Here at WITS, we pride ourselves in creating communities of readers among students, mentors, teachers, and even WITS staff and leadership. In honor of National Reading Group Month, we are … Read More
Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with Culturally Specific Books
By Sara Martinez & Ellen Werner National Hispanic Heritage Month occurs every year from September 15th-October 15th to celebrate the contributions, cultures, and histories of people whose ancestors came from … Read More
Baby Books: Black Kids Being Kids
Recently, there’s been a huge interest in diverse books and books about race and racism. Children’s books specifically about race and racism are important. Equally important are books that feature … Read More
Representation Matters: Finding Pride in the Pages
By: Kevin Hujar and Delaney Earley An estimated 14.8 million people in the United States identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT). This number does not account for people … Read More
Juneteenth, A Holiday Celebrating Black Freedom
Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating Black freedom, is celebrated around the world on June 19th: the day in 1865 (two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed) when slaves in Galveston, … Read More
This is not a long road. It is a road that never ends.
We have long taken pride in building communities and supporting those without access to fair education opportunities. In the wake of the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, … Read More
Engaging Readers Through E-Books
WITS’ mission is to help students develop a love of reading by providing engaging, relevant books to students across Chicago. With schools and libraries closed, there are many ways to … Read More
Ana Porta’s “Books That Shaped You” At Ages 5-10-15-20
Inspired by Pitchfork’s 5-10-15-20 feature, we asked the WITS staff to talk about the books that shaped them as they grew up. From Kindergarten favorites to the novels that got … Read More
What’s In This Year’s WITSummer Books Bag?
Each year WITS gives every student in our one-on-one mentor programs a set of brand-new books. This is year is no different. In fact, children having access to books at … Read More
Annie Kennedy’s “Books That Shaped You” At Ages 5-10-15-20
Inspired by Pitchfork’s 5-10-15-20 feature, we asked the WITS staff to talk about the books that shaped them as they grew up. From Kindergarten favorites to the novels that got … Read More
