Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mysterious adventure at camp is fast, funny read for tweens.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In MIDDLE SCHOOL: FIELD TRIP FIASCO, young Rafe Khatchadorian is chosen to attend an all-expenses-paid, week-long art camp in California. His dreams of a luxurious stay in a Hollywood hotel are shattered when he and the other chosen artists take a bus to a desert hotel, then head even further into the desert to go camping. After visiting some ancient caves with suspicious-smelling cave paintings, Rafe, his crush, and his new friends know something is definitely wrong when they come upon a crocodile, thousands of miles from where it belongs. But it isn't until he finds himself in the middle of a mystery involving gold and a huge diamond that Rafe fears he won't make it home alive.
Is It Any Good?
The snappy dialogue, frequent illustrations, and fast-paced adventure wrapped in mystery are a winning combination in this addition to James Patterson's series. While there isn't a lot of depth to Middle School: Field Trip Fiasco, it's an incredibly fun read, and a great transitional book for those who want more than short chapters but aren't ready for hundreds of pages of pure text. Rafe is relatable, both for how distracted he gets at school and for his bumbling inner monologue. He (understandably) spends a lot of time thinking about how to behave around his crush, and his slightly careless attitude and interactions with the others are right on target for these middle school years.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the amount of freedom the kids have in Middle School: Field Trip Fiasco. What do you think about a kid traveling to a school camp with a teacher? Do you think Rafe's parents knew the details of the camp and he just wasn't paying attention?
How well do the authors capture what real-life middle school kids are like?
What other adventure stories have you read? Which are your favorites?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Illustrator : Anthony Lewis
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : JIMMY Patterson Books
- Publication date : January 25, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 188
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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