"Rules Aren't For Everyone" (aka R.A.F.E.), and they certainly aren't for Rafe Khatchadorian, the star of James Patterson's newest novel. Rafe's unusual name inspires the motto of his plan for mayhem, in which he is awarded points for breaking every rule in his middle school's Code of Conduct--and there are lots of rules to break. Spurred on by his pal Leo, who provides the Captain Underpants-style doodle illustrations throughout the book, Rafe channels his unhappiness at starting middle school and his less than ideal home situation into disruptive pranks and an active fantasy life. His lack of study time spirals him into academic decline. Ultimately, a caring teacher helps guide his behavior in a more acceptable direction, and we discover Leo's mysterious background.
James Patterson (the Maximum Ride and Daniel X series), who has expressed the need for enjoyable children's literature, does his part to attempt to fill that void. However, this title does not totally live up to Patterson's other young adult books. There are similarities to his other works in the staccato-length chapters that propel the book's plot forward. Yet Rafe's middle school status muddies the target age, since the book's jacket art and plot arc skew slightly younger by today's standards. It would best suit middle-school-age children who are reluctant readers daunted by the genre's current two-inch-thick books. --Jessica Bushore, public librarian