Greta Grace Entertains and Teaches Young Readers by Confronting Her Own Problems

SHERMAN, Conn. - Sept. 23, 2021 - PRLog -- Greta Grace is in many ways a typical 7^th-grader. She has a secret handshake with her best friend but also fights with her. She frets about whether her crush likes her and also argues with her mom. Unlike most girls her age, however, she is learning to see things from different perspectives.

The lessons that first-time author Joanna Quinn weaves through Greta Grace are all about how to cope with the highs and lows that come with growing up as a young teen. Seeing things from someone else's point of view can help.

Greta Grace must deal with a bully who picks on her because she is a "good" student. She also has to decide whether she wants to make up with her best friend after a horrible fight, navigate her first romantic interest, and contemplate the fear and emotion caused when a grandmotherly neighbor she visits every day nearly dies.

As Greta Grace navigates through the storms, she eventually opens up to her mom and learns that friendships can be repaired, no matter how broken they once appeared.

To help her readers grapple with their own issues, Quinn ends the book with a series of questions meant to provoke thought and learning. They can be pondered by a student confronting the same problems Greta Grace does, or they can be a jumping-off point for talks between parent and child. Quinn is creating Greta Grace lesson plans for teachers on her website that includes a vocabulary list, highlights of teachable moments.

Quinn also hopes they will be integrated into an online book club she plans to start on her website. "I want to teach kids how powerful their own thoughts are," Quinn said. "And not just kids, but all of us. It helps us when we learn that happiness is already here today. It doesn't come just when we reach some goal like when you get that boyfriend or go to college."

Before finishing her book, Quinn taught middle school for seven years, ran a preschool, and has founded an empowerment coaching business, Super Empowered One.

Quinn joined Emerald Lake Books as an author to help her learn how to publicize and sell her book, as well as create a compelling cover design to match the content.

Praise for Greta Grace

"Girls can learn a lot from Greta Grace, who experiences the angst of growing up — dealing with bullying, lack of confidence, honesty and betrayal—and yet surviving with the help of some unexpected friends, a few caring adults, and her inner spirituality." — Jane Wood, educator and award-winning author

Greta Grace is available from Emerald Lake Books, joannaquinn.com, your favorite local bookstore, and on Amazon.