Book: Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

by James Patterson

Length: 320 pages

Format: Paperback
Price: $3 at the Scholastic book sale!

How I heard about it: this is one of those books you hear about simply because kids like it

Basic Premise: Rafe Khatchadorian is just a regular middle schooler looking for a way to fit in.  When he sits through an all-school assembly on the school handbook full of rules, he thinks he finds it by issuing a challenge to himself to break every single rule in the book by the end of the year.

My Take: 5 out of 10 (scale here)
Ehhhh.

This is a book my boys will love.  They will like Rafe because he is funny, interesting, and has guts.  They will also really enjoy all the pictures, which I have to admit, I enjoyed too.  This is a great book for lower and reluctant readers.  Personally, I finished the book because, well, I had to.  The book I really wanted (Vote by Gary Paulsen - the last one from my list!) hadn't arrived yet and this one was on my shelf...plus, I needed a break from heavy, serious reading after Rose Under Fire.  I have gotten myself in the habit of reading for pleasure every day (THANK YOU, SUMMER!) and I wasn't about to waste the time.  So, there you have it.  A fun book...but not a great one for me.  Definitely one I will recommend to students, though.