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    Name Tags and Other Sixth-Grade Disasters misses the mark

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    By Jessica on September 24, 2020 ages 9 & up, Middle Grade
    Name Tags Sixth-Grade DisastersNAME TAGS AND OTHER SIXTH-GRADE DISASTERS, by Ginger Garrett, Carolrhoda Books, Sept. 1, 2020, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 9 and up)

    A sixth-grader must come to terms with her changing family life while juggling the social pressures of a new school in Ginger Garrett’s Name Tags and Other Sixth-Grade Disasters.

    Twelve-year-old Lizbeth always has a plan, and those plans have usually worked ― until now. No matter what she tries, she can’t get rid of her dad’s new girlfriend, Claire. And when she and her mom move, Lizbeth has to join a sixth-grade class already in progress, where her teacher makes her wear a name tag and she’s seated with three notorious “weirdos.”

    When faced with mandatory participation in a school talent show, Lizbeth and the Weirdos decide to create self-portraits. Reluctantly, Lizbeth finds herself becoming friends with people she thought she had nothing in common with ― and coming to terms with the things she can’t control. —Synopsis provided by Carolrhoda Books

    The premise of Name Tags and Other Sixth-Grade Disasters is strong and the humor laced throughout is a bonus, but it wasn’t as good as I had hoped.

    While Lizbeth is supposed to be a sympathetic character, dealing with her parents’ divorce and bullies at school, she’s no gem herself. In fact, her interactions with the adults in her life make her just as much a bully. Her behavior is so off-putting, I almost walked away from the book. She does grow and learn more about herself as the book progresses, but it’s not a book I’d pass on to my own child when she’s old enough to read it.

    Ginger Garrett is a solid writer, and I can see how this book may appeal to some middle-graders, but with so many other good options, I’d call this a library read at best.

     

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    Jessica Harrison is the main reviewer behind Cracking the Cover. Prior to creating Cracking the Cover, Jessica worked as the in-house book critic for the Deseret News, a daily newspaper in Salt Lake City. Jessica also worked as a copy editor and general features writer for the paper. Following that, Jessica spent two years with an international company as a social media specialist. Jessica is currently a freelance writer/editor. In 2023, she was selected to be one of the first-round judges for the Cybils Awards — middle-grade fiction. She is passionate about reading and giving people the tools to make informed decisions in their own book choices.

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