Part of Bilbo did not want to leave his Hobbit hole. Not for a mountain of treasure or his friend Gandalf. He could not stand the thought of adventures: “Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!” But Bilbo’s adventurous side got the best of him.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s prequel to The Lord of the Rings is a delightful children’s tale about courage, written two years before World War II. Deeply influenced by the heroic, ancient story of Beowulf, Bilbo confronts a dragon and many other perils.

Who can forget Bilbo’s escape from the Misty Mountains and goblins? His encounter with the giant spiders and their sticky webs? Their journey through dark Mirkwood? Bilbo’s descent into the Lonely Mountain’s side door and down the dark, hot tunnel? And Thorin Oakenshield’s injustice and redemption? With every step, Bilbo’s courage grew, though he often longed for home, tea, and chair.

Bilbo did not start with courage. But like a muscle, it grew with use. And love of the good fueled it. Though not a warrior and underappreciated by his party, Bilbo rose to the occasion, surprising all with his resourcefulness, conviction, and bravery.

A beloved tale with lessons in courage in every chapter, the story climaxes in an epic battle for the Lonely Mountain’s treasure. Tolkien’s personal experience of World War I deepened his writing of battle. Tales of sacrifice, maneuver, charge, desperate action, gloom, and hope permeate the story and reach readers young and old alike.

Tolkien tells a timeless tale of courage: it comes from the unlikeliest of places and can turn the tide for the good.