Back in October I wrote about the incredible storytime we were able to attend by master storyteller, Jim Weiss. After his performance I purchased his recording of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and The Story of Rome. We were studying Rome at the time and thought this CD would be the perfect addition to our studies. We immediately started listening to it in the car and my daughter loved it!
Since that day, I have had the opportunity to receive four more of his CDs to listen to and review. But before I tell you about those, let me tell you a little about Jim Weiss.
"Jim Weiss has b
een a storyteller for over 25 years. In June, 1989, Jim decided to do something more with the craft that he had formerly practiced solely for pleasure. He and his wife, Randy, formed a production company, Greathall Productions, and have thus far produced forty four (44) storytelling recordings with enticing titles from classical literature, such as Greek Myths, King Arthur and Sherlock Holmes."
His recordings are available for ages 3 and up (from Animal Tales to the Classic stories), ages 5 and up (from King Arthur and His Knights to Greek Myths), ages 7 and up (from Masters of the Renaissance to Romeo and Juliet), and ages 12 and up.
His newest title is Gone West: Bold Adventures of American Explorers and Pioneers. I know we will be using this one next year in our American History studies!
Jim travels throughout the United States giving performances at schools, libraries, and events, which is how we saw him, through a homeschool group. On his website, you can book a performance or view his travel calendar.
Our daughter's favorites so far have been Galileo and the Stargazers, followed closely by A Christmas Carol. She has listened to both more than twice.
We all enjoyed listening to Abraham Lincoln and the Heart of America in the car on the way back from a trip. It was a great way to hear the story of Abraham Lincoln without having to even pick up a book. Even my husband and I learned some things from the story.
My Thoughts: Jim Weiss did an excellent job in his live performance for the kids and the audio CDs have been beyond our expectation. They bring new life to timeless stories and have been very entertaining and educational. I think these are a great resource to use along any curriculum.
On their website you can view all the titles available in either a timeline or by subject. I think these are both great tools to use to find what is best for your family.
Thoughts of a 7 Year Old: The Jim Weiss audio CDs Galileo and the Stargazers, (including Archimedes and the Golden Crown,) Gone West, A Christmas Carol (including The Gift of the Magi and Dick Spindler's Family Christmas,) Abraham Lincoln and the Heart of America and Julius Caesar and the Power of Rome are fascinating, full of surprises, and extremely hilarious - there's no end to these stories when you listen to them countless times again!
P.S. I swear my daughter wrote that paragraph above...I think she can take over for me!
Find Out More: You can find out more about Jim Weiss and his recordings at his website Greathall Productions. All Greathall Storytelling titles are available on CD for $13.45. The
Greathall Boutique includes unabridged readings (including their newest release,
Carry On Mr. Bowditch) and read-along book/CD sets at various prices. They also offer
gift certificates, which is a great gift idea for any holiday!
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So, here's how to enter to win a Greathall Storytelling Title by Jim Weiss ($13.45 value)! For each comment, you will get one (1) entry. Only the first comment is mandatory, all others will just increase your chance at winning.
1.
Visit the Greathall Productions website and let me know what CD you think your family would like best. This is a mandatory entry! Leave me a comment and this will give you 1 entry.
Additional Entries:
2. Subscribe to the
Greathall Monthly e-Newsletter.
Come back here and leave me a comment telling me you did this and that will give you another entry.
3. Follow my blog using Google Friend Connect (on the right side of my page) or let me know you are already a follower. Leave me a comment and this will give you another entry.
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**Remember to please leave a separate comment for each entry**
One random winner will be selected using Random.org on Monday, December 6, 2010. (U.S. Entries only.) If I am unable to reach the winner within 48 hours, an alternate winner will be selected. Your entry is only valid if you include a way for me to contact you (either an email address in your comment or on your profile).
Disclosure: This product was given to Our Homeschool Reviews for free for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I have received no compensation from it and all opinions and experiences within this review are my own.
