Middle School

Gr 5–8—After being expelled from sixth grade in Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life (Little, Brown, 2011), Rafe Khatchadorian plans to turn himself around at an art school but meets an unexpected snag. The school is in a big city where his grandmother lives, and when his mother loses her job, they move in with her. Being the new kid takes its toll on Rafe's good intentions, and he soon runs afoul of the principal for tossing water balloons off the school roof onto students who criticized his artwork. The main narrative follows Rafe's efforts to keep his promise to his mother—and himself—to stay out of trouble. His dicey influences include Matt, his first school friend; and Silent Leo, Rafe's imaginary best friend and spirit of his deceased twin brother. Park's perfectly placed, detailed, humorous illustrations capture Rafe's struggles as well as his wild imagination and wry observations. The art often replaces the text entirely, effectively conveying the story for an entire chapter. A subplot involving Rafe's father, who left the family when his son was four years old, reflects the boy's growing maturity: "Like maybe if I could find out more about who my father was, I might find out more about me too." Patterson and Tebbetts have created strong characters and relationships throughout the novel. Rafe has his triumphs and failures, but he's a realistic kid whom readers would want as a friend and coconspirator.—M. Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY