As Told by Ginger - TV-Y7
TV Rating: TV-Y7
Network: Nickelodeon Cast: Melissa Disney, Kenny Blank, Jeannie Elias
Genre: Children, Cartoons, & Animation
Available on: 
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Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that the main characters are three intelligent, well-adjusted junior high girls who are comfortable with themselves. Ginger's mom, Lois, provides an admirable role model as a single parent who balances work and family life and is a strong force in her kids' development. The two coolest girls in school poke some fun at Ginger and her friends, but it only serves to reinforce their strong self-esteem, which is a consistent theme of the show.
Families can talk about the pressure to be part of the "in" crowd. How important is it to be accepted among the so-called "cool kids"? What if being cool meant doing or saying things at others' expense? Which group of kids on this show would you rather be friends with? Why? Parents also can talk about Ginger's relationship with Lois. What do you admire about Ginger's mom? What's important in the relationship between parent and child?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Emily Ashby
For 12-year-old Ginger Foutley (voiced by Melissa Disney) and her best friends Dodie Bishop and Macie Lightfoot (Aspen Miller and Jackie Harris), not much is lucky about Lucky Junior High School. On the "coolness" scale, the trio teeters toward the nerdy end, making them the victims of some nasty teasing by the two most popular girls in school -- snobby Miranda Killgallen (Cree Summer) and wealthy Courtney Gripling (Liz Georges). Ginger, Dodie, and Macie's constant desire to climb the popularity ladder is offset by their realization that, in the end, self-acceptance and unconditional friendship matter more than the opinions of their peers.
Produced by the creators of the Rugrats media franchise, AS TOLD BY GINGER is a multi-dimensional look at the life of a preteen girl pulled between being true to herself and succumbing to the demands of popularity. She's helped along the way by her single mom, Lois (Laraine Newman), who is Ginger's confidante and a wealth of advice. Their enviable relationship is the foundation for Ginger's strong values.
Viewers are privy to Ginger's insights through her chats with Dodie and Macie, as well as through the poetry she writes. The show's theme song came from one of those poems:
"Someone once told me the grass is much greener on the other side...
From where I'm standing, my grass is green."
Lessons like that are worth learning, and they're exactly the kind of messages viewers will get from this show -- which makes it a winner for kids ages 7 and up.
Fans will also enjoy the animated Ginger movie Far From Home, which finds Ginger away at art school, as well as All Grown Up, which follows the Rugrats crowd to middle school. Tween viewers will find live-action school-related entertainment in Hannah Montana.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentBoy/girl relationships are mentioned, but nothing physical is shown. |
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Social BehaviorGinger's mom is a single parent who works hard but always puts her kids first. The school's demographics are fairly well rounded, and although snobby Miranda is African-American, there's no racism whatsoever. |
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