Blog Tour & Middle Grade Monday: Greta Ever After by Melissa Dassori

Greta Starr wants nothing more than to be a reporter with stories that matter, but being stuck on the most boring beat of the school paper has her feeling invisible. Then comes her twelfth birthday gift: a cuckoo clock with a wooden dancer named Lulu inside. At first it seems quirky, but when Lulu comes to life, the line between fact and fiction starts to blur.

With Lulu’s encouragement, Greta engineers stories that make her look like the star reporter she’s always dreamed of being. The problem? Those “happy endings” aren’t real, and the fallout puts her friendships on the line.

This is such a fun, modern fairytale with a slightly eerie edge, perfect for middle grade readers who love stories about ambition, magic that complicates more than it fixes, and the hard (but important) work of learning to tell the truth.

Greta Ever After

by Melissa Dassori
Published by: Christy Ottaviano Books
on August 19, 2025
Genres: Middle Grade
Bookshop
Goodreads

In this modern-day fairytale, Greta struggles to make her mark until she succumbs to the mischief of an enchanted doll.
Greta Starr has one dream: to be a famous reporter. Unfortunately she’s been assigned to write for the paper’s most boring beat, and she feels stuck. Then, on her twelfth birthday, Greta receives a mysterious cuckoo clock with a wooden dancer named Lulu inside. Every hour, the doll twirls in time with the music—until one night she comes to life. Lulu is infused with magic and mischief. With Lulu’s sly encouragement, Greta engineers a feel-good story to report, setting in motion a series of remarkable, if deceitful, happy endings at school that help Greta gain popularity. But when the truth threatens Greta’s friendships, she is confronted with very real consequences that Lulu’s magic can’t fix. 
This coming-of-age story explores the blurred line between fact and fiction as Greta realizes the key to being a great reporter—and a great friend—is striving for truth, not perfection. 

Follow the Tour

October 13th
What Emm Reads – Promotional Post
Bookcrushin – Promotional Post <– You are Here
The Clever Reader – Promotional Post

October 14th
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post
Mx. Phoebe’s Viewpoint – Review, Favorite Quotes
Books1987 – Promotional Post

October 15th
Twirling Book Princess – Promotional Post
Ilovebooksandstuffblog – Promotional Post

October 16th
Boys’ Mom Reads! – Promotional Post
The Book Dutchesses – Promotional Post

October 17th
Unconventional Quirky Bibliophile – Promotional Post
Teatime and Books – Promotional Post

October 18th
The Violet West – Creative Post
Kim’s Book Reviews and Writing Aha’s – Top 5 Reasons to Read Greta Ever After, Tik Tok

October 19th
Min Reads and Reviews – Review
the nutty bookworm reads alot – Review