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Dear Greta
Running Time: 4 hours and 43 minutes
When everything seems to be going wrong, sometimes you just have to stand up for what you believe in, even if it's just in your own little corner of the world ...
This was meant to be Alice's year to shine, but things are already going wrong...
At school, she's given young environmental activist Greta Thunberg as her pen pal for a fictional writing assignment. Why couldn't Alice get someone easy to write to, like a pop star?
Then she's put in charge of taking the Harmony Day Food Fair online, which seems impossible, especially when she is teamed up with the most annoying boy in her school.
As if she didn't have enough on her plate, Alice gets kicked out of her bedroom by her grandmother coming to stay. And no matter what Alice does, she'll never be able to live up to her infuriating big sister's achievements, right?
Through her letters to Greta, Alice finds herself opening up about her life. And as Alice approaches the hard questions by wondering, 'What would Greta do?', she starts to believe that she can make a difference - a big one.
When everything seems to be going wrong, sometimes you just have to stand up for what you believe in, even if it's just in your own little corner of the world ...
This was meant to be Alice's year to shine, but things are already going wrong...
At school, she's given young environmental activist Greta Thunberg as her pen pal for a fictional writing assignment. Why couldn't Alice get someone easy to write to, like a pop star?
Then she's put in charge of taking the Harmony Day Food Fair online, which seems impossible, especially when she is teamed up with the most annoying boy in her school.
As if she didn't have enough on her plate, Alice gets kicked out of her bedroom by her grandmother coming to stay. And no matter what Alice does, she'll never be able to live up to her infuriating big sister's achievements, right?
Through her letters to Greta, Alice finds herself opening up about her life. And as Alice approaches the hard questions by wondering, 'What would Greta do?', she starts to believe that she can make a difference - a big one.
5 pages, Audible Audio
Published March 1, 2022
35 people want to read
About the author
Yvette Poshoglian
77 books25 followersHi there!
I write books for children and young people. FRANKIE FOX, GIRL SPY is my addictive new series for readers 8+.
Book 1 is 'Ready, Set, Spy and is out now! Book 2: 'Operation Boy Band' is out in April 2015!
I also write the bestselling 'Ella and Olivia' series for young readers. I have also written historical fiction for middle readers - 'My Australian Story: Escape from Cockatoo Island'.
As well as writing a bunch of other non-fiction and activity books, I keep busy as a high school English teacher in Sydney.
I always have a huge pile of books on my bedside table - what about you?
I write books for children and young people. FRANKIE FOX, GIRL SPY is my addictive new series for readers 8+.
Book 1 is 'Ready, Set, Spy and is out now! Book 2: 'Operation Boy Band' is out in April 2015!
I also write the bestselling 'Ella and Olivia' series for young readers. I have also written historical fiction for middle readers - 'My Australian Story: Escape from Cockatoo Island'.
As well as writing a bunch of other non-fiction and activity books, I keep busy as a high school English teacher in Sydney.
I always have a huge pile of books on my bedside table - what about you?
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 1, 2022
' Dear Greta' is so timely as we want kids to feel they can do something positive in this world. It is written with so much delight and love all the gorgeous characters. It's cute that now I know why Armenian names end in 'ian'. (You have to read it to find out). Alice Boghosian is the narrator and main character. Every little girl will LOVE this book, even the boys. Alice is sassy and loving and goes about her life with her friends with joy and some mishaps. Love that she loves her grandmother Nene. All the foods from around the world as part of their Harmony Day is fun. The ending is a surprise and just perfect. I love that it introduces Greta Thunberg to kids as well.
March 12, 2022
This is a brilliant book that is aimed at middle school children.
It is current and relevant and full of great ideas for students in a post covid world.
Harmony Day is the theme running through the story and there are many laugh aloud moments.
I've started reading it to my Year 5 and Year 6 classes and it captivated them right from the very first paragraph.
Do yourself and read this book, grown ups and children alike.
It is current and relevant and full of great ideas for students in a post covid world.
Harmony Day is the theme running through the story and there are many laugh aloud moments.
I've started reading it to my Year 5 and Year 6 classes and it captivated them right from the very first paragraph.
Do yourself and read this book, grown ups and children alike.
June 23, 2022
this is a very quick but important read! I lost the book when i was half way into it... found it under my bed though thank god because i liked this book and wanted to finish it!
Australias future looks grim but i think we can make some small changes to keep us green and healthy (or sandy and healthy) and this book inspired me to do some charity work for the enviroment!
Australias future looks grim but i think we can make some small changes to keep us green and healthy (or sandy and healthy) and this book inspired me to do some charity work for the enviroment!
November 19, 2022
A sweet middle grade novel about family, friendship and finding your voice. With each email ‘chapter’ being quite short, this will be a great read for those who struggle to get into stories with longer chapters as many students do.
April 25, 2022
The dreaded homework assignment, ‘Write to your hero’, gets a modern and empowering twist in Yvette Poshoglian’s latest read.
It’s the start of a new school year at Melwood Public School and for Alice that means her final and most important year of primary school, year six. She has high hopes for a wonderful year ahead but things are not really going to plan.
She cannot live up to little-miss-perfect older sister Annie. Alice’s grandmother has moved into her bedroom and she has been re-homed in the sunroom. And school is one disaster after another; Jayden’s calling her silly nicknames, the school librarian has set a ‘write to your hero’ project - Alice was hoping for one of her sporting heroes or a pop star but instead has got stuck with climate activist Greta Thunberg, and the icing on the cake…Alice and friend Sami, along with Jayden and his buddy Lance, have been tasked with running the Year 6 Harmony Day Food Fair, only the most important school event. Could life get any worse…
Written entirely in emails that Alice pens to Greta, Alice navigates the trials and tribulations of life in a series of musings, ravings, rantings and thought-provoking entries. As she opens up she finds herself sharing her entire life with Greta and the reader, from family dramas and the perks and problems with Armenian grandmothers to the difficulties in trying to organise a school event to traffic projects threatening the habitats of local wildlife. And whilst Greta never responds to any of the emails, Alice finds herself going down a path that leads her to wonder, ‘What would Greta do?’.
Middle-grade readers will certainly appreciate an inclusive and diverse cast of characters, a melting pot of different cultures, an urban and contemporary Sydney neighbourhood, the backdrop of Covid-19 and relatable issues and themes. With it’s easy to read style, Dear Greta will appeal to many and would make for a great class read, particularly for year six.
Alice is easy to identify with. Like many children her age she must deal with ignorant classmates and annoying siblings, friendships and fallings out, and learn that actions - both positive and negative - have consequences that must be accepted. Most importantly though, Alice is a young girl learning that she can make a difference whether that is at school, within her community or on a wider scale - she just needs to commit to doing something. I’m sure that Dear Greta will empower its readers to make a difference, to bring about changes and to fight for causes that they truly believe in.
With huge thanks to Penguin Random House for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.
Recommended for 9+.
It’s the start of a new school year at Melwood Public School and for Alice that means her final and most important year of primary school, year six. She has high hopes for a wonderful year ahead but things are not really going to plan.
She cannot live up to little-miss-perfect older sister Annie. Alice’s grandmother has moved into her bedroom and she has been re-homed in the sunroom. And school is one disaster after another; Jayden’s calling her silly nicknames, the school librarian has set a ‘write to your hero’ project - Alice was hoping for one of her sporting heroes or a pop star but instead has got stuck with climate activist Greta Thunberg, and the icing on the cake…Alice and friend Sami, along with Jayden and his buddy Lance, have been tasked with running the Year 6 Harmony Day Food Fair, only the most important school event. Could life get any worse…
Written entirely in emails that Alice pens to Greta, Alice navigates the trials and tribulations of life in a series of musings, ravings, rantings and thought-provoking entries. As she opens up she finds herself sharing her entire life with Greta and the reader, from family dramas and the perks and problems with Armenian grandmothers to the difficulties in trying to organise a school event to traffic projects threatening the habitats of local wildlife. And whilst Greta never responds to any of the emails, Alice finds herself going down a path that leads her to wonder, ‘What would Greta do?’.
Middle-grade readers will certainly appreciate an inclusive and diverse cast of characters, a melting pot of different cultures, an urban and contemporary Sydney neighbourhood, the backdrop of Covid-19 and relatable issues and themes. With it’s easy to read style, Dear Greta will appeal to many and would make for a great class read, particularly for year six.
Alice is easy to identify with. Like many children her age she must deal with ignorant classmates and annoying siblings, friendships and fallings out, and learn that actions - both positive and negative - have consequences that must be accepted. Most importantly though, Alice is a young girl learning that she can make a difference whether that is at school, within her community or on a wider scale - she just needs to commit to doing something. I’m sure that Dear Greta will empower its readers to make a difference, to bring about changes and to fight for causes that they truly believe in.
With huge thanks to Penguin Random House for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.
Recommended for 9+.
July 1, 2022
Year six is meant to be special, but Alice Bogohsian, is not impressed with the start of the year. The library teacher has tasked the class to write to an important person and because she was late for class because of Jayden's teasing, she ended with Greta Thunberg. She has no idea who this person is and wishes she had sports star or celebrity to write to. And if school wasn't hard enough, now her grandmother is going to move into her bedroom while she recovers from heart sugery.
Although the emails are not meant to be sent, Alice finds Greta's email address and sends a succession of emails - 64 in fact - over the first term. In them Alice recounts her life - highs and lows, friends and enemies - to the Swedish activist through a series of emails that details her friends, her enemies, her family, and the events in her daily life. Key among these is being one of a group of four - to make Harmony Day a virtual event.
This is a wonderful story with diverse and interesting characters of different cultural heritages, family backgrounds and includes an absent and very ill friend who attends school via a robot and her ipad. The virtual project becomes an technological event with a 360 degree camera filming the home cooking of the families in Year 6 as the focus of Alice's emails. Throughout, Alice gains knowledge about Greta's environmental campaigns and laments her own lack of confidence. However, through the emails and her daily accounts of what has occurred at school and at home Alice matures and develops a stronger awareness of the world around her and comes to appreciate how she can be actively involved. With the term ending Alice, with the help of the Harmony Day team, organises school wide action to condemn a road development that will destroy the local wetlands. The photographs goo viral with help of the silent recipient of the emails.
Fast paced, with short snappy emails to convey the plot. With the various characters and multicultural themes Poshoglian demonstrates that we can all be actively involved in caring for our environment and our community. Another interesting underlying feature is that it was set in the second year of the pandemic and presents a positive take on how schools adjusted to challenging circumstance.
Although the emails are not meant to be sent, Alice finds Greta's email address and sends a succession of emails - 64 in fact - over the first term. In them Alice recounts her life - highs and lows, friends and enemies - to the Swedish activist through a series of emails that details her friends, her enemies, her family, and the events in her daily life. Key among these is being one of a group of four - to make Harmony Day a virtual event.
This is a wonderful story with diverse and interesting characters of different cultural heritages, family backgrounds and includes an absent and very ill friend who attends school via a robot and her ipad. The virtual project becomes an technological event with a 360 degree camera filming the home cooking of the families in Year 6 as the focus of Alice's emails. Throughout, Alice gains knowledge about Greta's environmental campaigns and laments her own lack of confidence. However, through the emails and her daily accounts of what has occurred at school and at home Alice matures and develops a stronger awareness of the world around her and comes to appreciate how she can be actively involved. With the term ending Alice, with the help of the Harmony Day team, organises school wide action to condemn a road development that will destroy the local wetlands. The photographs goo viral with help of the silent recipient of the emails.
Fast paced, with short snappy emails to convey the plot. With the various characters and multicultural themes Poshoglian demonstrates that we can all be actively involved in caring for our environment and our community. Another interesting underlying feature is that it was set in the second year of the pandemic and presents a positive take on how schools adjusted to challenging circumstance.
May 10, 2022
In short: an engaging novel communicated through emails from Alice to Greta Thunberg. Alice's life at the start of year 6 is a hot mess and she's not happy about it. A forced opportunity to solve a Harmony Day disaster pushes Alice to think outside of her own issues and consider what she can do to improve her community.
Longer review: Alice has just started year 6 and things are not going well. She has just been given a boring assignment to 'write about your hero', and she didn't even get to pick the hero. She was assigned Greta Thunberg. Why couldn't she get someone more interesting, like Taylor Swift, Beyonce, or Queenie Q? Alice also has her school nemesis, Jayden to content with at school. On the home front, she is living in the shadow of her 'perfect' big sister, Annie, and to top it all off, Alice has had to give up her bedroom for her Nene, who has just had surgery. When Alice is asked to help fix a Harmony Day disaster, the challenge seems insurmountable
An avid writer, Alice emails Greta with alarming frequency, opening up about the events of each day, even though she is not too keen on the assignment. As she starts to learn more about Greta, and despite her many 'daily struggles', Alice starts to realise that there might be bigger issues to worry about. When an opportunity presents itself, can Alice do something to create lasting change for her community?
Alice is quite self-centred and dramatic in the beginning of the novel, focusing on her own world and 'problems'. Her character develops throughout the novel as her consciousness expands to recognise the issues facing her classmates and the wider community. The novel is written as a series of emails from Alice to Greta. Central themes of the novel include justice, cultural awareness, friendship, family, resilience, and taking action. Readers 9+ will enjoy the discourses within this novel, as well as the pleasing and conversational format.
Longer review: Alice has just started year 6 and things are not going well. She has just been given a boring assignment to 'write about your hero', and she didn't even get to pick the hero. She was assigned Greta Thunberg. Why couldn't she get someone more interesting, like Taylor Swift, Beyonce, or Queenie Q? Alice also has her school nemesis, Jayden to content with at school. On the home front, she is living in the shadow of her 'perfect' big sister, Annie, and to top it all off, Alice has had to give up her bedroom for her Nene, who has just had surgery. When Alice is asked to help fix a Harmony Day disaster, the challenge seems insurmountable
An avid writer, Alice emails Greta with alarming frequency, opening up about the events of each day, even though she is not too keen on the assignment. As she starts to learn more about Greta, and despite her many 'daily struggles', Alice starts to realise that there might be bigger issues to worry about. When an opportunity presents itself, can Alice do something to create lasting change for her community?
Alice is quite self-centred and dramatic in the beginning of the novel, focusing on her own world and 'problems'. Her character develops throughout the novel as her consciousness expands to recognise the issues facing her classmates and the wider community. The novel is written as a series of emails from Alice to Greta. Central themes of the novel include justice, cultural awareness, friendship, family, resilience, and taking action. Readers 9+ will enjoy the discourses within this novel, as well as the pleasing and conversational format.
July 21, 2022
I really enjoyed listening to this book as an audio book. It is an important and timely book about the importance of standing up and making a difference for what you believe in!
Alice is NOT happy. At school they have been told that they have to write to a famous person as part of a writing project - and she has been given Greta Thunberg, much to her horror. She would have much preferred a pop star.
But she starts to get a bit carried away, and starts emailing Greta almost daily, telling her all about the ups and downs of her everyday life. (And in Alice's mind they are mostly downs!)
And to make matters worse, she is asked (told!) to be part of a team to organise the annual Harmony Day Food Fair - which includes the most irritating boy in her class.
But being part of this team starts to make Alice see that there is more to the other people in her class than meets the eye... and that she actually doesn't have that much to moan about!
As she writes more and more to Greta, she starts to answer some of her own questions as she puts them through the filter of What Would Greta Do?
Definitely worth a look!
Alice is NOT happy. At school they have been told that they have to write to a famous person as part of a writing project - and she has been given Greta Thunberg, much to her horror. She would have much preferred a pop star.
But she starts to get a bit carried away, and starts emailing Greta almost daily, telling her all about the ups and downs of her everyday life. (And in Alice's mind they are mostly downs!)
And to make matters worse, she is asked (told!) to be part of a team to organise the annual Harmony Day Food Fair - which includes the most irritating boy in her class.
But being part of this team starts to make Alice see that there is more to the other people in her class than meets the eye... and that she actually doesn't have that much to moan about!
As she writes more and more to Greta, she starts to answer some of her own questions as she puts them through the filter of What Would Greta Do?
Definitely worth a look!
April 5, 2022
"I feel like there is a change in me that's just bursting out for the world to see. A change that makes me feel good and scared at the same time."
Alice is in grade 6 and she is determined that this will be her year to shine. But things are starting out well. She is getting in trouble at school all because of Jayden, she has to write to emails to Great Thunberg for a school writing assignment - and she would much rather writing to someone like Beyonce who she would have much more things to talk about, and now her grandmother is coming to stay with them after a hospital stay and Alice has to give up her bedroom.
But as Alice continues to write to Greta, she finds her voice, navigates friendships, and learns to look at outside her own frustrations to see the bigger picture both in relation to what her friends' lives are like and the wider world.
Told entirely in emails from Alice to Greta, I loved this book and devoured it in one sitting.
Funny, charming, heartfelt and relevant, this book is a wonderful read for anyone.
September 21, 2022
Story about a Year 6 girl taking action to bring about change. Cleverly written in the form of email communications with her inspiration, Greta Thunberg, this is a story that Year 5 & 6 students will relate to.
A little slow moving though, so I think only dedicated readers will embrace it. Very appropriate if you are teaching in a PYP curriculum as it is all about taking action.
A little slow moving though, so I think only dedicated readers will embrace it. Very appropriate if you are teaching in a PYP curriculum as it is all about taking action.
March 13, 2024
Poshoglian Portfolio #1
Interesting ideas and some good story telling but it just did not really need all the Greta references, it felt more like it was just using her name to try and sell the book, when it really had little to do with her.
Good but hmmm.
Interesting ideas and some good story telling but it just did not really need all the Greta references, it felt more like it was just using her name to try and sell the book, when it really had little to do with her.
Good but hmmm.
February 26, 2023
A fresh format for a reliable coming of age story perfect for upper primary. Could be a good next step for kids who like diary formats, but ready for something more meaty.
December 10, 2023
Such a fun read 📚
January 26, 2024
A lovely young pwrsons journey through leaning about their place and what they can do about change
Shame that Alice is such an intrinsically negative whiney character
Shame that Alice is such an intrinsically negative whiney character
August 16, 2024
Such a creative way of telling a story
January 7, 2025
It's nice to know kids are still having to do celebrity letter writing assignments, that people are still fighting for the environment and that activism is still strong in Aussie kids
March 21, 2022
Alice is determined that her last year of Primary school is going to be the best one ever! But things are not off to a great start: It's only the first week and she already has been given a new nickname (Mothball), she has had to give up her bedroom to her grandma, and she has been assigned Greta Thunberg in the Library writing assignment. Not that she doesn't like Greta, its just she'd rather have a sports star. But Alice is determined that if she is going to do something she is going to do it right! In the process of learning about Greta, Alice learns that she too can make a difference.
A fabulous contemporary Australian story suitable for 9+ age group. Set in multicultural suburban Sydney, with the disruption of Covid-19, and real-world topics of concern from family and friendships to the environment are great themes for mid primary-school age to mid high-school readers.
A fabulous contemporary Australian story suitable for 9+ age group. Set in multicultural suburban Sydney, with the disruption of Covid-19, and real-world topics of concern from family and friendships to the environment are great themes for mid primary-school age to mid high-school readers.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews