Nathan Bransford - The Forums

It's been a long time since I've commented on Nathan's forums (that doesn't mean I don't read my daily email updates). But it is all for good reason. I've discovered that I have 2 extremely talented children, and am finding myself more and more involved with helping them develop these talents (from behind the scenes anyway). Their strong points are speech, drama and singing. Finding engaging pieces for them to perform is proving to be more and more challenging as they progress.

So, I was wondering if some of you might know of some incredibly entertaining (humour, drama, action, fantasy, you name it) tween and teen books and poems that could be used to really draw in an audience. My daughter (11) has a knack for accents and 'switching' from one character to another. She portrayed the narrator, the narrator's grandmother and The Grand High Witch (German) from Roald Dahl's 'The Witches'. The more complex the piece the better. Doesn't matter if the pieces are a little old for them, and even a little ambitious (they are about to start studying for Trinity Performing Arts exams) so long as the content is age appropriate (ie, no sex, drug use and so on). Oh, poetry that is incredibly funny is a must

Thank you all in advance.

Ooo! Pick me!

I'm a theatre major, and I did speech in high school (Nationally ranked).

Have you ever heard of 'Mrs. Piggle-wiggle?' I think those books would provide some perfect material for your daughter. It's age appropriate, and it provides multiple opportunities for creating multiple characters and voices. Plus, it's absolutely hilarious and easily trimmed down.

The classics are always good. Multiple pieces can be pulled from Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility and so on.

Juny B. Jones stories can also be very funny.

That's off the top of my head. I'll think of more and report back.

CV

CharleeVale wrote:Have you ever heard of 'Mrs. Piggle-wiggle?' I think those books would provide some perfect material for your daughter. It's age appropriate, and it provides multiple opportunities for creating multiple characters and voices. Plus, it's absolutely hilarious and easily trimmed down.

I LOVE Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle! I read all of those books several times when I was a kid. They're the best.

What popped into my head was Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. The family's British, others are French, and let's not forget the dear car with its endearing noises. Completely age-appropriate and one of the cutest stories I've ever read.

Possibly a section from The Chronicles of Narnia? The kids are all British, and if you go with something from A Horse and His Boy or The Silver Chair you'd get other foreign accents, too. Those are also fantastic classics.

Strangely, I could even see Jacob Wonderbar being used. The kids all have different voices from the people they meet. I think Planet Paisley or Planet...umm...forgot the scientist planet...it starts with an 'A'...could be really fun for "throwing" voices.

As for poems, have you considered Shel Silverstein? His books (Where the Sidewalk Ends, Falling Up, A Light in the Attic) are some of the best, silly children's poems.

Thanks, Charlee and Dio, there's some really great suggestions in there. Love the idea of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the car's noises. Speaking of Chitty Bang Bang, I've been trying to talk my son in to doing a duet with my daughter. It's called Doll on a Music Box, and I think they'd pull it off beatifully....