Different Kids Club Storytelling and Book

I'm a professional storyteller and I’ve been sharing and hearing stories for many years. In the fall and winter of 2017, the Dover Public Library, Life Center Stage and Family Internal Services created and hosted a special program for kids and their parents.  This program was sponsored under a Family Internal Services Mending Arts Grant. Even though the group varied in ages, everyone worked together to discover exciting things about each other and ourselves. We began by hearing and telling scary stories, traditional legends, and historic tales. After a couple weeks, we started talking about ourselves and telling personal stories.  We discovered differences and shared interests. This book is a celebration of those differences and similarities. The group worked together and sometimes voted to keep a phrase or change a character.  For example, half of the group wanted Patel’s parents to run a shoe store and the other half wanted them to run a restaurant. So, w decided to have them do both. Some of the sentences are written by individuals so as you read you will hear several voices. The group created the text and the illustrations. The amazing and gifted Kim DeCicco spent many hours shaping, and honoring the art created by the group and turned it into something awesome. Kim, you are amazing. Let me also thank Andera Grillo, Linda Bagdon, and Chaya Willick for editing, an often-thankless job. Finally, I want to give a big thank you to Vicky Mulligan, the director of Life Center Stage, for jumping over red tape, fearlessly facing deadlines, and putting up with my often-obnoxious insistence to honor every voice. Let’s keep hearing, telling, and sharing our stories! We all belong to The Different Kids Club. Rivka Willick