Greta Ever After

Gr 3-7–Tween Greta, who is white, declares herself too old for fairy tales. But when visiting distant relatives in Germany with her parents and her brother Max, she is entranced by a house-shaped cuckoo clock with twirly dancers. Given to Greta on her 12th birthday, the mysterious clock has a dancing girl named Lulu who comes out of the clock and talks to her. Lulu claims she is there to protect Greta, but from what, or whom? Seventh grade brings more angst, with Greta feeling she can’t compete with her perfect friends, Isabel the class president and Chloe the soccer star. Budding journalist Greta is on the school newspaper, but is struggling to come up with original ideas, and she can’t exactly write about a fairy-tale world come to life—or can she? Poor journalism choices, first crushes, and friend quandaries leave Greta considering Lulu’s invitation to live inside the clock, forever, until some relatable life lessons bring her back to earth. Sporadic black-and-white illustrations complement the story perfectly, and headlines in Greta’s voice are interspersed throughout, adding humor and heart to this gently magical coming-of-age tale.