Not many of us have our college textbooks at the ready. Steve Engle, however, does. A massive text called, “The Anthology of Children’s Literature,” from a course he took as an elective. The book is reflective of who he was at the various stages of life, an evolution of sorts that is threaded together by a story.

 

One of Engle’s fondest memories was receiving books. His grandfather would gift him the literary pieces for all major holidays and instilled in him a love of reading at an early age. Now retired, many of Engle’s childhood gifts have long disappeared, but the books are still a huge part of his life.

 

Books, particularly children’s books, can open one’s imagination. They can teach about nature or animals, fairy tales or fables, but to be a really memorable book, they must have a good storyteller behind them. That’s where Engle comes in.

 

Long ago, when he lived in Lewisburg, his son Chad’s elementary school has a read aloud program where parents were encouraged to visit classrooms and read to students each week. When Engle arrived with his first book selection, “The Quilt Story” by Tony Johnston, he brought with him one of his grandmother’s handmade quilts. He spread it on the floor and the children gathered around to listen to the story come alive.  

 

“I talked and read and watched their faces and I was hooked,” said Engle.

 

After Engle moved to Bridgeport, he was instrumental in the creative process of Bridgeport United Methodist Church’s Vacation Bible School each summer. There’s no denying that he can make stories come alive and enchant children in the reading of books from all genres.  He was speaking with Simpson Elementary Principal, Jill Steele, about volunteering as a reader one morning a week and that started a tradition that continues to this day.

 

Engle worked with several teachers at Simpson Elementary School, reading to the students on a weekly basis. He then expanded the offering to Jamison Fisher, Principal at West Taylor Elementary, who created a rotation to maximize literary exposure to students. Next, Johnson Elementary teacher Logan Bowers second graders were included in the weekly read aloud program until the pandemic changed many of the routines for students.

 

Knowing the importance of consistency and the benefits of reading aloud, Engle decided to continue the program with a twist: It would now be online, each week, and available for students everywhere to enjoy with their families. He finds short stories from genres that include folk tales, poetry, tall tales, fairy tales, fables, historical and even ones that include puppets.  

 

When students dismissed on March 13, it was unclear if they would be able to hear Mr. Steve read his stories, but, the following week, he popped up on YouTube, fully dressed as a leprechaun, to read “The Pot of Gold” to his faithful audience. As the weeks turned into months, he has posted his read aloud stories each week, complete with puppets and props. 

 

To make it more convenient for students and their families to listen to the stories, there is now a website set up at www.storieswithsteve.com.  His son, Chad Engle, set up the site, which will be updated to feature the most current stories while also keeping archived favorites.