'Grand Conversations, Thoughtful Responses' is built upon the premise that all students can become active, independent, thoughtful readers. The structures and strategies in this book are proven to help students develop confidence and competence in their reading. Student engagement with text soars through participation in grand conversations with peers and reflecting on reading with thoughtful, written responses. This unique approach includes: student choice in books; students reading at their own pace, thus creating flexible groups; literature circle groups where students discuss the shared text they are reading; strategies for teaching written response; strategies for co-creating assessment criteria; additional activities to develop and deepen comprehension book lists.