Over 2 million copies sold of the #1 New York Times and Indiebound bestseller! Don't miss the book behind the major motion picture! In the hilarious and awkward start to this mega-bestselling series, beloved misfit Rafe Khatchadorian takes on his first year of middle school...by breaking all the rules! Rafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, he's got a foolproof plan for the best year ever, if only he can pull it off: break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class--5,000 points! Running in the hallway--10,000 points! But when Rafe's game starts to catch up with him, he'll have to decide if winning is all that matters, or if he's finally ready to face the rules, bullies, and truths he's been avoiding. Beloved #1 bestselling author James Patterson's debut middle-grade novel addresses some of middle schoolers' biggest issues: bullies, first crushes, and finding out what makes each of us special, all with a hilarious main character and fantastic in-text illustrations that will have young readers begging for more! *"Patterson artfully weaves a deeper and more thought-provoking tale of childhood coping mechanisms and everyday school and family realities."--School Library Journal (starred review) Editorial Reviews For Rafe Khatchadorian, middle school is a boring, annoying distraction. To transcend the doldrums, he's devised a plan to outflank the oppressive administration: He has vowed to break every rule in the school's straightjacket Student Code of Conduct. At first, it's fun; then things gets much too serious, much too soon. A James Patterson-concocted comic journal story with Diary of a Wimpy Kid-like echoes. Now in trade paperback. - "There is substance as well as appeal here.... Patterson deftly manages the pace of revelations that take readers deeper into Rafe's fragile trust.... Readers ready for something else in the same vein but more substantive than Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Peirce's Big Nate should be introduced to Rafe." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Cleverly delves into the events that make middle school so awkward: cranky bus drivers, tardy slips, bathroom passes and lots of rules.... Hopefully, this isn't the last we hear from Rafe Khatchadorian." - The Associated Press "It's a chatty, funny, engaging book, one that often addresses the reader directly. It's filled with energetic cartoons... that will appeal to your little rebel, depicting teachers as dungeon-keepers, matadors and flying dragons. Patterson... knows how to structure a plot and builds in some surprising--even touching--twists.... Rafe is the bad boy with a heart of gold." - The New York Times Patterson turns from the governmental oppression of his Witch & Wizard series to a more everyday form: the social and academic confines of middle school. Emboldened by his friend Leo, newly minted sixth-grader Rafe Khatchadorian embarks on a plan to break every one of his school's rules, frustrating his teachers, causing his grades to suffer, and landing him in detention. Things aren't any better at home, due to the constant, unpleasant presence of "Bear," who Rafe's mother is dating. Park's cartoons are pitch-perfect and do their share of storytelling, sometimes betraying the gap between Rafe's version of events and reality (in one scene, a teacher, portrayed as a dragon, screams, "I don't want to eat you. Just talk to me"). The subject matter gets surprisingly dark, particularly regarding Bear's emotional abusiveness and two twists involving Rafe's relationship with Leo, though the latter arrives so late its impact is weakened. But the book's ultrashort chapters, dynamic artwork, and message that "normal is boring" should go a long way toward assuring kids who don't fit the mold that there's a place for them, too. Ages 8-12. (June) - Publishers Weekly Praise for Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life A #1 New York Times Bestseller A #1 Indiebound Bestseller A 2010 Oregon Children's Choice Award Winner A 2012 Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Readers A 2013 Hawaii's Children's Choice Award Winner A 2013 ALSC Summer Reading List Book A 2014 Oregon Reader's Choice Award Nominee A 2014 ALSC Summer Reading List Book *"Patterson artfully weaves a deeper and... thought-provoking tale of childhood coping mechanisms and everyday school and family realities.... Hand this book to misbehaving, socially awkward, or disengaged boys and girls.... It might help them believe that there is a place for them in the world, no matter how dire times may seem in the present."-School Library Journal, starred review "A keen appreciation of kids' insecurities and an even more astute understanding of what might propel boy readers through a book.... a perfectly pitched novel."-Los Angeles Times "The book's... dynamic artwork, and message that 'normal is boring' should go a long way toward assuring kids who don't fit the mold that there's a place for them, too."-Publishers Weekly "Incredibly detailed and imaginative illustrations... add depth and humor.... an enjoyable story that even the most reluctant readers should enjoy."-Library Media Connection - From the Publisher Narrator Bryan Kennedy animates the angst and glory of Rafe Khatchadorian's first year in middle school. With quick changes in pitch and pacing, Kennedy matches the roller coaster of events recounted in Rafe's sketchbook, which details his attempt to break every rule in school. Rafe and his imaginary friend, Leo the Silent, make one rule: No one gets hurt. That rule is what makes Rafe different from his soon-to-be-stepfather, Bear. As Rafe ponders the turmoil of his life, he tries to decide what it means to be good or bad when he's always in trouble either way. With or without the accompanying PDF of Rafe's sketches (downloadable and available on the last CD), Kennedy's performance achieves a vivid rendering of Rafe's art in the listener's mind. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine - AUGUST 2011 - AudioFile