After discussing famous authors with whom Atticus was familiar, we focused on biographical information about Charles Dickens. Atticus shared some information he had gleaned per his homework assignment, and I supplemented our discussion with information about the Victorian Era.I noted the existence of the Poor Laws, the workhouse ,and Debtors prison in the context of Dickens' life and discussed Dickens as a social reformer. We further explored how Christmas celebrations today are inspired by Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, who brought the German Christmas traditions to the English speaking world. Last, I noted how Dickens adored the holiday and how our next reading, "A Christmas Carol" embodies Dickens' Christmas and reformist spirit.