"Annie Christmas" Readers' Theater

After studying tall tales in theme 3 of our Literature Works series, the students read and performed the reader's theater, "Annie Christmas."  They performed it for Mr. Hyer's, Mrs. Traina's, and Miss Neel's third graders.

*Click on thumbnails below for pictures from the performance.

"The character of Annie Christmas was created in the 1920s by two newspaper writers in New Orleans.  They were tired of tall tales they'd heard and decided to create their own.  The people or New Orleans were so excited about this new character that they adopted her as a New Orleans heroine.  Annie reportedly worked as a longshoreperson on the docks of the Mississippi River near the French Quarter in New Orleans.  Her height and weight came in handy when dealing with bullies who occupied the docks.  Her strength became so renowned that the phrase 'as strong as Annie Christmas' became a much-sought-after compliment."--from Read-Aloud Plays:  Tall Tales" by Carol Pugliano-Martin (Scholastic 2000)