Stories Children Tell

the long version

In The Stories Children Tell, developmental psychologist Susan Engel examines the methods and meanings of children's narratives. She offers a fascinating look at one of the most exciting areas in modern psychology and education. What is really going on when a child tells or writes a story? Engel's insights into this provocative question are drawn from the latest research findings and dozens of actual children's tales - compelling, funny, sometimes disturbing stories often of unexpected richness and beauty. In The Stories Children Tell, Susan Engel examines the different functions of storytelling, the way the storytelling process changes as children develop, the contributions of parents and peers to storytelling, the different types of stories children tell, the development of a child's narrative voice, and the best ways of nurturing a child's storytelling skills. Throughout these discussions, Engel presents compelling evidence for what is perhaps her most intriguing idea: that in constructing stories, children are constructing themselves.