Gemma Literacy

01/09/2025

Give your adult education students the full learning experience with THE BEAR SUIT by Marta Maretich! 🐻

Rollo is tired of humans. His dream is to escape to the Sierra Nevada mountains where he can live alone and be free of other people. 🌲

When he finds an old, dusty, bear suit in a costume shop, he develops a plan! But what seems like the perfect solution at first will bring unexpected results and change Rollo’s life forever–in ways he could never have imagined.

Go to www.gemmamedia.org to purchase THE BEAR SUIT in paperback, eBook, or audiobook format for your adult literacy classroom.

While you’re there, don’t forget to grab our free reading guide, lesson plans, and SnapReads! ✨

01/02/2025

Meet Gemma author, Rebecca Rolland!

Rebecca is a speech pathologist, writer, and Harvard lecturer. She is passionate about the power of language and conversation to enhance relationships. In her most recent book, THE ART OF TALKING WITH CHILDREN, she delves into meaningful conversations as a “double promise.”

VELOCITY is Rebecca’s first Gemma HiLo and the first in her “The Activ8r Adventures” series.

We’re proud to call Rebecca a Gemma author! 🫶

Please help us share our appreciation for Rebecca’s work in the comments! 💬

12/31/2024

Happy New Year’s Eve to everyone in the literacy community! 🎉

As we look forward to the year ahead, we’re more inspired than ever to continue working alongside you toward full literacy for all. 💙

To start the new year off right, we’re giving away 2 free HiLo books to the first organization to comment “New Year” below.

12/26/2024

Laura Murata is a professor in Tokyo and the divorced mother of Maya, a seven-year-old girl. Widower Kazu Mori is a dentist, who is raising his son, Max, on his own. 🦷 The two parents meet at a holiday bake sale at Cherry Blossom International School where their kids are great friends. 🥧

Laura and Kazu are sweet on each other from the first moment, and soon the two families are spending time together. But when Kazu asks Laura out for dinner on Christmas Eve, will misunderstandings make their budding relationship crumble? 💔

Share this fun story with your adult literacy students and let us know what you think.
Get your copy at https://bit.ly/3ACoPh3.

12/23/2024

Thank you, Walmart for your generous Community Giving Grants! 🙌

We’re so grateful to:
📖 Quincy, MA Walmart
📖 Abington, MA Walmart
📖 Methuen, MA Walmart
📖 Bellingham, MA Walmart

Your support will allow us to donate more HiLo books to local adult literacy and ESOL programs!

12/19/2024

Don’t miss out on new HiLo releases, teaching resources, giveaways, and more! 🤩

Sign up for the Gemma Monthly Newsletter at https://bit.ly/3wIkO2F.

12/17/2024

We’re so honored to be included in Permian Basin Adult Literacy Center’s Advent Reading List!

Thank you for including us. 💙

🎄 On the 17th Day of Christmas, read The Yellow House on Summer Street by Alice Savage. This advent reading recommendation comes from our friends at Gemma Literacy.

Celebrate the spirit of togetherness this holiday season with The Yellow House on Summer Street, a heartwarming story about family, resilience, and the beauty of diverse communities.

🎁 Consider making today’s Advent read a gift! https://bit.ly/3ZJuAD3

Check out the full Advent Reading List on our website at www.pbalc.org

12/17/2024

Congratulations to the Literacy Council of Kingsport 🎉, and thank you for sharing this wonderful photo of Program Director Karen Hallman with the council’s new books 📚!

As one of our five ProLiteracy Giveaway winners, they received a set of five free HiLo books, and we’re thrilled to hear they’re already in use with tutors and students! ✨

Seeing Gemma books in action motivates us to keep getting more HiLo books into the hands of literacy educators and adult learners 🌟.

Stay tuned for our next giveaway! It's coming soon!

12/12/2024

Have you explored Gemma’s free resources for adult literacy and ESOL learners? 📚✨

These tools will support your students' learning journey and make literacy accessible for all.

Visit https://bit.ly/2U30z1L to download your free resources today!

12/10/2024

December 10 marks Human Rights Day, and we honor this important day by reaffirming UNESCO’s declaration that literacy is a human right. 🌎

Among other things, literacy can:
🩺 Improve health and nutrition for children and families
💵 Reduce poverty
🎓 Expand life opportunities
📊 Increase participation in the labor market
✌️ Foster a culture of peace, respect, and tolerance.

Join us in advancing this essential human right by committing to full literacy for all.
Are you in?

12/05/2024

In October, we had the pleasure of attending the Frankfurt Book Fair 📚, where we connected with like-minded publishers and expanded our distribution 🌍.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to introduce Gemma books to new organizations and audiences, empowering them to provide engaging, age-appropriate books to their adult learners 🌟.

Stay tuned to see where our journey takes us next!

12/03/2024

This Giving Tuesday, we’re on a mission to provide more engaging, age-appropriate books to emerging adult readers!

We aim to donate 50 HiLo books to literacy organizations, expanding their libraries with resources that foster student confidence and a love of reading.📚

Help us make this goal a reality by donating at https://gemmamedia.org/give/.

Every contribution brings us closer to empowering more adult readers!

Let’s make a difference together! 💙

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends in the adult literacy community! 🦃🍁

We’re so grateful to know and collaborate with you, and we continue to be inspired by your dedication to achieving full literacy for all. 🙌

As a thank you for all that you do, we’re giving away 2 HiLo books to the first literacy organization that comments “Thanksgiving” below! 📚💙

Because of shipping costs, we encourage North American organizations only, please.

11/26/2024

Will you help us donate 50 HiLo books to literacy nonprofits? 📚

At Gemma, our mission is to help adults with low literacy discover the joy and life-changing power of reading. To achieve this, we donate as many Gemma books as possible to the libraries of literacy organizations. 💡

This Giving Tuesday, we’re aiming to raise $500 to fund 50 book donations. Will you help us place more Gemma HiLo books in the hands of literacy organizations across the country?

To donate, go to www.gemmamedia.org. Let’s make a difference together! 💙

11/21/2024

Happy Throwback Thursday to one of our favorite literacy events! 🎉

We are BIG fans of ProLiteracy and their bi-annual conference, where we get to connect with amazing literacy advocates like ProLiteracy’s Mark Vineis and Darlene Pettersen! 🙌

We cherish the opportunity to meet and collaborate with adult literacy professionals who are making a real difference in the world. 🌍

Did we meet you there? Let’s stay connected! Say hi in the comments below! 👋💬

11/19/2024

2024 has been an incredible year of growth and impact for Gemma, and it's all thanks to your amazing support! 🙌

So far this year, we have:
✨ Published 3 new HiLo books,
✨ Created 5 new teaching resources,
✨ Held a special author event at Lesley University
✨ Particpated in ProLiteracy 2024 and the Frankfurt Book Fair
✨ And donated nearly 400 books to literacy organizations!

Since our founding, we’ve proudly distributed more than 75,000 books! 📚

This Giving Tuesday, we hope you’ll continue to support our mission of helping adults with low literacy discover the life-changing power of reading. 💡

Help us get a head start on our $500 goal by donating at www.gemmamedia.org.

11/14/2024

NEWCOMERS by Greta Gorsuch is the perfect HiLo book to fully engage your adult literacy classroom. 📖

In NEWCOMERS, five people arrive at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. These young people emigrated from Bangladesh, China, Ghana, and Mexico. Some drive buses. Others sell coffee, books, and clothes. And some rub your aching neck and feet in day spas. ✈️

These employees become friends as they struggle to learn a new culture and understand a very confusing world of work.

Introduce your adult literacy or ESOL students to NEWCOMERS by purchasing your book, eBook, and/or audiobook at www.gemmamedia.org. And don’t forget to download your free lesson plan! 📚✨

HiLo BooksNewcomersGreta Gorsuch (Author) Reading Level 3.3Available FormatsPaperback Book | eBookNewcomersby Greta GorsuchThe Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is bigger than the island of Manhattan. More than seventy million people pass through DFW each year. In Newcomers, five new people ar...

11/12/2024

May-lee Chai is the author of 11 books, including the Gemma books DRAGON CHICA, TIGER GIRL, and TRAINING DAYS. 📚

She has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, the Bakwin Award for Writing by a Woman, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and is the winner of the 2019 American Book Award. 🏆

May-lee serves on the Board of the National Book Critics Circle and has published numerous short stories in various publications, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Paris Review, & the New England Review.

We’re proud to call May-lee a Gemma author! 🫶

Please help us share our appreciation for May-lee’s work in the comments! 💬