Sharon Elswit

As a librarian and mother, Sharon Elswit has been sharing stories with children, parents, and teachers for over thirty-five years. She started writing the Story Finders as a tool for educators and parents looking for that special, time-tested story to meet their needs. In response to the latest hurricane disaster, first year royalties for The Caribbean Story Finder will go to Americares for Caribbean relief.

Using the NYPL library at 42nd Street and the Schomburg Center collection up in Harlem, Sharon has researched and pointed the way to folktales from different cultures, many often left out of general folklore collections. The Jewish Story Finder, The East Asian Story Finder, and The Latin American Story Finder (a Library Journal Best Reference Book) have all been collected by university libraries around the world. Her newest title - The Caribbean Story Finder - has just been published by McFarland, pointing the way to vibrant tales, which reflect the resilience of slaves and immigrants to the islands.