BookBright
ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSSixth grader Rafe Khatchadorian arrives at Hills Village Middle School already dreading the year ahead, with a lazy soon-to-be stepfather at home, a bully named Miller the Killer claiming every good seat in class, and a strict English teacher everyone calls the Dragon Lady. When vice principal Mrs. Stricker reads aloud the school's entire Code of Conduct at the opening assembly, Rafe hatches a secret plan he calls Operation R.A.F.E.: break every single rule in that little green book, earn points for each one, and turn an otherwise miserable sixth grade into a game worth playing.
Free Battle of the Books questions for Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book does an English teacher tell a boy he's "skating on very thin ice"?
✓ Answer
Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
Ms. Donatello, nicknamed the Dragon Lady, warns Rafe after he rewrites his lines from Romeo and Juliet as bathroom humor. She notices he kept Shakespeare's meter and rhyme, but still tells him his behavior is unacceptable.
- First half
In what book does a boy dress as a ninja on Halloween and throw cereal as throwing stars?
✓ Answer
Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
Rafe sneaks a black ninja costume to school in his backpack, complete with a ski mask, nunchucks made from paper towel rolls, and a pocketful of Cheerios for throwing stars. He earns 10,000 points for every fifty yards he covers running through the school.
- First half
In what book does a boy's mom have paintings for sale on the walls of the diner where she works?
✓ Answer
Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
Rafe's mom Jules displays her paintings at Swifty's Diner. She doesn't name them because she believes viewers should decide for themselves how they feel. Rafe thinks she's a really good artist, and he's happy whenever she sells one, even though it doesn't happen often.
- Second half
In what book does a bully raise the price of notebook pages to a dollar fifty each?
✓ Answer
Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
On the first day back from winter break, Miller grabs Rafe and announces that the new year means a new price for buying back his notebook pages. The cost per page jumps from one dollar to a dollar fifty, and Miller also threatens to show Jeanne the drawings Rafe made of her.
- Second half
In what book does a boy try to will himself into throwing up before a tutoring session?
✓ Answer
Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
Before his first tutoring session with Jeanne, Rafe spends all of social studies class trying to will himself into being sick or fainting, just by thinking about it. All he manages to do is get dizzy.
- Near the end
In what book does a police officer say, "Holy smokes, kid" after seeing a wall covered in art?
✓ Answer
Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
After Rafe draws a giant mural on the back wall of the school gym, two police officers arrive at dawn. Instead of immediately arresting him, they just stand there staring at what he's created. It's a small moment of recognition before the trouble begins.
