Greta Thunberg (The First Names Series)

Gr 4-8–“I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act. I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if the house was on fire. Because it is.” Part of the “First Names” book series, this middle grade biography on Greta Thunberg truly shines. Greta’s passion for planet Earth and the sense of urgency it creates, resonates strongly in this read. At the age of eight, Greta’s world is turned upside down when she learns of global warming in class and what it’s doing to the Earth. She’s so upset that she falls into a deep depression and even stops eating. It is completely unfathomable to her how people can just carry on with life when the planet is in such distress. Greta’s Asperger’s Syndrome and being bullied by other students are touched upon, in addition to her activism with going on strike every Friday from school in order to spark a change. Inspired by Rosa Parks, Greta knew that she had to start somewhere, even if it only made a small difference. Fourteen million Instagram followers and many attendances at climate summits later, Greta is a household name. Black-and-white illustrations bring Greta’s story to life and cover approximately 30 percent of each page.