Harriet Trianthe Xanthakos

Readings

Storytelling sets

Folktales from many lands
Greek Myths
Family stories
Environmental stories
Women’s Stories

Harriet will create a set of stories to reflect any theme

PRESENTATIONS

Here is sample of possible presentations. Remember that Harriet’s gifts include flexibility and spontaneity.

Grades 1 - 3
The King with Dirty Feet and Other Folktales... respecting the similarities of all people while honouring their differences.

The King with Dirty Feet is a folktale from India (with an environmental twist) about of the first pair of shoes. Rhymes, stories, chants and songs from many traditions will expand the imagination and tickle the funny bone. Multicultural and interactive.

Grade 5
It’s All Greek to Me... exploring choices and their consequences with Greek stories both old and new

A tapestry of Greek myths, folktales and family stories from Odysseus and the Cyclops to a girl who chooses to challenge her fate, to a sharing of a childhood longing for a Cinderella watch. These stories show us that the choices we make help determine what might come next. We will share stories of our names. As Odysseus knew, the names we choose to use can affect our options.

All Ages
Fairy Folk and Flowers, Princes and Bears... caring for our earth

Family stories, fairy tales and folktales that develop awareness and understanding of our connections to everyone and everything in the world in which we live. Participatory stories, songs, chants and laughter.

High School and Adults
The Story Bag
Family stories, fairy tales, folktales and myths that resonate with universal themes of love and betrayal, longing and hope.

GREEK MYTHS
Atalanta: From Wild Boars To Golden Apples: A weaving of two myths surrounding Atalanta: The Calydonian Boar Hunt and The Three Golden Apples. This is a story about the complexities of love and the power of the goddesses.

Because the Oracle Spoke: The Life of Perseus
The history of Perseus includes, among others, tales about Hermes and his winged sandals, the slaying of Medusa, the turning of Atlas into stone, the rescue of Andromeda and origin of the constellations of Cassiopeia and Cepheus. A great adventure story! It follows the history of Perseus from before his conception to the birth of his great grandson Hercules.

Goddesses, Golden Apples and Gorgons: Adventure and Romance in Greek Myth
Demeter and Persephone
The Slaying of Medusa
The Three Golden Apples (Atalanta’s Race)

More Greek Myths to come...

Special Equipment:

A microphone for large numbers or poor acoustics.

Book Sales:

n/a

Workshops

The Telling Bee (created by Dan Yashinsky)
Harriet will come into your school and share stories in every classroom. She will inspire students, teachers and staff (everyone in the school) to collect a story from a family member. The teachers will facilitate the telling and retelling of the stories and eventually, the writing of the story. With permission of the families, the stories will become a book that includes a story from everyone in the school community.

Making a talking stick, translating stories into English, sharing stories in small groups, visiting other classes, hosting a concert, and celebrating with a book launch could all be extensions of Harriet’s visit.

Special Equipment:

n/a

Book Sales:

n/a

Biography

Harriet Xanthakos is a storyteller, historical interpreter and teacher. Once upon a time she woke up and realized she has always been a storyteller.

As a teacher in The Parent-Child Mother Goose Program, she teaches rhymes, songs and stories to caregivers and their children. As an historical interpreter at Colborne Lodge she tells stories to children ages 7-12 at summer camp and during historic and environmental programs.

One of her favourite projects is The Telling Bee (created by Dan Yashinsky). Please see Workshops.

For several years she has been exploring her roots telling personal stories and Greek myths, sometimes combining the two. She has a repertoire of five-minute stories suitable for all ages and knows folktales from more than thirty countries. Since 1993, she has been telling stories and presenting workshops in schools, libraries, churches, malls (only once), museums, street fairs, and at festivals and conferences.

In April 2005 she went on tour in rural communities north of Napanee, Ontario. She told stories to 792 students from Junior Kindergarten to grade eight. She knows that she is a better storyteller because of the tour. Harriet learned to trust the stories and to trust the connection. She learned to trust herself to find the right stories to tell.

When she got home, she was exhilarated and exhausted. Immediately, she said, “I would like to do this again!” She is delighted that the CCBC is giving her the opportunity to do so. In November 2007, she will be touring Quebec for Canadian Children’s Book Week

Harriet is an executive member of the Canadian Association of Storytellers for Children. She believes that we are all storytellers. She has a skill of eliciting stories from others and loves to share stories and workshops with listeners/tellers of all ages.

The more stories that she tells -- stories that warm the heart, stir the soul, and cross all barriers -- the more she knows that she will live happily ever after.