SOMA Living May 2024

LITERACY FOR KIDS NEW MEDIA LITERACY BOOK FOR KIDS

Stephen Chiger from Maplewood and Dan Pereira, recently published “Gram and Gran Save the Summer,” a groundbreaking book published by TeacherGoals. This book introduces a fresh method to teach media literacy to middle-grade students (grades 3-7), directly addressing the challenges brought by New Jersey’s law mandating media literacy education across K-12 curriculums. Their approach combines narrative and puzzles in a style that echoes Encyclopedia Brown and “The Phantom Tollbooth” while encouraging critical thinking about media.

The digital world’s complexities, amplified by misinformation and the rise of artificial intelligence, underscore the importance of this initiative. Despite new laws in New Jersey and California requiring media literacy education, resources for younger students remain scarce. Chiger, leveraging his journalism background, and Pereira fill this gap with a book that educates and entertains, promoting curiosity and joy. Faith Rogow, another child media literacy writer explains, “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.” In the midst of heightened media attention to global events and our federal election cycle, it’s a particularly great time to buy a copy of this timely book for your family on Amazon.com.

MAY 2024 | SOMA LIVING 27

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