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Jim Weiss is a storyteller specializing in classics, wisdom stories, history, and folk tales. He brings characters and stories to life in a way that makes him one of the most popular storytellers among homeschoolers. Story sets are available on CD downloadable mp3 files. Browse a list of stories by title and suggested age range.
Website: Jim Weiss Storytelling Recordings
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(5 Reviews)
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Contributor Reviews
Reviews are solely the opinions of the contributor.
Cons: cost (when you desire to own them all!)
Grades Used: pre-k through adult
Our three sons grew up listening to Jim Weiss cassette tapes and CDs and loved every one of them. I have kept them all and will pass them on to our grandchildren. I buy them to give as gifts. We even saw Jim perform at a public library some years back and met him afterward. Very kind and humble man.
Jim is a wonderful story teller, giving an authentic voice to the many characters in the story. His voice is clear and easy to understand. The amount of suspense and flow to each story is just right, easily holding the attention of kids and adults to the end. We are so glad we had Jim Weiss stories to fuel our son's imagination and creativity, and that it encouraged them to search out and read good books on their own.
Cons: I wish there were visual elements, too
Grades Used: Kdg and up
Jim Weiss is by far my favorite storyteller and narrator. He is exciting and doesn't drone on. His CD's are wonderful to listen to while carschooling.
I wish he would make a visual component to the audio stories as my son and I are visual learners.
Grades Used: preK - 3rd so far
We've gotten these from the library and have enjoyed the stories very much. They are a nice alternative to reading aloud if you want entertainment in the car (how we've listened to them) or something to engage the kids at home for a time.
Cons: none
Grades Used: K-7
My four children have grown up listening to Jim Weiss' story telling. We have purchased several of his cd's after listening to everything that we could find available at the library. We take many road trips and we are never without a book-on-tape or cd. The great thing about Jim Weiss' stories, are that they are suitable for a wide age range. There is a gap of almost 10 years between my oldest child and youngest child, and just when the youngest is getting hooked, the oldest would say, "Oh, I remember this one...I love this story!" Jim Weiss' voice is soothing and expressive. He makes the hours fly by in the car!
Cons: None
Grades Used: With K and 1
This cd is reasonably priced and has great examples of well-known tall tales. It took a minute for my small kids to quiet down as we listened in the car, but once they did, they were hooked.
The narration is engaging and lively, and I found myself visualizing what was being described. There really are no drawbacks in my opinion. I would suggest listening to the cd before the kids do so you can make a note of what needs to be introduced or explained before they hear it, for example where tall tales originated from, why they are called that, etc.
I am a proponent of books on tape and book/cd sets, and this cd gives listeners a chance to visualize scenes on their own. A great discussion after listening might be to compare how listeners "saw" things differently from each other.