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The Power of Story
Through this book, readers will discover that stories can move the human heart and head in ways that research cannot.
Stories bring together readers, writers, librarians, teachers, students, and families in the libraries of today and will continue to do so tomorrow. Written for all those lovers of literacy, this book links libraries and literacies through the power of stories. The book is not filled with data in the form of pie charts, graphs, and tables. Rather, the truth of the research is grounded in authentic stories that reflect not only the interpretation of data, but also the transformative nature of literacies and libraries. The author's primary goal is that readers will come to value and use storytelling in their own professional and personal lives to explain and expand on complex concepts and to make information more accessible for all.
The book begins by presenting anecdotes and the author's personal story to lay the foundation for what literacies are, and what literacy is not. An activity, "Spiral of Literacy," allows readers to reflect on their own literacies. Chapters that follow each begin with a story that sets the theoretical foundation. Each chapter concludes with an action section that demonstrates how to turn theory to practice, whether you are in a library, a classroom, or at home. A final chapter envisions what libraries might look like in 10 years, through interviews with librarians, teachers, and others interested in literacy.
Stories bring together readers, writers, librarians, teachers, students, and families in the libraries of today and will continue to do so tomorrow. Written for all those lovers of literacy, this book links libraries and literacies through the power of stories. The book is not filled with data in the form of pie charts, graphs, and tables. Rather, the truth of the research is grounded in authentic stories that reflect not only the interpretation of data, but also the transformative nature of literacies and libraries. The author's primary goal is that readers will come to value and use storytelling in their own professional and personal lives to explain and expand on complex concepts and to make information more accessible for all.
The book begins by presenting anecdotes and the author's personal story to lay the foundation for what literacies are, and what literacy is not. An activity, "Spiral of Literacy," allows readers to reflect on their own literacies. Chapters that follow each begin with a story that sets the theoretical foundation. Each chapter concludes with an action section that demonstrates how to turn theory to practice, whether you are in a library, a classroom, or at home. A final chapter envisions what libraries might look like in 10 years, through interviews with librarians, teachers, and others interested in literacy.
296 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 7, 2020
The story here is about governmental bureaucrats fighting tooth and nail to keep pumping money out of your wallet. One can buy a child a $30 refurbished Amazon Kindle and give the child access to tens of thousands of free books. An extra $10 a month will give the child access to over a million books. Or this solution would be like holy water on a devil for Wink and his gang. You need an army of lazy teachers. And local libraries with thousands of books that hire hordes of slow librarians complaining about not enough voluntaries to do their job in their place. So compare the information available for free at any time with the short opening hours and the crap selection done by the local puritans.
October 13, 2026
An absolute gem of a read! This book completely changed how I think about literacy and why storytelling matters more than raw data.
October 13, 2026
This book is a powerful defense of public education and a gentle nudge to bring empathy and storytelling back to the heart of teaching.
October 15, 2026
The chapter on the Spiral of Literacy prompted me to reflect on my own reading path, and it brought back so many wonderful childhood memories.
October 13, 2026
I loved the real world stories woven into every single chapter. It is such a refreshing, humane take on education and human connection.
October 13, 2026
Reading about Wyatt's journey and how finding the right books changed everything gave me so much hope for reluctant readers.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews