Name it
Naming emotions and noticing body clues.
Lit LiberationConnectAbout Lit Liberation
Stories can help children build the skills they need for real life.
Lit Liberation is a Philadelphia-based educational nonprofit founded by Jenn Prestien. We use children’s literature to strengthen emotional regulation, social-emotional learning, relationships, coping, and resilience.
The belief behind the work
Children deserve more than directions. They deserve tools and practice.
Through engaging read-alouds, meaningful conversation, hands-on activities, and developmentally appropriate practice, children do more than hear that they should “calm down,” “be kind,” or “make good choices”—they learn how.
Every well-chosen story offers something essential: a character facing a big feeling, a hard choice, a conflict, or a new perspective. Lit Liberation turns those moments into opportunities to build practical skills.
What children practice
Pause
Pausing before reacting and choosing a coping tool.
Connect
Asking for help and communicating with care.
Repair
Working through difficult moments and repairing relationships.
Meet the founder
Jenn Prestien
Jenn is an educator, curriculum leader, and early-intervention professional with more than 15 years of experience in early childhood education and over a decade of experience teaching and leading in schools.
She holds a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and is currently ABD with her Ph.D. in Psychology, where her research has focused on the ways literary texts can support learning and resilience.
When children have the language, tools, and practice to meet life’s big moments, they can make braver choices, build stronger connections, and grow into their fullest selves.
Turning stories into strength—empowered kids, braver choices, brighter tomorrows.
Partner with Lit Liberation →See real classroom moments, activities, and the heart behind the work on Instagram ↗.