From Children's Literature to Readers Theatre

How do you get young adults excited and engaged with books? Get them onstage! Readers Theatre is a stage presentation during which participants read from scripts, acting out the book's story using voice and facial expressions. It offers educators an innovative opportunity to acquaint young people with quality literature, test their grasp of English grammar, develop their public speaking skills, and learn about teamwork in an activity that is entertaining as it is educational. Elizabeth A. Poe, creator of many Readers Theatre programs, explains how to create successful programs, offering: Ways librarians can link basic educational goals with appreciation of good literature, A bibliography of books suggested for their Readers Theatre potential, with examples of texts converted into scripts and Core programming ideas that can be adapted for use across different age levels. Poe's book helps youth services librarians get students out from behind their desks and onto the stage by writing their own scripts based on children's literature.