Lists of Stories and Programs for Story Hours

This story-hour material was first published in the Monthly Bulletin of the St. Louis Public Library in 1914 and was later reprinted in pamphlet form. It has been slightly revised for the present edition but the form and viewpoint has not been changed and most of the notes remain as originally written for the St. Louis Public Library Staff.
The editor has made no attempt to compile a complete handbook on story-telling but has merely brought together in uniform printed form, story lists and programs for story hours as they have been used to meet the needs in the various divisions of the Children's Department of the St. Louis Public Library. No claim is made to originality, but the editor assumes all responsibility for the form and standard of the lists as here presented.
The aim has been to keep the lists brief and to give short, practical outlines which may be extended.
Since library story-telling is directed primarily toward inspirational reading, the selections listed are chiefly from literary sources. A wealth of material in the form of biography and history has not been included, because books in those classes have been fully indexed by subject in the library catalogues. For example: a list of Christmas stories has been included among the lists for special days, but none has been given for Washington's Birthday or Independence Day. There is, however, a list of patriotic and historical narrative poems.
Further explanations will be found in the short paragraphs preceding each list, and in the index to titles of stories.
Effie L. Power,
Director of Work with Children.
Cleveland Public Library, February 12, 1921.


The arrangement is in the order of degree of difficulty. Where the title would naturally appear in the library catalogue, the author's name only is given. Where a title appears in several lists, the source is given only in one, which is indicated by giving the page number in bold face type preceding title in the index at the end of this pamphlet.