Gemma Literacy

06/18/2026

If you teach or tutor emerging adult readers, Gemma's free HiLo lesson plans are designed with you in mind. 🗂️

Each of our 13 lesson plans was developed to accompany one of Gemma's most popular HiLo books. They blend vocabulary review with current affairs to help spark meaningful class discussion. 📝

Explore all 13 at https://bit.ly/2PWspev and share with a literacy educator who might find them useful. 🤝

Hilo Lesson PlansTo help teachers and mentors get started, here are a few samples of lesson planning to use with HiLo books. Mixing vocabulary review and current affairs, these suggestions can help spark class discussion. Have YOU any tips for teaching we can share? Let us know at literacy@gemmamedi...

06/17/2026

Recently, Gemma author Melodie Campbell, Author was a featured guest on the Crime Writers of Canada podcast with Erik D’Souza.

She discussed her Merry Widow Murders series and how she incorporates comedy into her storytelling, as well as her HiLo series, Steeltown Blues, which includes Gemma’s newest release, PIZZA WARS.

Check out the podcast at https://tinyurl.com/4a7fpure.

Erik D’Souza speaks with author Melodie Campbell about her Merry Widow Murders series set in the 1920s. Melodie discusses her latest book, The Pharaoh’s Cursed Murders (published by Cormorant...

06/16/2026

While at the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education conference in May, Gemma’s Executive Director Trish O'Hare was delighted to connect with others in the adult education world. 🤝

As seen in the photos, she met with Jennifer Martin from , Michael Sherrod from Aztec Software, and many others working to expand adult education opportunities across the country. 📚✨

Additionally, 5 lucky adult literacy nonprofits won 5 free HiLo books. See the last slide for their names.

And if you’re one of the winners, we’ll be reaching out soon to get your preferred mailing address!

06/11/2026

Don't miss PRESSURE, Gemma’s newest addition to The Activ8r Adventures — where AI enhancements to human beings give them amazing powers…but at what cost? 🤖

Lucy Brick, a student of robotics, wants to test her creations in the real world. Her robots are designed to help blind people safely navigate city streets. But Happy Dancer and Little Leaf start acting strange as the weather goes haywire and Lucy discovers someone is behind it. ⚡

Can she and her friends save their city from technology gone wrong?

Learn more or purchase your copy at https://bit.ly/42tg8jl.

06/09/2026

In April, Gemma author Melodie Campbell launched her new HiLo book, PIZZA WARS, at Different Drummer bookstore in Burlington, Ontario — owned by Ian Elliot, seen here in the photo. 📸

PIZZA WARS is the first book in a brand new HiLo comedy series, but it is far from Melodie's first publication. A best-selling author with more than 200 publications, she has won 10 awards, including the Derringer and the Arthur Ellis. The Toronto Sun calls her Canada's "Queen of Comedy." 👑

We are incredibly grateful to Melodie for lending her talents to create a comedy series that emerging adult readers can enjoy. 😄

To learn more about PIZZA WARS, visit https://bit.ly/4bjFRhU!

06/04/2026

This is what literacy educators and tutors work toward every day. Gemma is proud to support their work with HiLo books and free teaching resources designed for adult learners. 💙

Find resources for your adult literacy or ESOL program at gemmamedia.org.

06/02/2026

June is Audiobook Appreciation Month, and a great time to explore Gemma’s six inaugural audiobooks - free of charge!

Following along in the text while listening can strengthen decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension. 📖 🎧 It also makes reading more fun! 🎉

Head to the audiobooks page at https://bit.ly/3P20uEV to get started. ▶️

05/28/2026

Did you know that Gemma's authors live all over the world — from the East Coast to the West, and even abroad? 🌍

Authors like Marta Maretich and Catherine Temma Davidson bring their diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to every HiLo book they write.

We are grateful to each of our talented authors who help us offer emerging adult readers stories that feel real, relevant, and worth reading. 📖

05/26/2026

The Activ8r Adventures continue with PRESSURE, a new HiLo book that is perfect for adult literacy programs. 🤖

Lucy Brick, a student of robotics, wants to test her creations in the real world. Her robots are made to help blind people safely navigate city streets. But Happy Dancer and Little Leaf start acting weird as the weather goes haywire.

Lucy discovers people are using personal devices to control the weather, making clouds and changing rain to sun. These small variations are adding up. A killer storm is approaching, and Lucy must unite with her friends to save her city from technology gone wrong. ⚡

PRESSURE follows VELOCITY in The Activ8r Adventures, where AI enhancements to human beings give them amazing powers…but at what cost?

Learn more or purchase your copy at https://bit.ly/42tg8jl.

05/21/2026

As UNESCO states and we proudly affirm, literacy is a human right. 💙

Since 2008, Gemma has been publishing high-interest, low-reading-level (HiLo) books for adults with low literacy. Alongside those books, we develop teaching resources to aid teachers and tutors in the classroom. 📚

This work changes lives — but it only happens with community support. 🤝

Your donation helps us publish more books and resources for adult learners and the teachers who support them.

Donate today at https://gemmamedia.org/donate-now/.