by Tracey Turner (Author) Tom Knight (Illustrator)
Meet the young Swedish activist who is standing up to climate change!
Before she was a well-known environmentalist activist, Greta was just a girl living in Stolkholm, Sweden. She first heard about climate change when she was only eight years old, and she couldn't understand why no one seemed to be doing anything about it. When she was 15 years old, she began spending her days outside the Swedish Parliament to call for action on climate change. She'd sit outside the whole school day with a sign that read "School strike for climate." Soon, other students began to follow Greta's lead and participate in similar protests, and together, these kids organized the Fridays for Future climate strike movement. Greta also is an inspiration to many because she has Asperger's Syndrome and is very open in talking about her diagnosis, further destigmatizing it. Today, Greta continues to fight for climate change--and continues to prove that you're never too young to make a difference!
First Names is a highly illustrated nonfiction series that puts readers on a first-name basis with some of the most incredible people in history and of today!
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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. VERDICT A first purchase for every library shelf. Greta's example is proof to every young person that they do make a difference.--Tracy Cronce
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