Next to my husband, Jim Weiss of Greathall Productions is our favorite storyteller and we’ve been enjoying many of his audio stories for some time now.  His audio stories are very entertaining as he uses different voices for different characters in the stories, and he even sings in some of the stories.  Many audio books or stories are dramatized in the format of a radio theater.  We have come to appreciate simple storytelling without all the bells and whistles.  We have also discovered that dramatized audios are often too scary for the children because with the background music and different sounds to create the mood, the stories become more heightened that the children can’t handle the drama.  For this reason we truly enjoy Jim Weiss’ audios.  Greathall’s primary focus is classical literature, history, and science presented in a clear, exciting way that encourages children to read the originals for themselves.

We don’t have a TV in the house, so for entertainment we opt for audio books.  Sometimes when I need to busy myself with cooking or do other things around the house, I put Jim Weiss on for the kids to listen in the next room or in the kitchen with me.  In addition to listening to stories at home, we also listen in the car to Weiss’ readings of Susan Wise Bauer’s four-volume Story of the World, a history curriculum from ancient time to the modern era.  Whenever we go out, our oldest asks to listen to Story of the World.

I heartily recommend Jim Weiss’ audios.  The price per CD is reasonable, but it can certainly be expensive once you purchase several CDs.  The good news is that many of Jim Weiss’ CDs are available at the library for your listening pleasure.  Go now and check them out!