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Middle School Series (Rafe Khatchadourian) Reading Order.

Quick Answer

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

Follows the misadventures of Rafe Khatchadourian as he navigates the trials of middle school life.

Reader's Guide

This series spans 13 main titles released between 2012 and 2015. 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 "Middle School, 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.

Why This Order Is Confusing

Many reading lists for Middle School Series (Rafe Khatchadourian) 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 (Rafe Khatchadourian). 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 "Middle School, 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 (Rafe Khatchadourian)" 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 Order13 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

It's Rafe Khatchadorian's first day at Hills Village Middle School, and it's shaping up to be the worst year ever. He has enough problems at home without throwing his first year of middle school into the mix, but luckily he's got an ace plan for the best year ever--if only he can pull it off. With his best friend Leonardo the Silent awarding him points, Rafe tries to break every rule in his school's oppressive Code of Conduct. Chewing gum in class--5,000 points! Running in the hallway--10,000 points! Pulling the fire alarm--50,000 points!But not everyone thinks Rafe's plan is a good idea, especially not the teachers, parents, and bullies who keep getting in his way. Will Rafe decide that winning is the only thing that matters? Are things about to go from magic to tragic? Find out in this hilarious--and heartwarming--#1 New York Times bestselling hit! Includes a FREE POSTER, a teaser to the upcoming I Funny, and over 100 illustrations!

2

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

Rafe croyait que la 6e avait été la pire année de sa vie. Mais avec cette année de 5e qui commence, il s'apprête à connaître le pire du pire ! Sa mère perd son emploi et la famille doit déménager. Voilà Rafe inscrit dans le collège d'une grande ville où, comme il dit, les élèves tels que lui finissent immanquablement en chair à pâté ! Heureusement, grâce à son ancienne prof d'anglais, Rafe est à la dernière minute accepté dans une école d'Art. Mais c'est loin d'être le paradis ! La compétition entre les élèves est rude, les camarades de Rafe sont soit des snobs soit de véritables brutes. Pour tenir bon, il se lance un nouveau défi : l'Opération Vis Ta Vie. Pour se choisir la vie la plus intéressante possible, Rafe va pouvoir faire toutes les expériences qu'il n'a pas faites jusqu'à présent? même les pires. Vous pensiez qu'il ne pouvait pas y avoir, pire que la 6e ? Pire que pire P Vous vous trompiez ! Ma mère a perdu son travail, Alors on a dû déménager chez ma grand-mère, Par miracle, je me retrouve accepté dans une école d'Art réputée, Allez pas imaginer que c'est le paradis : tous les autres élèves sont soit des snobs pourris gâtés, soit des vraies brutes épaisses, je ne vous parle même pas des devoirs, de la compétition, de la honte... Pour tenir bon, pas le choix, j'ai dû me lancer un nouveau défi : l'Opération Vis Ta Vie. J'avais envie d'avoir une vie super intéressante, de tout recommencer à zéro. Alors je me suis mis à faire tous les trucs que j'avais jamais faits avant. Même les pires !

3

Plot details hidden until you finish "Middle School, Get Me Out Of Here!".

Georgia Khatchadorian plans to succeed at Hills Village Middle School in all the places her troublemaker brother failed.

4

Plot details hidden until you finish "My Brother Is A Big, Fat Liar".

When Rafe Khatchadorian is sent to Camp Wannamorra, he teams up with his bunkmates to fend off the more popular kids' plans to ruin their summer

5

Ultimate Showdown

Pub: 2019Optional

Plot details hidden until you finish "How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli And Snake Hill".

Opinionated siblings Rafe and Georgia Khatchadorian debate a variety of topics relating to the ups and downs of middle school life and encourage readers to add their own contributions through write-in games and activities.

6

Save Rafe

Pub: 2019

Plot details hidden until you finish "Ultimate Showdown".

Après un été mouvementé, Rafe doit retourner au collège. Il pensait qu'il n'y avait rien de pire que la rentrée des classes, mais il se trompait : le pire c'est de devoir se battre pour entrer dans une classe ! Car son nouveau collège a fermé ses portes pour de bon, et son ancien collège refuse de le réintégrer dans ses rangs. A moins qu'il participe à un « programme intensif pour élèves indisciplinés ». Autrement dit, Rafe se voir promettre la semaine la plus dure de sa vie. Finalement, pouvoir retrouver les bancs de l'école, ce serait le rêve ! [payot.ch]

7

Plot details hidden until you finish "Save Rafe".

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!

8

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

Please Note That The Following Individual Books As Per Original ISBN and Cover Image In this Listing shall be DispatchedMiddle School Series Books 10 - 13 Collection Set by JamesMiddle From Hero toAfter a mostly-successful stint at Hills Village Middle School, Rafe is excited to visit the incredible city of London with his class. Sightseeing around a foreign country sounds like a blast, until Rafe finds out his roommate will be none other than Miller the Killer, bully extraordinaire!Middle Born toIt's not easy being Rafe Khatchadorian's sister. He's got quite a reputation around school, and Georgia's got it hard enough as is! With a super secret crush on her classmate Sam Marks, a Rube Goldberg machine challenge to dominate, and constant confrontations with vicious Missy Trillin and her evil Princess Patrol to look forward to, Georgia can't help but throw all her energy into the one thing that makes her her kick-butt, all-girl rock band, We Stink!Middle Master ofRafe and Jimmy, two misunderstood troublemakers, are finally up to something good. They're in charge of a huge celebration of books and reading – but when a small issue snowballs into a big problem that threatens to derail the whole event, they need to work fast to keep things on track!Middle Field TripGUESS WHERE I'M GOING? ON AN ALL-EXPENSES-PAID ART TRIP TO CALIFORNIA! And it's going to be awesome.I can't wait to see the big Hollywood sign, walk right past celebrities on the streets, and go to a red-carpet movie premiere.And this time, nothing's going to go wrong! Famous last words, right? Well, let's just say there's actually no Hollywood on my trip, but there is camping, diamond thieves, and a big, hungry crocodile.

9

Plot details hidden until you finish "From Hero To Zero".

Please Note That The Following Individual Books As Per Original ISBN and Cover Image In this Listing shall be DispatchedMiddle School Series Books 10 - 13 Collection Set by JamesMiddle From Hero toAfter a mostly-successful stint at Hills Village Middle School, Rafe is excited to visit the incredible city of London with his class. Sightseeing around a foreign country sounds like a blast, until Rafe finds out his roommate will be none other than Miller the Killer, bully extraordinaire!Middle Born toIt's not easy being Rafe Khatchadorian's sister. He's got quite a reputation around school, and Georgia's got it hard enough as is! With a super secret crush on her classmate Sam Marks, a Rube Goldberg machine challenge to dominate, and constant confrontations with vicious Missy Trillin and her evil Princess Patrol to look forward to, Georgia can't help but throw all her energy into the one thing that makes her her kick-butt, all-girl rock band, We Stink!Middle Master ofRafe and Jimmy, two misunderstood troublemakers, are finally up to something good. They're in charge of a huge celebration of books and reading – but when a small issue snowballs into a big problem that threatens to derail the whole event, they need to work fast to keep things on track!Middle Field TripGUESS WHERE I'M GOING? ON AN ALL-EXPENSES-PAID ART TRIP TO CALIFORNIA! And it's going to be awesome.I can't wait to see the big Hollywood sign, walk right past celebrities on the streets, and go to a red-carpet movie premiere.And this time, nothing's going to go wrong! Famous last words, right? Well, let's just say there's actually no Hollywood on my trip, but there is camping, diamond thieves, and a big, hungry crocodile.

10

Plot details hidden until you finish "Master Of Disaster".

In this hilarious installment of the bestselling Middle School series, Rafe faces a cranky crocodile, a quirky campout, and a dastardly diamond plot in his most topsy-turvy adventure yet. Things have quieted down for lovable troublemaker Rafe Khatchadorian, and after all the mishaps and adventures he's been through, he's feeling a little restless. So when he's invited to attend an all-expenses-paid art field trip in California, Rafe jumps at the opportunity. But things go sideways, as they always do for Rafe, when he arrives and realizes his trip isn't the Hollywood vacation he thought it would be. Instead, he'll be participating in a "Cultural Campout" in the desert. What follows is a series of unfortunate events that only Rafe could find himself in, including an encounter with a cranky crocodile, a claustrophobic trip into an ancient cave, and a set of ancient cave paintings that may or may not have been faked. To make matters worse, Rafe finds himself smack dab in the middle of a plot to smuggle a legendary missing diamond. Has he finally stumbled his way into an adventure he can't get himself out of?

11

Born To Rock

Pub: 2021

Plot details hidden until you finish "Field Trip Fiasco".

Please Note That The Following Individual Books As Per Original ISBN and Cover Image In this Listing shall be DispatchedMiddle School Series Books 10 - 13 Collection Set by JamesMiddle From Hero toAfter a mostly-successful stint at Hills Village Middle School, Rafe is excited to visit the incredible city of London with his class. Sightseeing around a foreign country sounds like a blast, until Rafe finds out his roommate will be none other than Miller the Killer, bully extraordinaire!Middle Born toIt's not easy being Rafe Khatchadorian's sister. He's got quite a reputation around school, and Georgia's got it hard enough as is! With a super secret crush on her classmate Sam Marks, a Rube Goldberg machine challenge to dominate, and constant confrontations with vicious Missy Trillin and her evil Princess Patrol to look forward to, Georgia can't help but throw all her energy into the one thing that makes her her kick-butt, all-girl rock band, We Stink!Middle Master ofRafe and Jimmy, two misunderstood troublemakers, are finally up to something good. They're in charge of a huge celebration of books and reading – but when a small issue snowballs into a big problem that threatens to derail the whole event, they need to work fast to keep things on track!Middle Field TripGUESS WHERE I'M GOING? ON AN ALL-EXPENSES-PAID ART TRIP TO CALIFORNIA! And it's going to be awesome.I can't wait to see the big Hollywood sign, walk right past celebrities on the streets, and go to a red-carpet movie premiere.And this time, nothing's going to go wrong! Famous last words, right? Well, let's just say there's actually no Hollywood on my trip, but there is camping, diamond thieves, and a big, hungry crocodile.

12

Plot details hidden until you finish "Born To Rock".

Hilarious hero Rafe Khatchadorian heads to summer camp and faces bullies with his friends in this installment of James Patterson's beloved Middle School series. Rafe 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! Luckily, Rafe easily makes friends with his troublemaking cabin mates and bunkmate, a boy nicknamed Booger-Eater, who puts up with endless teasing from the other kids. Rafe soon realizes there's more to a person than a nickname, though, and Booger-Eater might be the kind of friend you want on your side when the boys from the Cool Cabin attack. This fourth book in the massively popular Middle School series is an unforgettable summer of hi-jinks, new friends, and surprises, all told with the hilarity and honesty readers have come to expect from blockbuster author James Patterson.

13

Plot details hidden until you finish "Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill".

Troublemaker Rafe Khatchadorian wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Australia. He thinks he's going to an Island paradise but it all goes horribly wrong. Rafe encounters, sharks, zombies and ends up planning a revenge mission after he is wronged.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to skip books in the Middle School Series (Rafe Khatchadourian) 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 (Rafe Khatchadourian)?

The final answer for the best experience is to start with "Middle School, 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 (Rafe Khatchadourian) 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 (Rafe Khatchadourian) 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.