Part of 2020 Connected Virtual Conference & Festival
Family-Friendly Event
Host: Lisa Overholser | Emcee: Angela Lloyd
Brought to you by the Tattletales (Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia), the Southern Crescent Storytellers (Southern Order of Storytellers Cluster Group), and the Young Tales Storytelling Program (sponsored by the Ridge and Valley Storytelling Guild)
Clayton Mayfield
Story title: “A Very Scary Story”
This nine-year-old young teller was born into a family of storytellers with his grandparents, mom, and cousins all accomplished in telling stories.
He took his first storytelling class during his pre-kindergarten four-year-old school year.
He lives in Fayetteville, GA, which is just south of Atlanta and has told his stories across Georgia. Louisiana, Kansas, and Virginia.
Juliana Washington
Story title: “Locked Out”
Juliana Washington uses a lot of sound effects and gesture in her story of being locked out as a “latchkey” kid and the resulting adventure.
She is a 2017 YoungTales Champion and rising freshman at Rome high school in Rome, Georgia.
Sara Grace Abernathy
Story Title: “Whomp”
Sara Grace Abernathy was born and is being raised in Rome, Georgia. In 5th grade, she won the 2018 Debby Brown YoungTales Program Story Competition. Since then, she has competed in multiple public speaking competitions. She enjoys ballet and is an avid reader. She aspires to a career in law. She lives with her family, three hundred or so books, and an eclectic mix of critters.
Jerell Allen-Smith
Story Title: “Why Cheetahs Run Fast” (An original story)
Jerell Allen-Smith is a nine-year-old storyteller from Atlanta, Georgia. In his two years of telling stories, he has performed at Mama Tales program, Black History program, “Father Goose Brigade” and won third place in the Tale Tale contest at the National Black Storyteller’s Festival. He loves video games. He wants to be a chef. For now, he specializes in hamburgers, hotdogs, and pancakes. He enjoys
drawing, writing stories, and telling stories.
Javon Culver
Story Title: “Two Ways to Count to Ten”
Javon is eleven, lives in Clarkston, Georgia and has been telling stories in front of audiences since he was four. He has performed at Triple Tale Festival, Bear in the Square Festival, Anansi Festival, Mama Tales, Grandparent Day, “Father Goose Brigade”, and libraries.
He has won first and third place at separate NABS Tall Tale festivals
and also received the “Youth Storyteller Award”.
Since he has been staying home from school, he says he likes cooking. He hopes to become an electrical engineer.
Madison Jackson
Story Title: The Truth about the Three Pigs (Her version of a Folktale)
Madison is an eight-year-old from Decatur, Georgia. She wants to be an actress.
Her Storytelling Interest started two years ago when she told the poem: “Harriet Tubman” at a Black HIstory event. She has since told stories to her classmates, MamaTales, and NABS festival where she won second in the TallTale contest and received the Youth Storytelling Award.
