Just Grace Goes Green

Just Grace #4

by Charise Mericle Harper

Grace can do a lot of things...but can she save the planet???? Or at the very least, can she help her best friend Mimi get her favorite stuffed animal back? Lots of exciting things are happening to Grace and her friends. Most exciting of all, Mimi's older cousin Gwen is coming to stay with Mimi, and Miss Lois's class is GOING GREEN! For their "green" project, Grace and Mimi aim to inspire their friends and classmates to conserve plastic bottles. But a far more important issue is that Gwen has taken a strong liking to Mimi's favorite stuffed toy, Willoughby. Just Grace uses her empathy superpower to figure out ways to make her best friend feel better, and she makes a difference for the environment too. Yard sales, toy owls, decorated plastic water bottles, flaming onion rings, and a very entrepreneurial Sammy Stringer make this another winning entry in the JUST GRACE series.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Chapter Books, Fiction, Juvenile, Friendship

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Grace's new adventure has her and her friends learning more about recycling. In the midst of the work on their recycling projects, Grace helps Mimi solve a personal dilemma and continues cuddling with Chip-up. The inner dialogue laid out by Harper for eight-year-old Grace really rings true and takes us all back to those days. Recommended!

[Yana "Always Forgets to Log Out" Gaskell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't a book for a middle school student but it's summer and its entertaining.

[Michael P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally got this book around 3rd/4th grade, but didn't really read it until i turned 23 (went through a burst of nostalgia) and i have to say that it's decent, the writing & pacing is decent, and the characters are for the most part typical & relatable, with positive messages about protecting our environment, but the only bad part is that throughout the story is that it consistently builds up to this huge presentation that the kids are doing at school, and when we finally get to that part i was extremely disappointed with the payoff, it didn't go into more detail, didn't at least show a picture illustration or two of what Grace, Mimi & Gwen created & the classes' reaction, it's only a watered-down highlight of the event (heck even Sammy & Max's presentation got more attention to detail).

[Candance Doerr-Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2 ⭐️ ⭐️ for midlife female readers ;)

I realize that I am not the target audience for this series. I picked it up only because of my interest in eco-narratives across ages and genres.

I enjoyed the diary entries, smattered with sketch drawings that must be signature to this series. In has slight echoes of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, yet not quite as funny.

I love that the book was printed on 100% recycled paper using biofuels :). I also thought it was clever to introduce a “conservation journal” into this style. Grace’s daily entries describing her efforts toward conservation were among my favorite parts of the book. Beyond that I had a hard time connecting with the other storylines and characters in the book, including Grace.

Used: The Strand.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enough facts about recycling to earn my respect, enough details about friends and feelings to seem apt for third-graders, but somehow the pace seemed breathless but the book long... which I found frustrating. I can imagine lots of kids liking it.... except this library copy is a decade old and doesn't look like it's been cracked open once. Hmm.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sharing factual information about ways to reuse, recycle and reduce waste, Just Grace Goes Green has an appealing format for grade 3 level readers. Generously illustrated with engaging drawings, readers will be drawn to the messages about friendship, family and school life.

[Tessa Baer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the parts about recycling were informative and helpful, I found the story line to be all over the place. It jumped around way too much for me. In all honesty, I just read the book to cover part of my reading challenge for the year. I most likely won't read any others in the series.

[Caffers · Rating 4 out of 5]

The one with the yard sale and the Japanese restaurant. Grace is a little sneaky again... Mimi's mom said Gwen could not open her birthday presents before her cake was served, but Grace gave it to her anyway and had her sneak off to the bathroom to open it. :/

[Lorna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Journal style, not much story. Character kind of boring.

[Samantha Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so fun and informative! I would love to have this in my class library one day!

[Yas · Rating 5 out of 5]

we love an activist😍

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok sweet sad story

[Hsa Lei · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fun to read, and there are some good activities that we can use, especially in term of preserving the environment.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just Grace is a series of books by Harper that follow a young girl Grace, who has changed her name to Just Grace. Just Grace has a best friend Mimi and here and Just Grace have multiple adventures with helping others with Just Grace's super power of empathy. In this installment of the Just Grace series the teacher, Miss Lois, decides to make the class "go green." Each student is to do a project and work on using less natural resources. Just Grace and Mimi decide to collect/save plastic bottles to decorate them and reuse them. Another storyline in this book is about Mimi's older cousin, Gwen, that comes to stay with Mimi's family for a couple of weeks. Gwen poses a problem for Just Grace and Mimi by wanting Mimi's favorite toy and coming between Mimi and Just Grace. The girls power through Miss Lois project and teach the class some good lessons about recycling.

Just Grace Goes Green is a wonderful story that encourages independent thought and helping others. I feel that this book would be great for a read aloud or 2 grade plus. This book could also be considered a graphic novel because of all the thought bubbles, lists and comic people. The illustrations really allow the reader to become a part of Just Grace's world. I really enjoyed the quirkiness of this book and look forward to reading and sharing more of this series with students and colleagues.

[Sherry Dale Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Grace Goes Green is the fourth book in Harper's series of chapter books. This was the first of the books I read and I plan to read more. Since everyone is into Going Green, and they should be, I couldn’t resist this book.

Grace Stewart is an eight year old girl whose superpower is empathy. She loves drawing comics and playing with her best friend Mimi. In Just Grace Goes Green her teacher is teaching the class about Going Green. Grace has to come up with a project to conserve energy and she gets to create a really cool superhero with earth saving powers. Her best friend, Mimi's cousin Gwen comes into town. Gwen has taken a liking to Mimi's favorite stuffed toy and that’s not good. It’s not only up to Grace to inspire her class mates about Going Green but also solve Mimi and Gwen's problem of the favorite toy.

This book is full of wonderful tips about the environment and different ways we can conserve energy. Plus Grace uses her superpower of empathy to help those around her. I recommend this book for anyone. Fun and quirky read.

[Deanna Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

This fourth installment of the humorous Just Grace series challenges primary children to think about how they can reduce, reuse, and recycle. Grace's teachers asks all of the third graders to keep a conservation journal and consciously do one thing each day to save the Earth. Grace turns off lights wehn no one is in a room, she brushes her teeth without running the water, and has a yard sale to get rid of the toys she no longer plays with. Dispersed throughout are facts about recycling and going green. For the green project, best friends Mimi and Grace, work together to research plastic bottles. In their presentation they share astounding facts, such as how many plastic bottles are used every hour in America (2,500,00). They have classmates decorate water bottles with color and jewels in hopes that they will reuse them instead of throwing them away. This short novel would make a great read aloud for elementary students.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com

This is the fifth book in the JUST GRACE series for younger school students.

Grace is in the third grade. Her teacher, Miss Lois, is teaching a unit on going green. Grace and her best friend, Mimi, have to do a project for the unit. Mimi's older cousin is coming to visit and both girls are excited.

This is a great series for upper elementary students who are struggling with reading. Grace is likable and funny.

There are also many facts about what pollution is doing to our planet. Did you know that every time you flush the toilet that you use 3.5 gallons of water? When you compare that to families in third world countries who live on only 10 gallons a day, that makes you think.

My favorite part was when they had to design a superhero costume for conserving the planet. That was super creative and something I am going to steal for my own class!

[Miz Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the books in the Just Grace series, this one focuses on a school project to be kind to Mother Earth with various "green" tasks that school age children can do on their own. Just Grace apparently gets her name because she is one of several Graces in her class and she objected to being called by her first name and the first initial of her last name. She wanted to be "just Grace" so "Just Grace" is what the teacher wrote in her attendance book. That adventure is not related in this book but it is referred to as it still rankles Grace to be referred to as Just Grace. A decent series for that grade 3 reader who is just venturing into chapter books and wants something short, light, and funny about real kids.

[Amy Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just Grace's teacher is very excited about conservation and asks the class to work on projects to help save the planet. At the same time Grace's best friend has a relative staying with her for ten days which causes some friendship issues. Lots of environmental facts are woven into the book. Would be good for a teacher read-aloud. I had one problem with the book and that was that Grace's project is to decorate water bottles and then reuse them instead of packing a new one in their lunch each time. It sounds like a great idea except I'm not so sure how safe it is to reuse water bottles that aren't designed for reuse.

[Alondra Munoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about an elementary school girl named Grace whose teacher makes the class “go green” which at first Grace hates because she doesn’t care she just wants to play and have fun with her best friend Mimi. The teacher assigns the class to do a “green” project and Grace and her friend Mimi decided to save plastic bottles to decorate and reuse them later. Mimi also has a cousin that has to stay with Mimi and she easily annoys the girls because she always takes Mimi’s toys and gets in between the two friends. It was a good book, it teaches kids about recycling so this is a good book to get them informed if the school is doing a “go green” project.

[Cecelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but it was a little more boring than the others in this series. In this book Just Grace learns about keeping the planet alive and healthy at school. She and her class have to do a project about the Earth and why we should keep it clean and healthy. Grace's project was about how 25 plastic bottles could be recycled and turned into a leather fleece jacket and she teaches the class about how you can decorate your plastic bottles and keep them instead of throwing them away because after the 25 bottles are made into a jacket the jacket just has to be thrown away again.

[Ramarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fourth book about Just Grace, so called because there are so many girls named Grace in her class. In this title, the class is going green, and taking on a conservation project. Grace, along with her friend Mimi, keep conservation notebooks and work on their reusable water bottle projects. These are charming, a good choice for beginning chapter books and readers who like Junie B and Judy Moody. Grace's drawings adorn the book, and her "empathy power" makes her a lovable character.

[Beth Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a cute book that I read for the mother/daughter book club at our library. There isn't too much to the story, but the writing is well done. It really feels like a third-grader is writing and illustrating. I enjoy reading things written from a child's perspective. I imagine Amanda and Megan would rate this higher (4-stars?).

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so very cute! Reminds me of Junie B. Jones, as this girl has a lot of spunk and spirit. I would definitely have this in my library for students to read in higher primary grades, or maybe do as a read aloud during a eco-friendly unit.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a wonderful message about going green and saving the Earth! My favorite part of the whole book was when Gwen revealed what her mom's sushi song is. Adorable and educational! :) I'm still wondering, though, if Grace will ever get to have a real dog instead of Chip-Up.

[Devanshi]

just grace has to save a planet. but can she take a stuffed animal back from Mimi's cousin sister??

[Ramos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claudine-This book is about a girl that trys to save the world you will like it.

[Abbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just not really the perfect book for me. But I did like learning where all the garbage went and how good it is to recycle and save the earth.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading it and on page 31 because I just it at library today.

[Shazzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid installment. Grace is a clever little kid.