Career Highlights

 

Judy Sima is known across the country for her practical, interactive workshops with educators, librarians, students and families. She is a frequent presenter at the National Storytelling Conference, American Association of School Librarians, Michigan Reading Association and Michigan Association for Media in Education. Judy is a leading authority on youth storytelling. With over 20 years experience coaching students and adults, Judy has helped many others to become storytellers. Judy’s enthusiasm is contagious!

Judy Sima’s book, Raising Voices: Creating Youth Storytelling Groups and Troupes, coauthored with Kevin Cordi, published by Libraries Unlimited, has received numerous awards including a Storytelling World Honor Award, VOYA Five Foot Bookshelf, and the Anne Izard Storyteller’s Choice Award.)

Judy Sima’s articles on storytelling have inspired others across the nation to share their stories whether in the classroom or around the kitchen table. Her articles have been featured in The Yarnspinner, Storytelling Magazine, Storytelling World, Teaching Tolerance, Oasis Magazine, Library Talk, Media Spectrum, Book Links, and The Northlands Journal. Judy is a contributor to Libraries Unlimited publication The Storytelling Classroom, and the the National Storytelling Network’s publications, Tales as Tools, Beginner’s Guide to Storytelling, and Telling Stories to Children.

Judy Sima earned a Master’s Degree in Library Science from the University of Michigan, and served as a school library media specialist for the Warren Fitzgerald Public Schools for over 35 years. She recently retired from teaching to fulfill her commitment to sharing the world of stories with children and adults, educators, librarians, and families. Judy is the recipient of the Michigan Association for Media in Education Ruby Brown Award for Individual Excellence and the National Storytelling Network Oracle Service and Leadership Award for the North Central Region.

Judy Sima is the Co-Editor of MIStory, Michigan’s only electronic storytelling publication listing storytelling events open to the public, storytelling groups and guilds, workshops and classes, and Call for Tellers. www.michiganstorytelling.com

Michigan Authors and Illustrators
http://authors.libraryofmichigan.org

Michigan Arts and Humanities Touring Directory
Funding for Judy’s workshops and performances may be obtained through the Michigan Humanities Council’s Arts and Humanities Touring Program.
www.michiganhumanities.org/touring/2006_2009/storyteller/judysima.htm

Call: 517-372-7770 or visit their website:
www.michiganhumanities.org

 

ARTICLES ABOUT JUDY

 

“Spinning Tales”
www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/062704/oak_062737.shtml
Oakland Press

“Telling Tales in the Classroom”
www.laramieboomerang.com/news/more.asp?StoryID=102878
Laramie Boomerang

“Warren – Spinning a Story of Success”
www.freep.com/news/cfp/5/rtale19_20030619.htm
Detroit Free Press Community News

"Professional Storyteller to Teach"
www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article
?AID=/20060212/LIFE/602120303&SearchID=73236361191684
Birmingham Observer & Eccentric Newspaper, Sunday, February 12, 2006,
by Susan Steinmueller

"Storyteller Sima Spins Amazing Yarns at Bartlett"
http://hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20060309/LIFE/603090858/1112/NEWS19
South Lyon Herald, March 9, 2006, by Dan Trudeau

"Tall Tales"
(download 480KB)
Detroit County Day School, BeeHive magazine, Winter 2005
by Clayton Matthews, Director of Communications