In this book the authors note that for too long teachers have been at the mercy of government programmes, which have emphasized the acquisition of literacy as a set of skills. They suggest that an exciting new theory coming out of the New Literacy Studies actually helps students to access literacy skills. They attempt to bridge the gap between theory and practice drawing on their experiences of literacy studies from either sides of the Atlantic, knitting together the rich research tradition which has studied out of school literacy, the complex third spaces of childhood and young adulthood, into the more regimented classroom spaces. The book is for teachers who work with young children, teenagers or families who wish to explore how they can engage with their students through literacy. The book is organized into the following chapters: (1) The New Literacy Studies and Teaching Literacy: (1) Where We Were and Where We Are Going; (2) Multimodal Literacies: New Ways of Reading and Writing; (3) Children's Texts Go To School; (4) Bridging Local and Global Literacies; (5) Literacy and Identity: Who are the Meaning-makers?; and (6) Navigating New Literacies for New Times: Shaping Curriculum and Pedagogy. An afterward, glossary of terms, and index is included.