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Middle School Series Reading Order.

Quick Answer

Start Middle School Series by James Patterson with "The Worst Years Of My Life", then follow the publication sequence. This order preserves the intended narrative twists and world-building progression.

Rafe Khatchadorian attempts to break every single rule in his middle school's code of conduct.

Reader's Guide

This series spans 11 main titles released between 2011 and 2022. For the best experience, we recommend following the Publication Order below to preserve key plot reveals.

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Official Verdict

Short Answer:
Start with "The Worst Years Of My Life"

To experience the narrative as intended, read the main sequence in Publication Order.Ignore novellas and side stories until you finish the first 3 core novels. This resolves all timeline confusion and preserves every major twist.

Community Consensus

High Debate

"The comments analyze reading orders for two distinct fantasy series: the Realm of the Elderlings (RotE, featuring Fitz, Farseer, Tawny Man, Liveship) and the Drizzt/Forgotten Realms series (featuring Dark Elf and Icewind Dale). For RotE, the recommended order is generally publication order (all 5 series). However, if following only the Fitz books, the third series (Tawny Man) is absolutely essential and unskippable before the fifth series (Fitz and the Fool). The second series (Liveship Traders) is widely praised for quality and highly recommended, but considered optional for understanding the bare minimum Fitz plot. For the Drizzt series, the recommendation is split between chronological order (Dark Elf Trilogy first) and publication order (Icewind Dale Trilogy first). Many detailed comments suggest starting with Icewind Dale (publication order) as the books were designed to be read this way, followed by Dark Elf, and then proceeding in overall publication order."

Key Reddit Advice

If reading the Realm of the Elderlings (Fitz books), Tawny Man (the third series) is a mandatory read before the final trilogy. For Drizzt, read either Icewind Dale or Dark Elf trilogy first, then follow publication order for subsequent books.

Why This Order Is Confusing

Many reading lists for Middle School Series conflict because early publishers often labeled short story collections as standalone novels, or rearranged internal chronologies for marketing. This guide follows original author intent and narrative continuity to settle the debate for good.

Can I skip the short stories?

Technically yes, but we strongly advise against it for Middle School Series. The shorter volumes often establish the core character motivations and world-building that the main saga assumes you already know.

I watched the show/movie first — where should I start?

Ignore the screen adaptations' timeline. Start with "The Worst Years Of My Life" to see the original depth of the world. The books offer a significantly different (and usually more complete) experience than the on-screen versions.

Why do people disagree on the order?

Disagreement usually stems from the conflict between purely chronological order and publication order. Most long-term fans recommend publication order to preserve the emotional arc and mystery reveals.

Curator's Strategy

Recommended Reading Order Strategy

The authoritative way to read the "Middle School Series" series is in Publication Order. Start with the first published book. It's the way the author intended the world to be revealed.This ensures you experience character reveals and plot twists exactly as the author intended.

Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Reading Order11 Titles

Why Publication Order?We recommend reading in Publication Order (default). This follows the author's release schedule, ensuring you experience plot twists, character growth, and world-building exactly as intended without spoilers.
Best Start Here
1

Rafe Khatchadorian : héros tragique. Et avec l'entrée en 6e, ça ne s'est pas arrangé. Rafe collectionne gaffes, bévues et boulettes. Il a beau faire de son mieux, tout va mal. Mais Rafe n'est pas un dégonflé et décide que la 6e sera l'année de l'Opération R.A.F.E. Son plan ? Enfreindre un par un tous les articles du règlement intérieur : mâcher du chewing-gum en classe, courir dans les couloirs, activer l'alarme incendie. Rafe sait qu'il joue un jeu dangereux, pourtant il semble prêt à tout pour faire exploser le règlement ! Désespéré par ses nombreuses maladresses, Rafe Khatchadorian décide à l'occasion de son passage en classe de 6e de prendre les devants en enfreignant volontairement tous les points du règlement intérieur de son collège.

2

Big Fat Liar

Pub: 2019

Plot details hidden until you finish "The Worst Years Of My Life".

Please Note That The Following Individual Books As Per Original ISBN and Cover Image In this Listing shall be Dispatched Collectively :Middle School 7 Books Collection Set by JamesMiddle Dog's BestIt's a dog-eat-dog world, and Rafe Khatchadorian is just trying to live in it. Life in middle school is finally starting to seem bearable - until Rafe spots his grandmother standing in the free-meal line at the local soup kitchen.Just My RottenIn this seventh Middle School episode, Rafe heads back to the place his misadventures the dreaded Hills Village Middle School, where he's now being forced to take 'special' classes...Middle SaveAfter a rough summer, Rafe is heading back to the dreaded Hills Village Middle School, the site of the very worst years of his life.How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and SnakeRafe Khatchadorian, the hero of the bestselling Middle School series, is ready for a fun summer at camp - until he finds out it's a summer school camp!My Brother Is a Big, FatGeorgia Khatchadorian plans to excel at Hills Village Middle School in all the places her troublemaking brother failed.She's even bet him that she'll quickly become one of the most popular girls in school.Middle School Get Me Out ofAfter sixth grade, the very worst year of his life, Rafe Khatchadorian thinks he has it made in seventh grade. He's been accepted to art school in the big city and imagines a math-and-history-free fun zone.The Worst Years of MyRafe Khatchadorian has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix. Luckily, he's got an ace plan for the best year ever, if he can pull it off.

3

Plot details hidden until you finish "Big Fat Liar".

4

Camping Chaos!

Pub: 2014Optional

Plot details hidden until you finish "Middle School: Save Rafe!".

Frank and Joe do their best to avoid a camping catastrophe in this Hardy Brothers Secret Files adventure.Frank and Joe are excited to go camping with their friends in Bayport State Park for the annual “Fun With Camping” event. They are ready for hiking, bonfires, and s’mores—and especially for the tent decorating competition, which the boys are determined to win. But just a few nights into the trip, decorations start to go missing. First Frank and Joe hear strange noises outside their tent. Then they see a set of unique footprints at the campsite. It seems like someone—or something—is out to sabotage the decorating contest. Can Joe and Frank figure out who the campsite culprit could be?

5

Plot details hidden until you finish "Camping Chaos!".

6

Plot details hidden until you finish "Middle School: My Brother Is a Big Fat Liar".

7

Plot details hidden until you finish "Middle School: The Legend of Spud McGhee".

From blockbuster author James Patterson comes the third installment in the #1 New York Times bestselling Middle School series! Georgia Khatchadorian-the sister of Rafe, the star of the first two Middle School books-plans to excel at Hills Village Middle School in all the places her troublemaking brother failed. She's even bet him that she'll quickly become one of the most popular girls in school, but no one will give her a chance! Even worse, Rafe has sneakily set her up to embarrass herself in front of the snooty "Princesses" who run the school and the boy who's caught her eye. Will she be able to overcome her fears and win her bet with Rafe? Find out THE TRUTH about Rafe Khatchadorian's sister in the first Middle School story from the point of view of the hilarious Georgia—a girl who's ready to speak her mind! Previously published as Middle School: My Brother is a Big Fat Liar.

8

Plot details hidden until you finish "Middle School: Big Fat Liar".

TOUCHDOWN! James Patterson will have kids busting out laughing as they follow lovable bad-boy Rafe's struggles to score big on the field-and in the social scene! In this seventh Middle School episode, Rafe heads back to the place his misadventures began: the dreaded Hills Village Middle School, where he's now being forced to take "special" classes. He also finds himself joining the school's football team-alongside his main tormenter, Miller the Killer! But Rafe has grand plans for a better year: First, he decides to start a super-secret art project that's sure to rock the school. Then, if Rafe manages to make a play to save his team, he might have to deal with something completely new: popularity!

9

Plot details hidden until you finish "Middle School: Just My Rotten Luck".

James Patterson’s bestselling Middle School series heads Down Under! Life is finally starting to look up for everyone's favourite troublemaker, Rafe Khatchadorian. Since his stint at The Program, a kind of prison camp in the woods for 'wayward students', he's managed to stay enrolled at Hills Valley Middle School for more than a minute. And when Rafe wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Australia, he can’t quite believe his luck. That is, until his dreams of beaches, surfer chicks and cuddly koala bears go horribly wrong. Australia isn’t exactly the island paradise Rafe imagined. And nobody mentioned the zombies! Can a group of social misfits show Rafe a different side of Australia and encourage him to be the great artist he was born to be? Or will Rafe’s plan for holiday revenge end up being his worst idea ever?

10

Superhero

Pub: 2021Optional

Plot details hidden until you finish "Middle School Rafe's Aussie Adventure".

Inner city middle school student Kenny Wright imagines himself as a superhero-but when he faces peer pressure and bullying, can he find his strength in real life? Kenny Wright is a kid with a secret identity. In his mind, he's Stainlezz Steel, super-powered defender of the weak. In reality, he's a chess club devotee known as a "Grandma's Boy," a label that makes him an easy target for bullies. Kenny wants to bring a little more Steel to the real world, but the question is: can he recognize the real strength and goodness inside himself? Or will peer pressure force him to make the worst choice of his life? Interspersed with fantastic illustrations and comic-book panels, this book aims to both entertain and to provoke dialogue about identity, belonging, and doing the right thing.

11

Plot details hidden until you finish "Superhero".

When a lifelong friendship just isn't long enough, two friends connect from beyond the grave in this heartwarming ghost story from a New York Times bestselling author. One minute, Finn was biking home from school, and the next, he was run off the road by a maniac in a big van. Now, he's a ghost. He can do lots of fun things, like try every ice cream flavor in the store, sneak up on people, and play as many video games as he wants. Finn even has a new ghost friend, Isabella, to show him the ropes. But he also has a lot of BIG questions, like: Who wanted him dead? And can he stop the maniac from striking again? Packed with hilarious moments, epic friendships, and fun art, Best Nerds Forever celebrates the nerd in each of us and the joy of living life to its fullest.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to skip books in the Middle School Series series?

We recommend ignoring novellas and short stories until you finish the core sequence. However, main sequence novels should never be skipped as they contain critical character development and plot progression.

What is the best order to read Middle School Series?

The final answer for the best experience is to start with "The Worst Years Of My Life" and proceed in publication order. This sequence preserves character developments and plot reveals exactly as James Patterson intended.

Can I read Middle School Series books in any order?

No. The main narrative is strictly sequential. Skipping volumes or reading out of order will lead to significant plot spoilers and confusion regarding character arcs.

Are there spin-offs or companion books?

Yes, the Middle School Series universe includes several companion works. These are marked as 'Optional' in our guide and can be read at any time without disrupting the main storyline.