-Kathleen Pavin, Purdy Elementary School Library, Fort Atkinson, WI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Teacher Librarian, October 2006
"Every school library must have a copy of this book, and every teacher needs to know about it to freshen his or her own use of literature in the classroom. There has never been a time in education when better children's literature--fiction and nonfiction--existed, and this book will lead you to the best blooms in the garden of print. Essential as a book selection tool and a source to feature, booktalk, read aloud, and tantalize elementary school children."

Ingram library Services, K-12 Media Shelf Fall 2006--Volume III, Issue 2 (http://www.ingramlibrary.com/MRKNG/K12/0906/delve.html)
"Freeman continues to share her expertise with librarians, teachers, and parents in this new guide to read-alouds. Drawing on her fresh experience as a speaker, book reviewer, and book talker, this guide is more than a revision of the earlier books; there's a substantial amount of new material. New chapters offer informative and entertaining approaches to reading aloud, storytelling, creative drama, Reader's Theater, and classroom and library activities across the curriculum. The annotated read-aloud lists provide hefty, well-written summaries of over 1,700 favorite titles published since 1995, for grades PreK-6, including picture books, fiction, folklore, poetry, biography, and nonfiction. Meaningful activities foster higher level thinking skills and include writing and illustrating prompts, research strategies, discussion questions, and problem-solving ideas. The updated bibliography of professional books is useful and the indexes are comprehensive. This title, part of the series Children's and Young Adult Literature Reference Series, is a valuable resource to turn to again and again. Also available in hardcover."

Book News, Inc./Reference & Research Book News (booknews.com):
Freeman (information and library science, Pratt Institute), an international speaker, former school librarian, writer, and storyteller, provides an entirely new annotated guide to approximately 1,705 titles that can be read aloud to children from grades K-6 (though some are also appropriate for young adults). Categories consist of picture books, fiction, folk and fairy tales, myths and legends, nonsense, poetry, biography, and nonfiction, which she has field-tested. The annotations, arranged alphabetically by author, consist of plot summaries, related titles, subjects, and lesson plan suggestions. Indexes are divided by subject, title, and author/illustrator, and a professional bibliography is included. New features in this edition include tips for being a successful school librarian, and discussions of Freeman's experiences serving on the Newbery Committee, reading aloud vs. reading alone, books across the curriculum (with lists of titles), and using performance in storytelling. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR booknews.com
More Books Kids Will Sit Still For: A Read-Aloud Guide
Libraries Unlimited, ©1995.
{$55.00 hardcover; 869p.}
For use with ages 3-12.
Libraries Unlimited

Click on Product Search on the left.

Amazon
HARDCOVER EDITION:
Barnes and Noble
HARDCOVER EDITION:
Looking to develop or upgrade your literature-based classroom and library curriculum? Freeman's hefty tome will help you select the most enthralling and useful books to read aloud to children along with advice on how to create a more stimulating reading environment in your classroom or library.

There are more than 1,400 extensively annotated, kid-tested titles, with each entry including: bibliographic information, detailed plot statement, practical ideas for sharing the books with children to develop comprehension skills and creativity, related titles for follow-ups on that subject or theme, and subject headings under which the book is listed in the Subject Index.

Annotated Read-Aloud Lists are organized by age level first for fiction, (Preschool-Kindergarten; Kindergarten-Grade 1; Grades 1-2; Grades 2-3; Grades 3-4; Grades 4-5; Grades 5-6), and then: Folk & Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends; Poetry, Nonsense, and Language-Oriented Nonfiction; and Nonfiction and Biography.  More Books Kids Will Sit Still For offers a plethora of ideas to incorporate children's books into your program. The all-new text is broken into entertaining, informative chapters on the how and whys of running book-based classrooms and libraries.
Books Kids Will Sit Still For: The Complete Read-Aloud Guide
Libraries Unlimited, ©1990.
{$55.00; 660p.}
For work with ages 3-12.
Libraries Unlimited

Click on Product Search on the left.

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Judy's first book in the series offers inventive ways to introduce children to books. This lively guide recommends over 2,100 read-aloud books-all proven crowd-pleasers, tested through the author's long career as a school librarian and educator. Each entry includes a brief plot summary, literature extension activities, related titles, and subject designations. Annotated Read-Aloud Lists are organized by age level first for fiction, (Preschool-Kindergarten; Kindergarten-Grade 1; Grades 1-2; Grades 2-3; Grades 3-4; Grades 4-5; Grades 5-6), and then: Folk & Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends; Poetry, Nonsense, and Language-Oriented Nonfiction; and Nonfiction and Biography.

Books Kids Will Sit Still For series [3-Volume Set]
Libraries Unlimited, ©2006.
{ISBN 1-591-58477-9; $126.00; 3 volumes}
For work with ages 3-12.
Libraries Unlimited

Click on Product Search on the left.

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3: A Read-Aloud Guide is just the latest all-new volume in the Books Kids Will Sit Still For series, which includes Books Kids Will Sit Still For and More Books Kids Will Sit Still For. The three books together constitute a tour of the best of children's literature and how to use it, with a total of more than 5,000 invaluable annotations of exemplary children's books. You can now buy the harcover editions of these books as a 3-book set and save lots of money. (The list price for all 3 books would be $180; the set sells for $126, a $54 savings!)
The WINNERS! Handbook: A Closer Look At Judy Freeman's Top-Rated Children's Books of 2014
by Judy Freeman
Libraries Unlimited, ©2015.
{Paperback $30.00}

Judy Freeman's latest comprehensive handbook weighing in at 250+ pages, is packed with thoroughly annotated lists of 2014's 100+ best children's books, lesson plans, worksheets, teacher's guides, stories, songs, Reader's Theater scripts, a chapter of Internet resources called "Surfing The Net, and a complete index . This handbook was developed to go with her 31st Annual Winners! Workshop that she presented across New Jersey in April 2015. Use this handbook as another handy update of new can't live without read-aloud titles for Books Kids Will Sit Still For 3. If you can't make it to Judy's Winners! Workshop or one of her "What's New in Children's Literature seminars for BER, her all-new yearly editions of The Winners! Handbook is a mighty good substitute.   Order form.

Once Upon a Time: Using Storytelling, Creative Drama, and Reader's Theater with Children in Grades PreK-6 {Paperback; $35.00; 275p.} For use with ages 3-12.
Libraries Unlimited Amazon Barnes and Noble
Judy Freeman, author of the Books Kids Will Sit Still For series, gives personal and practical how-to tips on how to learn and tell a story, how to act out a story using creative drama, and how to write and stage a Reader's Theater script. All are guaranteed to get your children listening, thinking, reading, loving, and living stories with comprehension, fluency, expression, and joy. Once Upon a Time pulls together a wealth of ideas, activities, and strategies for using folk and fairy tales, songs, chants, and nonsense rhymes. Also included in this handbook are the texts of 10 of Judy's favorite stories you can read today and tell tomorrow; a songbook of songs, chants, and nonsense rhymes; and a Reader's Theater script. You'll also find annotated bibliographies: 400+ children's books every storyteller should know; 100+ great children's books to use for creative drama and Reader's Theater; professional books and Web sites for storytelling, creative drama, and Reader's Theater; and a title and author index.

Once Upon a Time! is a winner of the Ninth Annual Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award in 2009. Go to
http://wlschildrens.wordpress.com/anne-izard-storytellersaward/. The Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award was established in 1990 to honor Anne Izard, noted storyteller, librarian and Children's Services Consultant in Westchester County, New York. The award highlights distinguished titles in the field of storytelling published for children and adults, and promotes the riches of storytelling to even wider audiences. Here is their citation about Judy's book:
"For the novice to experienced storyteller, here is a resource jam-packed with one idea after another and "field tested" so they can be used with confidence. Included are booklists, how-to's, some full texts of tales, songs and stories in Reader's Theater format-a treasure trove for all!"

Chapters include:
  1. Getting Started with Storytelling
  2. Judy Freeman's Songbook: Including Songs, Chants, Riddles, and Plenty of Nonsense
  3. Judy Freeman's Storybook: Tales You can Hear Today and Tell Tomorrow
  4. 400+ Children's Books Every Storyteller Should Know
  5. Getting Started with Creative Drama and Reader's Theater
  6. 100+ Children's Books Just Right for Creative Drama and/or Reader's Theater

The Handbook for Storytellers
by Judy Freeman & Caroline Feller Bauer
ALA Editions, ©2015.
{ISBN 13-978-0-8389-1100-6; 416 pp} {Paperback $65.00}

 

Order from ALA.       Order from AMAZON.   Order from BARNES & NOBLE.
Ideal for both beginners and more experienced storytellers, this exhaustive primer includes everything adults need to start sharing the wonder of stories with children, from babies to tweens. The lively text imparts easy-to-follow guidelines and practical advice on how, when, where, and why to tell stories. Each chapter incorporates a wealth of delectable folktales to read and tell, plus the authors’ hand-selected, annotated lists containing hundreds of classic and cutting edge children’s books, professional books, and relevant websites. Demonstrating the joy of stories and storytelling, this book
  • Provides an overview of the history and types of storytelling
  • Shows how to select, learn, prepare, and tell stories
  • Begins with more than two dozen easy-to-learn stories that adults can read today and tell to children tomorrow
  • Looks at the major types of folk and fairy tales, including many sample stories and booklists
  • Offers a comprehensive list of stories reworked, reimagined, reinvented, parodied, satirized or recreated from folk and fairy tales
  • Includes “Favorite Stories to Tell,” a compendium of more than 500 suggested tales, easily accessible by subject and theme, from which tellers can find the perfect stories to fit every occasion and begin to build their own repertoire of wonderful tales to tell
  • Provides tips for publicizing and promoting storytelling programs
This handbook instructs, inspires, and entertains like no other resource of its kind. Part One: Getting Started with Stoytelling includes Chapter 1: Welcome to Storytelling, Chapter 2: Promoting Your Program, Chapter 3: Program Basics; and Chapter 4: Selecting, Preparing, & Telling the Story. Part Two includes Chapter 5: Folklore, Chapter 6: Around the World with Storytelling, Chapter 7: More Stories to Tell, and Chapter 8: Our Favorite Stories to Tell.  

Note: Caroline Feller Bauer (1935–2013) was a public librarian, professor of children’s literature, radio personality, international speaker and performer, author of nineteen children’s books and professional books about children’s literature for adults, and a tireless cheerleader for literacy and storytelling.

 

The Handbook for Storytime Programs
by Judy Freeman & Caroline Feller Bauer
ALA Editions, ©2015.
{ISBN 13-978-0-8389-1265-2; 616 pp} {Paperback $65.00}

 

Order from ALA.  Order from AMAZON.   Order from BARNES & NOBLE.

Librarians, teachers, parents, and caregivers can energize storytimes and curricula with this informative and entertaining resource filled with engaging and creative ways to integrate storytelling and story-related materials into programs for children, ages birth-12. Readers will find a treasure trove of tales, books, songs, and poems to share, plus a host of exciting and easily adaptable children’s literature-based activities. This handbook provides

  • Descriptions of a variety of programs for young children, from lap times for babies to programs for toddlers and nursery school age children, on up to grade 2
  • A “quicklist” of 150 thematic program-starters for children ages 1-7, on popular topics such as animals, the natural world, families, vehicles, and holidays
  • Story jokes, think stories, convoluted logic puzzlers, scary tales, funny stories, and dozens of other thematic program-starters for tweens
  • Methods for telling stories using pictures, objects, crafts, puppetry, songs, creative drama, and magic
  • Materials such as story scripts, songs, wordplay, poems, annotated booklists, and non-narrative sources for storytelling
  • Guidance to help story programmers pull together cohesive themed programs and story hours

No storytelling programmer will want to be without this expansive and instantly useful handbook.Part One: Interactive Storytelling includes Chapter 1: Pictures and Objects in Storyelling; Chapter 2: Puppetry; Chapter 3: Creative Drama; Chapter 4: Storytime Fillers: Fingerplays, Tongue Twisters, Riddle, Jokes, Rhymes, and Other Nonsense; Chapter 5: Music; and Chapter 6 Magic. Part Two: Programs includes Chapter 7: Programs for Preschool and Primary School Children, from Birth to Age 7; and Chapter 8: Programs for Upper Elementary and Middle School Children, Ages 8 to 14.  

Note: Caroline Feller Bauer (1935–2013) was a public librarian, professor of children’s literature, radio personality, international speaker and performer, author of nineteen children’s books and professional books about children’s literature for adults, and a tireless cheerleader for literacy and storytelling.

 

Back to Top