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A review by jaylynlindley
The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson, Chris Tebbetts
4.0
The true misfortune of this book is that— according to half of the reviews on this site— it's greatly misunderstood. I read this book when I was in middle school and did not particularly enjoy it. I was an odd exception in middle school as I loved learning, liked my teachers, enjoyed the atmosphere of middle school. I didn't relate to Rafe and couldn't understand why he was acting the way he was and why he would be so intent on breaking rules.
I read this a second time as a college student for an Intro to Education class, and my perspective of the story has changed drastically. Contrary to popular belief, Patterson isn't at all promoting the idea that school is a waste of time, teachers are evil, and breaking rules is totally worth the time and effort to spice up the day. He isn't encouraging rule-breaking at all or "rewarding poor behavior". That's not the point of this story. The point of this story is to offer insight into "troubled" students, to remind us that there is so much more to every student— especially the "troublemakers". Rafe doesn't go into this endeavor just for the heck of it— he is looking for the attention, support, and care he isn't receiving at home. This story is about understanding kids and seeing past grades and failures. It's about seeing more value to students than they test scores they turn out, and seeing what they're really capable of. Furthermore, what they REALLY need.
Among students, middle school is a sort of "dark age" that is reflected upon with embarrassment and disbelief. It's a period of great change for kids where a lot more is expected of them than just a year ago, and they still have a lot of growing and maturing to do. That isn't their fault, and they're trying to figure things out. Rafe and his sixth-grade experience may not be relatable to all middle school students, but it's definitely relatable to many.
Books and stories aren't supposed to be "one size fits all", and this book wasn't necessarily meant for the parents who have reviewed here who read books to approve them for their children. This story is for the kids who don't have parents who do that for them, or might not have the time to. Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life is a perfect read for middle-grade children, and even more for older students and adults.
I read this a second time as a college student for an Intro to Education class, and my perspective of the story has changed drastically. Contrary to popular belief, Patterson isn't at all promoting the idea that school is a waste of time, teachers are evil, and breaking rules is totally worth the time and effort to spice up the day. He isn't encouraging rule-breaking at all or "rewarding poor behavior". That's not the point of this story. The point of this story is to offer insight into "troubled" students, to remind us that there is so much more to every student— especially the "troublemakers". Rafe doesn't go into this endeavor just for the heck of it— he is looking for the attention, support, and care he isn't receiving at home. This story is about understanding kids and seeing past grades and failures. It's about seeing more value to students than they test scores they turn out, and seeing what they're really capable of. Furthermore, what they REALLY need.
Among students, middle school is a sort of "dark age" that is reflected upon with embarrassment and disbelief. It's a period of great change for kids where a lot more is expected of them than just a year ago, and they still have a lot of growing and maturing to do. That isn't their fault, and they're trying to figure things out. Rafe and his sixth-grade experience may not be relatable to all middle school students, but it's definitely relatable to many.
Books and stories aren't supposed to be "one size fits all", and this book wasn't necessarily meant for the parents who have reviewed here who read books to approve them for their children. This story is for the kids who don't have parents who do that for them, or might not have the time to. Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life is a perfect read for middle-grade children, and even more for older students and adults.