Read Selected Stories from
The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration 2016/2017
Vol. 12
Please note that the copyrighted stories and illustrations shared below appear here with permission of the authors and illustrators. They may be copied and/or printed for limited classroom or personal use. To reprint a story and/or illustration in an article about The Grannie Annie, please contact The Grannie Annie Family Story Celebration for permission.
Note to Parents and Educators
1. The Life of Morgan Elias Swails (1865) by Anna-Katherine Grubb; North Carolina, USA
My great-great-great-great-grandfather was named Morgan Elias Swails. He was born on Valentine’s Day . . .
2. Boomer Sooner (1865) by Abigail Wilson; Missouri, USA
It all started with my great-great-great-uncle Charlie’s dad, Harrison. In March of 1889 my four-times-great . . .
3. A Better World Full of Light (1890–1917) by Elizabeth Grace Norris; North Carolina, USA
Clarence slumped down on a tree stump. “Flora, I’m not going to pick up pine knots my whole life,” my great. . .
4. The Montgomery Indians (late 1800s) by Camden Mallady; Missouri, USA
In the late 1800s Great-Great-Grandpa Joe moved from Virginia to Wayne County — Patterson — Missouri . . .
*5. Abandoned (c. 1928) by Kharis Perona; Missouri, USA. Illustrated by
Grace Suellentrop; Missouri, USA
I’ve faced ups and downs, but mostly life’s been great. I have food, and a roof over my head, and I've . . .
6. Camera (c. 1939) by Abigail Wunder; New York, USA
Rivka and Shlomo, my great-grandparents, had just gotten married in 1939. They lived in a small home in . . .
7. The Miracles of Reizel Fuchs (1939–1945) by Sari Merdinger; New York, USA
My great-grandmother Reizel Fuchs was born in May 1923 in the city of Pabiance, in Poland. She had five . . . .
*8. A Story That Could Have Changed My Life (1941) by Elise Spanos; Missouri, USA.
Illustrated by David Nieters; Missouri, USA
I glance up to my grandpa, who’s rocking back and forth in his chair. I rub my palms on the shaggy carpet . . .
9. War Zone Waves (c. 1942) by Caroline Y. Tu; North Carolina, USA
The ocean liner had trudged through the battering waves of the stretch of ocean between Japan and . . .
10. Hidden Away (c. 1943) by Shana Kaminetzky; New York, USA
Were you ever away from your family for a long time? Well, Esther Taub, my great-grandmother, was not . . .
11. The Darkest Times (c. 1943) by Gita Davidowitz; New York, USA
Just imagine how you would feel to be my great-grandfather Yossel, who was taken away from his parents . . .
12. Eyes of Fear (c. 1944) by Gummy Rizer; Missouri, USA
I stared at the camera when it flashed. I tried to smile, but Mama had made my braids so tight that it made . . .
13. Camp Dread (1945) by Sam Stephens; Missouri, USA
It was sometime around late February or early March when my great-grandpa was on his way to Poland . . .
14. Smoking Over Hiroshima (August 5 and 6, 1945) by Madison McClure; Missouri, USA
August 5, 1945: It was a normal day for everyone but the people in the Air Force, including my great- . . .
*15. Starlight (1946) by Libby Holmes; Missouri, USA.
Illustrated by Mya Gray; Missouri, USA
When you were a little kid and could fit onto your grandpa’s lap, he might have told you stories all day . . .
*16. A Sweet Treat (1947) by Isabella Trost; Illinois, USA. Illustrated by
Devyn Shelton; Missouri, USA
Growing up poor is never easy, and definitely isn’t fun. In 1947 a quarter was an immense amount of . . .
*17. The Explosion (c. 1948) by Cori Boerner; Missouri, USA. Illustrated by
Eva Stern; Missouri, USA
It was a warm spring day in Joplin, Missouri, in 1948. The air was fresh and cool. Today eleven-year-old . . .
18. Hard Work Will Surely Pay Off (1948–1974) by Jennifer Tian; New Jersey, USA
My grandpa was born in 1948 to a very wealthy family in the countryside of China. But a year later the CPC . . .
*19. Rivka’s Daily Journey (1950s) by Keira Kahn; New York, USA.
Illustrated by Camille Elise O’Dwyer; Missouri, USA
Anytime you would walk into my great-great-grandmother Rivka Buls’s house, the soup would be cooking . . .
20. The Scarring Things I Saw (1951) by Kaitlyn Iannace; North Carolina, USA
Sometime during the Korean War, P. Vincent Iannace’s personality changed. My grandfather was . . .
*21. It’s a Family Tradition . . . (1950s – present) by Anna Kohmetscher; Missouri, USA. Illustrated by
Will Evans; Missouri, USA
What started as a fun family event over sixty-five years ago has turned into an annual highlight of the Blue. . .
22. Lady Driver (c. 1958) by Anthony Patrickio; New Jersey, USA
It was 1957 in Fairview, New Jersey, when Dora was married. At this time many women didn’t drive. . . .
23. How Pedro Pan Brought Us Pepy (1959–1972) by Colby Lewis; North Carolina, USA
Fifty-five years ago a Cuban boy at the age of fourteen left his family and fled to the United States for a . . .
24. Jewish American Princess (c. 1960) by Tzipporah Wodinsky; New York, USA
Let’s imagine you find a piece of leather that has a deed on it. A deed indicates ownership of land. My cousin . .
*25. The Unforgotten Months (1966) by Kate Alper; New York, USA. Illustrated by
Sindhu Vinayak Kalabhavi; Missouri, USA
Mr. Weis crossed his fingers. He’d been crossing his fingers for the last fifty-five and a half seconds, not to . . .
*26. The USS Forrestal Fire (July 29, 1967) by Kaitlyn Sweetman; New Jersey, USA.
Illustrated by Aidan Baker; Missouri, USA
The day was July 29, 1967. Twenty-one aircraft were lined up on the deck of the USS Forrestal and were . . .
27. A Casualty of War (1967–1971) by Diuto Mozie; North Carolina, USA
As a child growing up in a Nigerian home, I have heard my parents tell us a lot of stories from their past. . . .
28. The Black Lincoln (1970) by Alex Baughman; Ohio, USA
In 1970 my grandfather was an eighteen-year-old boy. One day he found out that he had been drafted by . . .
29. Trouble Developing (1975) by Belle Sara Gage; Missouri, USA
Before I begin, it’s important to travel back to 1975, to shift to a time when darkrooms were used to . . .
30. The Tote Bag (1977) by Connor McMillin; Missouri, USA
Today was the day when Kelli got her Girl Scout cookie form. Bev — my red-headed, crazy grandma . . .
31. An American Dream (c. 1980–1991) by Carly Jackson; Missouri, USA
Have you ever had a dream that your family discouraged you about? Well, my uncle Dan Lauer has been in . . .
*32. Saved by a 71-Year-Old (c. 1984) by Lily Naylor; Alabama, USA.
Illustrated by Mia Schaefer; Missouri, USA
On a summer afternoon in 1984 my mother was at her grandparents’ farm near Brundidge, a small town in . . .
*33. The Day My Uncle Met a Wizard (1985) by Jack Lafata; Missouri, USA.
Illustrated by Peter Underwood; Missouri, USA
Have you ever heard of a real life wizard? Guess what! My uncle met one, and he was a famous one. . . .
*34. A Creek Adventure (1986) by Theodore Krieger; Missouri, USA.
Illustrated by Helen Butler; Missouri, USA
I was a fairly anxious and twitchy kid. 1986 was a stressful year for me; my parents were divorcing, and I . . .
35. The Ultimate Protector (c. 1987) by Caleb Legters; Missouri, USA
It was 102 degrees in the seminary room with no air-conditioning in Mexico. Ben, a student attending the . . .
36. Don’t Forget to Say “Good Morning”! (c. 1994) by Bracha Miriam Lavian; New York, USA
Around 1994, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mr. Grumblat, my mother’s family friend, worked in a . . .
37. They’re Gone! (1998) by Olivia Thomas; North Carolina, USA
Do you ever wonder what you would do if you won $1,000? Well, this very thing happened to my mom . . .
38. Missing on 9/11 (September 11, 2001) by Penina Sommers; New York, USA
Meir Sommers was born October 19, 1973. He became a volunteer paramedic. One beautiful clear Tuesday . . .
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