in The Hobbit, Gollum keeps a meager collection of found objects in his pocket—broken, icky items that reveal why seems so broken and icky himself. In our workshops, kids reach into a linen pocket-bag packed with his treasures, and through the sense of touch, imagination, and discussion, they discover the harsh reality of his life in the dark. They literally get a feel for Gollum's extreme loneliness, for his miserable, isolated existence without any comforts, family, or friends. And they get why Bilbo, when he had the chance to kill him, chose mercy instead of a sword.

Kids hardly ever remember our teaching points, but they rarely forget their hands-on experiences—building a fort, making a model, pretending to be someone else for an afternoon. Experiences in and of great books work the same way—and introduce kids to great mentors.

It's been a year of learning new things and stepping out of our comfort zone—but being surrounded by friends like you has made it much easier.

On the legendary Miss Stacy, Anne Shirley's beloved teacher at the Avonlea school, who inspired her to be "a remarkable person" and had a huge influence on us as parents and teachers.

Here are six of our favorite stories that build character in kids, without preaching or teaching—great stuff they absorb while caught up in a fabulous book!

Setting is important in every book, but in some standout cases, it’s practically a main character. So it is with Sydney Taylor’s perennial favorite, All-of-a-Kind Family, set in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Her book, and this immersive New York museum, will take you back in time!

On a memorable evening in September 2016, Jenny discovered the quiet power of Dr. Francisco Jiménez, and his enlightening book for all ages, The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child.

A blog post about birch, ergo a Birch Post—Becky's thoughts on the special trees of children's literature, written while gazing into the woods of Maine.

Becky and her husband did some traveling this summer – here’s something she wrote from the road on a day that was all about a classic children’s story and a very beloved author.

Who knew Homer Price would be one of our most popular experiential workshops? It must have been the certainty of doughnuts.

Our grandma gave Jenny her first introduction to Shakespeare, and set examples for our family all across the arts with her talents, gifts, and quiet elegance. Her love of literature, art, music, and drama are part of the LitWits backstory.

There's a lot of humor in HOMER PRICE, and some tongue-in-cheek lessons about the mixed blessings of ingenuity. But like all children's literature, Homer Price has loads of wisdom for adults, thanks to its forward-thinking author. McCloskey shows us that progress has its merits—and its price.