July 1, 2025 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Copy provided by the publisher
It is VERY hard to be Lottie, who is not quite twelve. She is starting a new school, and hopes that things will go better than they did at her old school, even though this isn't likely, since her best friend Molly has moved to Australia. Lottie has acquired a lot of unflattering nicknames in her day, and manages to embarrass herself at Six Green. She obsessed constantly about things like wearing a bra, getting highlights in her hair, and wearing her clothing in just the way that everyone else does, but always manages to mess things up just a bit. She's worried that she won't have any friends at all, but does manage to meet Poppy, who is a lot of fun. There is plenty of embarassment in her family life as well; her parents called her "Lottie Potty", her younger brother is just rude, and to make matters unbearable, her mother is pregnant... and she's over 40! While Lottie makes plans to improve her life, and perhaps catch the attention of the gorgeous Theo, she never seems to do the right thing. That is, until the cool and popular Amber and Jess want to hang out with her and Poppy. This fits in with Lottie's wish to be popular as well, even though Amber has a crush on Theo, so Lottie has to give hers up. The Queens of Six Green go shopping, have sleepovers, and plan what they are going to do at the school dance. Lottie continues obsessing over a variety of things, like following people on Instagram (Should she? Shouldn't she? Will her parents even let her keep her account?), getting her period and using deodorant, wondering if Molly is having too good a time in Australia and will forget her, and losing her WiFi privileges after a scheme goes wrong. Will she be able to survive until the new year? Six there are already six books about Lottie out in the UK, it looks likely that she will!
Strengths: Oh, poor Lottie. While there are some big, life changing things going on in her world (changing schools, friend moving away, mother having a new baby), it's the smaller, daily embarrassments that really hit home. These are portrayed in a very realistic way; her struggles with improper use of hair conditioner and resultant greasy hair took me right back to my own daughter's sixth grade year, when I had to have her walk me through exactly how she was washing her hair... there was no shampoo, only conditioner, and not enough rinsing! The friendships are also described in a way that will resonate with many readers, and Lottie's struggles with Amber and Jess will be all too understandable to anyone who has thought of dumping a less popular friend in favor of people who are mean. There is plenty of humor in the book, and both parents are alive! The diary format, which sometimes includes conversations in text, as well as the stick figure illustrations, will appeal to today's readers who love graphic novels.
Weaknesses: This book was published about four years ago in the UK, and there are a few things that seemed a little dated. It's a hard line to walk; it's good to have some cultural touch points and descriptions of fashion, but the tween world moves quickly! This is also a bit on the long side, at over 400 pages. I'll have to open the book and show students that the text is large, and the inclusion of pictures are what makes this look like quite a long book.
What I really think: This is a more realistic version of Amores and Cosgrove's The Worst Week Ever, or an updated but younger version of the classic Georgia Nicholson tales (1999) by the late Louise Rennison. It addresses the anxiety of starting middle school (secondary school, since this is a UK title) in the same way that Vivat's Frazzled or Scrivan's Nat Enough do.
Weaknesses: This book was published about four years ago in the UK, and there are a few things that seemed a little dated. It's a hard line to walk; it's good to have some cultural touch points and descriptions of fashion, but the tween world moves quickly! This is also a bit on the long side, at over 400 pages. I'll have to open the book and show students that the text is large, and the inclusion of pictures are what makes this look like quite a long book.
What I really think: This is a more realistic version of Amores and Cosgrove's The Worst Week Ever, or an updated but younger version of the classic Georgia Nicholson tales (1999) by the late Louise Rennison. It addresses the anxiety of starting middle school (secondary school, since this is a UK title) in the same way that Vivat's Frazzled or Scrivan's Nat Enough do.
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