Get Me out of Here!

August 1, 2012

Gr 5-7-Rafe Khatchadorian is artistic, uber creative, and prone to embellishing stories. In James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts's hilarious sequel (2012) to Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (2011, both Little, Brown), Rafe relates his adventures during the seventh grade. When his mother loses her job, the family is forced to move into the city with grandma. Her house is tiny and crowded, and she keeps calling Rafe by the wrong name. Rafe is accepted into the prestigious Cathedral School of the Arts, and he makes his first "real, live human friend" since starting middle school. Things are looking up, but not for long. The trouble begins with a couple of bullies at school and continues when Rafe decides to embark on a mission to "get a life." What ensues is a tale of things broken-families, water balloons, artwork, and trust. Bryan Kennedy perfectly voices Rafe, expertly navigating his ups and downs. Have the book available so students can peruse Laura Park's illustrations. This fast-paced tale of middle school mishaps and mayhem will appeal to reluctant readers and students who enjoyed Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series.-Lisa Hubler, Charles F. Brush High School, Lyndhurst, OH

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.