Royal Oak’s Folktellers has partnered with Reading is Fundamental in Washington, D.C., and Momentum Books of Troy’s Hour Media to release its middle-grade fantasy series through its Storytelling for Literacy Program, a moviemaking classroom project.
The ultimate goal is to promote visual literacy. The program is designed to allow students to use multimedia to tell stories. It can be integrated into elementary and middle school curricula and is provided free to educators. The program’s goal is to promote the ability to read, write, and create visual images using technology.
Through donations from corporate and private sponsors, the Guidebook Series will be released in eight installments through the program. Beginning in May, Book I: Phases of the Moon will be re-released exclusively in the educational markets. Book II: Cave in the Rock will be made available in September. The rest of series will be released through 2022.
“Stories and reading are powerful things, and an exclusive release like this has never been done before,” says Josef Bastian, creator of the Guidebook Series. “When kids are engaged and excited about storytelling through reading and filmmaking, it opens up a whole world of possibilities for them. We want children to feel empowered and engaged through the joy of reading great stories and sharing them by making their own movie trailers. The fact that we can do this at no cost to the kids or parents is even more wonderful. This program demonstrates the power of storytelling in action.”
Stephen Sadler, partner of Folktellers, says “Folktellers’ mission is built upon the art of storytelling. Our vision, ‘stories have power and are meant to be shared,’ fits perfectly with RIF’s literacy mission and values. We’re excited and confident this program will make a positive impact on the lives of those involved.”
Educators and schools will be able to order kits beginning in May from the Folktellers website.
