Stephen Chiger

"Put together the wordplay of The Phantom Tollbooth, the imagination of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and the problem-solving mysteries of Encyclopedia Brown, make it about media and digital literacy, and you've got Gran and Gram Save the Summer. This book is a must-have for every middle-grade library." - Faith Rogow, author of Media Literacy for Young Children: Teaching Beyond the Screen Time DebatesDo you have what it takes to save the summer - and the world? When Nia, Deja, and D'Angelo's summer camp closes unexpectedly, they learn they'll be spending the summer with their Gram and Gran - two figures they barely know who live on a tiny island off the coast of Maine. Their mom is hoping they'll have a screen-free summer, but to their surprise, the island is dominated by a giant skyscraper that gives free, hyperfast Wi-Fi to all. The inventor who built it? Vanished. And as for Gram and Gran? They're more than a little bizarre. Can you solve a series of puzzles and get to the bottom of the island's mysteries? As the siblings will learn, there's a lot more than just their summer on the line.Written by two award-winning educators, Gram and Gran Save the Summer introduces media literacy concepts in the best way possible: with a whimsical story and a fantastic set of challenges to conquer.

When our students enter middle and high school, the saying goes that they stop learning to read and start reading to learn. Then why is literacy still a struggle for so many of our students? The reality is that elementary school isn’t designed to prepare students for Othello and Song of Solomon: so what do we do? Love and Literacy steps into the classrooms of extraordinary teachers who have guided students to the highest levels of literacy. There is magic in their teaching, but that magic is replicable. It starts with a simple premise: kids fall in love with texts when they understand them, and that understanding comes from the right knowledge and/or the right strategy at the right time. Love and Literacy dissects the moves of successful teachers and schools and leaves you with the tools to make these your own: Research-based best practices in facilitating discourse, building curriculum, guiding student comprehension and analysis, creating a class culture where literacy thrives, and moreVideo clips of middle and high school teachers implementing these practicesAn online, print-ready Reading and Writing Handbook that places every tool at your fingertips to implement effectivelyDiscussion questions for your own professional learning or book study group Great reading is more than just liking books: it’s having the knowledge, skill, and desire to experience any text in all its fullness. Love and Literacy guides you to create environments where students can build the will and wherewithal to truly fall in love with literacy.