Even the school principal, in our acceleration meeting, flat out said, "Middle school sucks, even for non-accelerated kids."
Gee, I wouldn't want my kid at this school. I am of the opinion that middle school does not have to suck. My DD is not finding that it sucks and I don't think her friends think it sucks either. She is a quirky kid with quirky interests, but her school is full of such kids and the school culture supports that.
I notice that many parents have kneejerk negative beliefs about middle school. Gently, I would say that I don't think this helps. If we tell our kids that kids this age suck and are mean, this may be what they look for and expect.
I do think that middle schools in this day and age vary widely, though. Some are really with it as far as being on top of anti-bullying, social inclusion, etc, while others may be stuck in the dark ages.
Re fashion, your daughters might possibly enjoy the site polyvore.com (disclaimer: you are supposed to be 13). It's sort of like online paper dolls. With such a wide range of available clothing, even kids with a very alternative style can find outfits they like. I am not at all a fashion person, but even I found it fun for a bit.
