The Story-Teller's Start-Up Book by Margaret Read MacDonald

Author:Margaret Read MacDonald
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2012-01-19T10:15:40+00:00

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Defending the Story

We do encourage our children's fantasies; we tell them to paint what they want, or to invent stories. But unfed by our common fantasy heritage, the folk fairy tale, the child cannot invent stories on his own which help him cope with life's problems.

—Bruno Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantment

At times you will face attacks on your story selection. No matter how careful you are, this is apt to happen. Not only are witches and devils taboo in some homes, but fairies and elves are equally abhorred. To comply with the wishes of some parents, we would have to eliminate all literature dealing with fantasy of any sort. Storyteller Bob Polishuk was censored for asking the children to make a wish and blow out a story candle by a parent who considered this act a form of consorting with the supernatural.

In order to respond to parental criticism of your stories you need to find out the basis for their complaints. Some parents are justifiably concerned because of nightmares their children have been enduring. Take this into consideration if you have such a child in your classroom. Realize, however, that to some parents the very act of reading a story about fairies to children puts you in league with the devil. To understand what these parents and their children fear, read The Seduction of Our Children by Neil T. Anderson and Steve Russo (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House, 1991) or Like Lambs to the Slaughter by Johanna Michaelsen (Eugene, Oregon: I

larvest House, 1989).

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