FUNNY STORIES TO READ OR TELL

by Mildred Corell--Ed. Luckhardt ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 8, 1974

Luckhardt suggests that these stories be used for the impromptu group read-alouds that she dubs Readers' Theater, and frankly the broader the presentation, the greater their chances for success. Most of the selections are the sort of knee-pants, schoolboy humor that ends with a pandemonium of mosquitoes, bees or mudballs; there are two chapters of Penrod, Tom Sawyer's whitewashing, the organ recital given by the Middle Moffat, the silly performance of ""Flutes and Scratchy Wigs"" from Madye Lee Chastain's Fripsey Fun, and four ""Billy and Fats"" episodes from Story Parade magazine. A handful of folktales, including one each by Julius Lester and Natalie Savage Carlson, adds some much needed variety; however, ""The Lass That Couldn't be Frightened"" (but who marries the man who saves her from a mouse) will not endear Sorche Nic Leodhas to many girl readers. Luckhardt, who has also compiled Spring World Awake and Christmas Comes Once More, tells stories in Connecticut and thereabouts; without questioning her assertion that these tales were met with ""fascination"" and spontaneous applause, it might be in order to warn that anyone skillful enough to put them across is probably also resourceful enough to find these and others like them on the shelves of any library.

Pub Date: April 8, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Abingdon

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1974

Categories: CHILDREN'S