Most Popular Books by Lisa Greenwald

Lucy Desberg is in eighth grade, and she’s determined to make this year perfect. Over the course of the year, though, her talents for makeup and problem-solving will be put to the test.On the outside, things couldn’t be better: her family’s spa is doing well, and she has a boyfriend, Yamir. But Yamir’s in high school now, and Lucy’s too embarrassed to admit that he hasn’t called her in weeks. To take her mind off him, she throws herself into planning the eighth-grade masquerade, using her makeup skills to rally her classmates. But as she soon learns, ignoring a problem does not make it go away. It’s destined to pop up at the worst possible time.Lucy’s resourcefulness will be put to the test as she grows up and starts making decisions about the type of person—and girlfriend and friend and daughter and sister—that she wants to be.

Twelve-year-old Lucy Desberg is a natural problem-solver. At her family’s struggling pharmacy, she has a line of makeover customers for every school dance and bat mitzvah. But all the makeup tips in the world won’t help save the business. If only she could find a way to make it the center of town again—a place where people want to spend time, like in the old days. Lucy dreams up a solution that could resuscitate the family business and help the environment, too. But will Lucy’s family stop fighting long enough to listen to a seventh-grader? In a starred review, Kirkus said this novel “successfully delivers an authentic and endearing portrait of the not-quite-teen experience,” and Booklist called it “a warm, uplifting debut.” Readers everywhere have responded to Lucy’s independence and initiative—not to mention her great style. F&P level: T F&P genre: RF

Rockwood Hills Junior High is known for the close-knit cliques that rule the school. When arty new girl Dina gets the opportunity to do a video project with queen bee Chelsea, she thinks this is her ticket to a great new social life. But Chelsea has bigger problems than Dina can imagine: her father has lost his job, and her family is teetering on the brink. Without knowing it, Dina might just get caught in Chelsea’s free fall. Filled with honest truths about status and self-confidence, as well as the bubbly, infectious voice Lisa Greenwald mastered in her breakout, My Life in Pink & Green, this book is sure to charm tween readers everywhere.

When a blizzard threatens to ruin Valentine’s Day, three seventh-grade friends make and distribute fortune cookies to their lonely neighbors—and confront the secrets they’ve been keeping from one another. Confident Kate doesn’t notice much but the latest gossip, and shy Georgia can’t say out loud what’s always on her mind. They’re joined by observant, careful Olivia, whose epic, single-minded crush on PBJ (real name: Phillip Becker-Jacobs) is starting to frustrate them. Using fortune cookies that mysteriously always seem to speak directly to the person who opens them, the three girls try to work together to bring some love to their building while reminding each other why they’re such good friends to begin with.

Bestselling author Lisa Greenwald''s charming middle grade novel with summertime fun, crushes, and babysitting—and a dash of magic—is a sequel perfect for fans of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and That''s So Raven. Is the magic really back? When Mille, Nora, and Bea found fortune tellers popping up in unexpected places—with eerily accurate fortunes—they reunited as best friends. Now that they''re back to being besties, they''re excited to spend the summer together outside the city. Recruited into babysitting eight-year-old triplets and staying with Millie''s family, the girls are hoping this will be their own private summer camp, one where they''re in charge, away from annoying siblings and toxic frenemies. But nothing perfect can last. When everything from homesickness and boy craziness to real estate developers threaten their summer, Millie, Nora, and Bea start stumbling upon fortune tellers in the strangest places. And once again it feels like these fortune tellers are speaking to them: Sometimes in life you just have to jump in. Speak your mind and stand up for what you believe in! You are here for a reason. If they speak up, can Millie, Nora, and Bea really save the summer—and the community—before it''s too late?

Fans of Lauren Myracle and Wendy Mass will love acclaimed author Lisa Greenwald’s new series about two best friends who kick-start middle school with a bucket list of eleven things they need to do to become AMAZING before their joint twelfth birthday party. The first day of middle school means trading in freeze tag at the pool for new schedules, fabulous outfits, and a fresh start. But for eleven-year-old Kaylan, the chaos of new locker combinations, cafeteria cliques, and potential first kisses is more than she can handle. She dreads the start of sixth grade and feels like she wants—no, needs—a winning game plan. Luckily, Kaylan and her effortlessly chill BFF, Arianna, have a fool-proof plan for tackling transitions: a list of eleven things they need to do to totally transform themselves before they both turn twelve in November. But between making guy friends, getting detention (and makeovers!), helping humanity, and having super-candid conversations with their moms about their flaws, the first 100 days of school turn out worse than Kaylan ever imagined. Kaylan and Ari forget to focus on their friendship and soon their loyalty to the list—what was meant to help them keep it together—becomes the very thing tearing their lives apart.

Daughters of 1968 is the story of French feminism between 1944 and 1981, when feminism played a central political role in the history of France. The key women during this epoch were often leftists committed to a materialist critique of society and were part of a postwar tradition that produced widespread social change, revamping the workplace and laws governing everything from abortion to marriage. The May 1968 events—with their embrace of radical individualism and antiauthoritarianism—triggered a break from the past, and the women’s movement split into two strands. One became universalist and intensely activist, the other particularist and less activist, distancing itself from contemporary feminism. This theoretical debate manifested itself in battles between women and organizations on the streets and in the courts. The history of French feminism is the history of women’s claims to individualism and citizenship that had been granted their male counterparts, at least in principle, in 1789. Yet French women have more often donned the mantle of particularism, advancing their contributions as mothers to prove their worth as citizens, than they have thrown it off, claiming absolute equality. The few exceptions, such as Simone de Beauvoir or the 1970s activists, illustrate the diversity and tensions within French feminism, as France moved from a corporatist and tradition-minded country to one marked by individualism and modernity.

DIV /div At the end of My Life in Pink & Green, Lucy Desberg had just won the grant that would save her family’s pharmacy—and turn it into a modern eco-spa. Now it’s summer, and the work has begun in earnest. Lucy figures that with the spa opening and her sister, Claudia, home, she’ll have a great summer. But her sister brings a new boyfriend, and their investor brings his extremely irritating daughter, Bevin. Plus there’s a new spa coordinator in charge of the plans, and so Lucy finds herself at loose ends. What’s a girl to do? A makeover, of course. But this time Lucy’s makeover skills might not smooth over the cracks in her happy family . . . UPraise for My Summer of Pink & Green/u "Through Lucy’s perseverance and entrepreneurial spirit, Greenwald reminds readers that dreams are worth pursuing." —Kirkus Reviews "Lucy charms readers once again with her positive attitude and dedication to beauty, make-up, and environmental well-being." —School Library Journal "My Summer of Pink and Green is a relaxing, quick-paced read... Young girls will enjoy this story filled with a strong protagonist, likeable characters, and themes of friendship." —VOYA Magazine UAward:/u Spring 2013 Kids'' Indie Next List

From Lisa Greenwald, the beloved author of the TBH and Friendship List series, and award-winning illustrator Galia Bernstein, comes Ellie''s Deli: In a Pickle, the sequel to Wishing on Matzo Ball Soup! After saving her family’s deli from going out of business, 11-year-old Ellie is ready to embark on her next mission—plan her friend’s Bat Mitzvah party—in this illustrated chapter book for young teens with 14 recipes inside. When her BFF''s cousin Charlie announces that her Bat Mitzvah venue closed and now she''s probably not going to have a Bat Mitzvah party, tenacious 11-year-old Ellie takes it upon herself to be a party planner. In fact, the whole idea inspires her to be a party planner when she grows up. How fun would that be?! But party-planning isn''t all fun and games—Ellie also has to navigate her changing middle school friendship dynamic, get good grades in school, and help renovate her family’s deli’s attic into a swanky event space. Ellie thinks she can handle everything, but soon feels like she’s, well, in a pickle. With the help of some reinforcements, like her Bubbie’s best friend, Gloria the event planner; her school advisor, Ms. Sinitz; maybe even her super annoying big sister, Anna; and her even more annoying little sister, Mabel; Ellie might just put a lid on this situation after all. Ellie’s Deli: In a Pickle! contains 40 black-and-white illustrations and 14 recipes for scrumptious foods like chocolate-covered macaroons, baked salmon, and potato curry. It’s a relatable and heartwarming story that’s all about friendship, family, and learning when to ask for help. "... 11-year-old Ellie Glantz loves her family’s kosher deli almost as much as she loves her grandparents Bubbie and Zeyda....[R]eligious practices and Yiddish words suffuse the story with a lived-in Judaism—unrelated to a specific holiday—that does not often appear in mainstream children’s books. In buoyant middle-grade fashion, Ellie and [her best friend] Ava join forces to rally the community and update the business in an effort to save the deli....A cute and concretely Jewish take on a classic storyline. (Kirkus Reviews for Ellie''s Deli: Wishing on Matzo Ball Soup!) "A fun story with believable characters and solvable problems, this easy-to-read, middle-grade book will hold the reader''s interest and provide excellent, humorous entertainment along the way. (Michael Hoschander Malen, Jewish Book Council for Ellie''s Deli: Wishing on Matzo Ball Soup!)

Remy can’t wait for another summer on Seagate Island. It’s time to bring back her successful dog-sitting business on Dog Beach and see her favorite friends. But instead of sunny days and fun in the sand, the summer is off to a rainy start. Remy and the dogs have cabin fever, and, to make matters worse, her friendship with her longtime pal, Bennett, is starting to feel complicated. What can one twelve-year-old do to create summer magic when the summer doesn’t seem to be showing up?

From Lisa Greenwald, the beloved author of the TBH and Friendship List series, comes a new series about a girl trying to save her family''s deli. Ellie’s family owns the town deli. Its official name is Lukshen Deli, but everybody calls it Ellie’s Deli. When a restaurant group threatens to move in and take over, tenacious Ellie and her BFFs must prove that matzo ball soup and sour pickles are here to stay, in this adorable new middle grade fiction series with recipes and illustrations throughout. WINNER OF THE 2023 EARPHONES AWARD (AUDIOBOOK) When Ellie accidentally overhears that her family deli is most likely going to close, she does the only thing she can think of. She makes a wish on matzo ball soup. Eleven-year-old Ellie is feisty, determined, and a little bit anxious. She considers Lukshen Deli part of the family—after all, it’s been around for four generations, ever since her great-grandmother opened it. Along with her BFF, Ava; her sisters, Anna and Mabel; her lunch buddies, Aanya, Brynn, Nina, and Sally; and her grandparents, Bubbie and Zeyda, Ellie is determined to prove that old fashioned Jewish delis can get with the times—but if her plan doesn’t work, the deli will be sold for good. Ellie’s Deli: Wishing on Matzo Ball Soup contains over 30 charming black-and-white illustrations and 14 recipes for quintessential Jewish American deli food, like challah, chicken soup, blintz souffle, and ruggelach. It’s a delightful story about sticking up for what you believe in, business ownership, friendship, and family. "A cute and concretely Jewish take on a classic storyline." - Kirkus Reviews

From Lisa Greenwald, the beloved author of the TBH and Friendship List series, comes a novel about one girl’s mission to revisit her top 5 friendship fails and prove she’s totally best friend material! Eleni is the kind of person who’s always had a BFF—an automatic, guaranteed by-her-side person—at home, at school, and at camp. And since before she was even born, her very best friend has been Sylvie Bank. But when Sylvie’s end-of-summer birthday party becomes the end of their friendship, Eleni can’t picture starting middle school without her BFF by her side. She can’t picture anything without her BFF—especially the looming school overnight. Who will she even room with? So before the big overnight, Eleni sets out on a mission: to figure out where her friendships went wrong, what’s wrong with her, and what makes a good friend. But if she’s totally honest, there’s only one real goal: to win back Sylvie Bank!

Eleven-year-old Remy loves Seagate, the island where her grandmother had a house and where her family spends every summer vacation. But this year’s different. Remy misses her dog, Danish, who recently passed away. The usual Seagate traditions don’t feel the same—and neither does her relationship with her two best friends, Micayla and Bennett. Micayla’s family is moving to Seagate year-round, and she’s spending more time with the year-round kids. Bennett’s doing “boy stuff” with new kid Calvin and his snobby sister Claire. Remy takes comfort in the company of Dog Beach—which is where she hatches her plan to bring her friends closer and recapture the Seagate magic. This start of a new series is filled with summer treats, activities, and the spirit of friendship and invention that are Greenwald’s trademarks. Praise for Welcome to Dog Beach "Remy’s quiet tale of change and growth marks a promising start to a new series." --Kirkus Reviews "Greenwald (My Summer of Pink & Green) gives Remy a candid and relatable voice in this first book in the Seagate Summers series." --Publishers Weekly "Dog devotees and aspiring entrepreneurs will find a friend and mentor in Remy, who adroitly combines her puppy love with a knack for business. She’ll also make a good companion for those self-serious tween readers looking for a little sympathy on the perplexing and often unpleasant road to adolescence." --Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

A breakup + a food truck + a whole lot of kale = the best recipe for a broken heart! Fans of Jenny Han, Morgan Matson, and Huntley Fitzpatrick will love this hilarious and heartfelt novel. When Mia’s summer starts with an epic breakup, she’s sure the rest of the vacation will be miserable. But her best friend, Justine, would never let that happen. Their plan has two parts. One: use their summer job driving a snow cone truck to keep tabs on Mia’s ex in person. Two: create a fake persona to connect with Mia’s ex online. Soon both plans have morphed into something so much bigger. Add some kale to a snow cone and they’ve got the hottest smoothie in town . . . and more money than they could have imagined. And when Mia’s ex starts falling for the online girl, there’s a revenge plot just waiting to be born. A guy who dumps a girl because he thinks her thighs are too “thick” deserves to have his heart broken by a fake girlfriend, right? All’s fair in love and smoothies. . . . Well known for My Life in Pink & Green, Lisa Greenwald has written a hilarious and refreshing take on getting over a breakup. Girls who love contemporary romance with lots of laughs will down this novel in one gulp!

Fans of Lauren Myracle and Rachel Renee Russo''s Dork Diaries will adore the third book in this laugh-out-loud series about two BFFs who master middle school with a list of thirteen goals they MUST achieve before their first summer apart. With winter break almost over and seventh grade spinning beyond their control, best friends Kaylan and Ari write a new list of 13 resolutions to make the New Year, middle school, and their friendship even more amazing before they go to separate camps next summer. But what happens when their bestie bucket list reveals issues in their friend group? Can they want totally different things and still be BFFs? Told in the alternating POVs of Ari and Kaylan—and with goals inspired by suggestions from readers—this contemporary coming-of-age story is bound to be the most heartbreaking and hilarious Friendship List yet.

Three BFFs prove that girls can do anything they set their minds to in the sixth book in this hilarious series told entirely in text messages, emojis, and passed notes. Perfect for fans of Invisible Emmie and the Dork Diaries. TBH, sometimes boys say dumb things about girls. And Cece is sick of it! When she leads a super-successful event at school to raise awareness, everyone starts looking to her to take charge—of everything. Prianka needs ideas for National Poetry Month, Victoria wants advice on volunteer projects, and Gabby needs homework help. To be honest, being a leader is fun but the pressure is OOC (out of control)! Can Cece help her friends without totally losing it herself?

An emotional trip down memory lane, author Lisa Greenwald''s playful second-chance romance is perfect for anyone who grew up reading her middle-grade books or spent fervent summers away at camp. Successful event planner Mira Erdman never expected to see Brush Hill Camp again. But these days, the old sleepaway camp in the Berkshires offers "adult" experiences for New York''s twentysomething Jewish singles. And Mira''s bubbie knows it''s the perfect place for her granddaughter to find love. Since losing her mom, Mira has basically given up on dating. But for Bubbie''s sake--and with best friend Josie at her side--she''s resigned to giving grown-up camp a try. The beer garden and coed cabins are wild, though not enough to stop the flood of old memories. And when her onetime camp crush turns up, Mira''s teenage anxieties threaten to resurface...along with a rush of other feelings. Rooted in nostalgia, You''ll Find It All Still Here weaves together themes of friendship, community, and family. Mira''s soulmate may be out there, but she''ll have to learn to love and accept herself first, with the help of those she holds dearest.

Fans of Lauren Myracle and Wendy Mass will adore the second book in this hilarious series about two BFFs who master middle school with a list of twelve goals they MUST achieve before their thirteenth birthday. Inspired by the success of their first birthday bucket list, Ari and her BFF Kaylan set twelve new goals for the next school year. And number one is “keep our friendship strong.” But after a life-changing summer at camp, Ari feels torn between Kaylan and her camp friends. And as she faces down everything from boys to bat mitzvahs, Ari needs to figure out how to be her best self—before her friends come together at her thirteenth birthday party. Or the big win she and Kaylan were hoping for may become an epic fail.

From the author of TBH and The Friendship List, Lisa Greenwald, comes a new series about the drama of middle school--and the group chat. Sadie and Olive have never been part of their class''s popular friend group. Those girls--Pella, Annabelle, Cleo, and The Other Sadie--seem like creatures from another planet. They wear the trendiest clothes, have the best hair, flirt with the cutest boys, and speak their own language. By comparison, Sadie and Olive are invisible . . . until Sadie is accidentally added to the popular girls'' group chat. Armed with an inside perspective, Sadie sets out to join the friend group--IRL--before they figure out that they''ve got the wrong Sadie.