Here's an opportunity for children to discover and preserve their family stories - and possibly become published authors!
The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration invites young people in grades 4 through 8 to interview their family storykeepers and write about something interesting they learn from their family's history. Once a story is in written form, it can more easily be preserved for future generations and shared with extended family, with the community, and with The Grannie Annie. From the stories submitted each year, about two dozen are chosen for publication in the annual Grannie Annie anthology.
There is no cost to participate in The Grannie Annie. The annual submission deadline is February 1, so parents and grandparents there's still time to encourage the kids to conduct their interviews, and teachers there is still time to have a meaningful classroom lifewriting project with the possible extra reward of being published. You'll find full details, the required entry form, and supportive resources on the Grannie Annie website. In addition, the website includes all of the stories that have been published in the four previous Grannie Annie anthologies. These stories bring history to life and are indexed so that you can easily find a story on a particular topic. Use them as samples for your kids, enjoy the sweetness of a child's take on a story.
Participation in The Grannie Annie can deepen a child's appreciation of history and help them hone their writing skills, as well as strengthen their connection to their family and give them a stronger sense of their own identity. Family stories are much more interesting than reading from a history book, especially when one's own parent or grandparent is the star.
Connie McIntyre and Fran Hamilton, founders of The Grannie Annie, were interviewed on St. Louis on the Air (KWMU, 90.7 FM) just before Thanksgiving in conjunction with StoryCorps National Day of Listening, and Family Stories is now archived on the KWMU website.
Comments
Great project in so many ways - the tie between generations - the value of appreciating humans in a time when technology takes up so much of our younger ones' lives. Thanks for bringing this to our attention!
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