Today I chat with Ginger Garrett, author of Name Tags and Other Sixth-Grade Disasters, about inspiration, bullying, and selfies, and how to start a teen writer's club in your school or library. 

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.

Praise for Name Tags and Other Sixth-Grade Disasters

"Disasters averted in this realistic yet amusing take on sixth grade life."—Kirkus Reviews

"Fun, funny, and fully heartfelt. Everyone needs true-blue friends like Lizbeth's. SuperChicken for life." —Kristin L. Gray, author of The Amelia Six and Vilonia Beebe Takes Charge

"One of those books that explores difficult topics—divorce, a new school, being dubbed a "weirdo"—with grace and good humor." —Rebecca Petruck, author of Boy Bites Bug and Steering Toward Normal

"This hilarious and heartfelt gem is moving straight to my "favorites" shelf." —Lisa Lewis Tyre, author of Last in a Long Line of Rebels and Hope in the Holler

You can find Ginger online at her website, on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and don't miss her resources on Pinterest.

Here's a link to the Google Classroom collection of selfies that we discussed, as well as the awesome Calculus Roundtable that Ginger is involved with. 

Music credits

"Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/