Five Questions with Megan Litwin ’00

Megan Litwin ’00 pays close attention to the world around her. This is how the children’s book author gathers ideas for her stories. 

“I might see something interesting on a walk with my dog. I might hear a word or phrase I like while waiting in line at the store or listening to music,” Litwin says. “I might read an article or see a picture that gets me thinking. My ideas start very small, like seeds, and then I let them grow.”

In fact, the author of the Dirt and Bugsy series got the idea for her book, Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night (2022), while on a drive with her husband, Bill McDonald '00, and two young sons. Named a 2023 Massachusetts Center for the Book Must-Read selection, Twinkle, Twinkle celebrates the bright lights that illuminate the world during the darkest months through Litwin's rhyming poem and illustrations by Nneka Myers.

A former teacher and self-proclaimed “lifelong book lover,” Litwin is a big believer in the magic of books to engage children. An education major at Stonehill, she recalls the inspiration she received from a children’s literature class with Professor Albert Cullum and how she first incorporated picture books into her lesson plans as a student teacher. These experiences guided her toward her career as an author and educator. 

“I feel like today I’m doing exactly what I was meant to do. I’m thrilled to be making books and spending time meeting young readers through school visits, writing workshops and book festivals,” Litwin notes. “Spreading book love and sharing book magic—it doesn’t get much better.”

In five questions, Litwin shares about that memorable family car ride, talks about the power of books and reflects on how her days playing soccer at Stonehill prepared her for life as an author. 

Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night is about the warm glow of light during the dark winter months. Why did you decide to write a children’s book about this? 

The spark for this book came on a dark December drive. One of my sons—a toddler at the time—was mesmerized by the different kinds of light we passed—from lights on houses and trees to the starlight and moonlight and glittering snow. He kept calling out things he noticed, repeating the words “twinkle lights” over and over. That car ride was full of joy and excitement and wonder at the world. It got me thinking how in the darkest time of year, the world is at its brightest. I knew I wanted to make a book that celebrated that in some way. 

As an author and educator, you speak about reading being magical. Can you elaborate on this idea?

I often say that I am “a former teacher and forever believer in book magic.” I say that because it was my love for reading that drew me to the classroom in the first place. I wanted to share that passion with students, to help them not only learn to read, but also love to read. Now that I am working as an author of books for young people, I am doing that exact same work, but in a different way. And so, I talk a lot about “magic” when I do school visits or meet readers. I talk about how books can feel magical when they pull you into their world and let you travel to new places, meet new people or discover new ideas. I often ask kids to share what they think about books and reading, and the answers I get are inspiring. Kids will talk about how reading makes them feel safe or happy, how they like to make pictures in their head while they read, or how proud they are that they can read by themselves. To me this word “magic” is the best way to describe the power of books. The incredible power that comes with being a reader. 

What is something you’d tell an aspiring children’s book author?

The first piece of advice I usually offer is to read recently published children’s books in the genre you hope to write. Go to your local library or browse at a local bookstore. You might be surprised at the wide range of fantastic books being made for children these days. And thank goodness for that, because they are the most important, attentive and voracious audience out there. When a child loves a book, they love it fiercely! Any parent who has read the same thing aloud for the fifth straight night or bought the seventh book in a favorite series knows this. So, if you want to write for children, honor and respect their readership by doing the research and learning the craft. Trust me, you’ll enjoy all the reading!   

Can you share a lesson from Stonehill that continues to resonate with you today? 

I was lucky enough to play on the Stonehill women’s soccer team for four years. I learned lessons in determination, self-discipline and resilience. I learned how to take feedback from others and use it to get better. I learned what it means to be part of a team who cares deeply about the same thing. And I learned that good things take time. To be your best at anything, you must put in the work, day in and day out. We certainly did that—running so much around campus, we were often mistaken for the cross-country team!

The publishing industry can be hard. It can take years to find an agent or sell a book, and there is a lot of rejection along the way…even once you are an established author. But I never considered giving up, and I don’t get down about the bumps. I really believe that I owe that to my experiences on the soccer field. You don’t give up because you got scored on or lost one game. You make adjustments, reset and move forward, with your team by your side. I say this at school assemblies because it is true: when you really love something, working hard at it feels good. 

Stonehill’s motto is Lux et Spes or Light and Hope. What does this mean to you? 

For me, light carries both beauty and hope. I can’t help thinking back to that news story from the beginning of the pandemic, when people put their holiday lights back out to show outward signs of connection in a dark and difficult time. How beautiful! How hopeful. At its core, Twinkle, Twinkle, Winter Night is a poem about light, love, joy and community. The refrain, “Twinkle, twinkle, winter night/Everywhere you look there’s light,” has multiple meanings. I have another book coming out next fall called Gather Grateful with themes of love and connection as well. I write about things that matter to me, and celebrating the good in this world is one of those things. I think that Lux et Spes is a beautifully inspiring motto, because it reminds us all to look for the light. Maybe that motto is what drew me to Stonehill—and for that, I’m grateful.

[Opening Photo, Dania Bagyi Photography]