10-03-24

www.montereycountynow.com OCTOBER 3-9, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 31 LIT There is a moment as a youngster when one can fall in love with a book, and that bond will shape one into a lifelong reader. It becomes the book a person rereads a couple of years into adulthood, and ends up knowing by heart. For Becky Kimball, it was the story of a little orphaned Swiss girl who wins the affection of her stubborn grandfather. The classic tale Heidi, by Johanna Spyri, even moved Kimball and her sister to practice yodeling. Although part of the canon of children’s literature, titles like A Little Princess, The Secret Garden or Anne of Green Gables can be overlooked in the swirl of modern books aimed at young readers. Kimball founded LitWits with her sister, Jenny Clendenen. The service is intended to lead both students and teachers into the world of great books through guided and hands-on tools. That it has lasted since 2010—with locations at the Cypress Community Church in Monterey, as well as in Santa Cruz and via Zoom—has much to do with the beaming positivity of the two educators, mothers and lifelong readers. Clendenen taught at the K-6 level. With an advanced degree in creative writing, her essays and poems have been published. Kimball meanwhile approached writing from a different perspective—as a journalist. But she also homeschooled her children and took to writing nonfiction. LitWits offers teaching resources that are both purposeful and imaginative, using props, activities where children do what the characters did, as well as other programs. But there are also workshops and conversations for more advanced readers. Workshops involve plot-related activities, a discussion, writing exercises and more. This year, among other books, they present The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly and Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. An associated activity with the latter puts students through a Choppedlike contest using ingredients available to Ma Ingalls in the book. The sisters refer to some of the exercises as being “LitWitty,” but the goal is to ignite the same spark that sent them yodeling on the family’s Watsonville farm. The current series began on Aug. 23 and will run through Dec. 6. More workshop series will be announced in February. LitWits workshops 9am-noon Friday, Oct. 4. Cypress Community Church, 681 Highway 68, Salinas. $545; $100 for one workshop. 484-2141, litwitsworkshops.com. DANIEL DREIFUSS Book Learning Sisters have built LitWits into a unique workshop series to inspire a love of great children’s books. By Agata Pop˛eda Becky Kimball (left) and Jenny Clendenen of LitWits during a workshop. The duo organizes literary workshops for local elementary and middle school students. 8940 Carmel Valley rd, Carmel 831-293-7500 10/3 Hawktail & DUG live in the vines 10/10 Goodnight Texas & Madeline Hawthorne live in the vines 10/23 Fruition live in the vines

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