Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

Rafe is bored at Hills Village Middle School with sixth grade at first, but he and his friend Leonardo the Silent invent "Operation R.A.F.E." (stands for "rules aren't for everyone"), a challenge to break every rule in his middle school handbook. He also deals with problems at home. His mother constantly works double shifts at a Swifty's Diner and barely gets to see Rafe and his sister Georgia. He has a verbally abusive stepfather-to-be named Carl (aka Bear), who "watches" over him when his mother is not home. He finds consolation in Jeanne Galletta, who is skeptical of Operation R.A.F.E. and encourages him to work on his schoolwork. Miller, also known as Miller the Killer, the school bully, stole Rafe's journal that had drawings and Operation R.A.F.E inside. Miller refused to give Rafe his journal back unless he pays $1 per page. Near the end of the book, Rafe has to go in with his mother to talk to the principal about one of the rules he broke. But when they get there, Rafe and Miller end up getting into a fight which leads to Rafe getting expelled. One of the teachers looks inside of the journal and sees the drawings. The teacher then suggests that Rafe goes to a special art school called Airbrook. The book ends with Rafe preparing to go to Airbrook.

• Rafe Khatchadorian – The main character of the story who is a sixth grader at Hills Village Middle School who does not have many friends, apart from Leo the silent.
• Leonardo the Silent – Rafe's quiet, imaginary friend who gets Rafe into trouble. Rather than being a figment of fantasy, like most imaginary friends, Leo the Silent was originally a real person – Rafe's twin brother, Leonardo, who died of meningitis when the boys were toddlers.
• Georgia Khatchadorian – Rafe's annoying younger sister who occasionally quarrels with her brother and often acts as the family tattletale whenever she hears a secret.
• Jeanne Galletta – One of Rafe's only friends in HVMS. She also tutors Rafe, who has a huge crush on her.
• Miller the Killer – The school bully. He thinks Rafe is using Operation R.A.F.E. to threaten his status as the biggest troublemaker in school. He eventually pushes Rafe to a point where he beats him up (this happens at the end of the book).
• Jules Khatchadorian – Rafe and Georgia's mother. A character attributed for making Rafe quit his game in the middle of the story. She is divorced.
• Carl "Bear" – Jules' abusive, lazy fiancé, from whom she ends up parting.
• Ms. Donatello "Dragon Lady" – A teacher of HVMS who seems mean to Rafe at first, but turns out to be nice and helps him.
• James Patterson – An older version of Rafe. Also the author.

Middle School: Get Me Out of Here! was published on May 7, 2012. It follows Rafe in his new art school as he trades Operation: R.A.F.E. for Operation: Get a Life.[1] It also featured a sneak peek at Patterson's new novel I Funny which almost serves as the series' spiritual successor in terms of style. In Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life there are the first 17 pages of Middle School: Get Me Out of Here.

On March 18, 2013, another book, this time about Georgia, Rafe's little sister, called Middle School: My Brother is a Big, Fat Liar, was released.[9]

On June 24, 2013, another book called Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill was released.[10]

After that, another book called Middle School: Ultimate Showdown was released, which did not have a story base. It was more of an activity book.

The story returned with Middle School: Save Rafe!, and was succeeded by Middle School: Just My Rotten Luck, Middle School: Dog's Best Friend, Middle School: Escape to Australia, Middle School: From Hero to Zero, Middle School: Born to Rock,Middle School: Master of Disaster and Middle School: Field Trip Fiasco.

A film adaptation was released by CBS Films in October 2016. Griffin Gluck played Rafe Khatchadorian.[11]

• James Patterson's Middle School books
• James Patterson official website