Ultimate Showdown

Middle School #5

by James Patterson, Julia Bergen

From bullies to school dances, Rafe and Georgia have an opinion about everything in middle school. But who's right? It's up to you.




The Khatchadorian kids are an opinionated duo, and as readers of the Middle School stories know, they don't exactly see eye to eye. But when wild-card Rafe and mostly-straight-laced Georgia go at it, the only thing more fun than their ranting is getting to join in! Their back-and-forth banter on a range of topics-from bullying to cafeteria food to school dress codes-introduces more than 40 writing and drawing prompts and other games, along with room for readers to share their own points of view.




Includes over 200 illustrations.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Childrens, Young Adult, Contemporary

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 27, 2014

About the author

Official US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Middle School series that I've read (and it's number five) and I loved it! It was very entertaining and would be a perfect book to recommend to a reluctant reader, or anyone who enjoys books like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series or the Dork Diaries. Middle School: Ultimate Showdown is a sibling debate book with Rafe and Georgia going back and forth giving advice on many things middle schoolers have to deal with : bullying, siblings who are embarassing, teachers and librarians who just don't seem to like you and food, just to name a few. I think one of the best aspects of this book was the sibling rivalry between Rage and Georgia. It made the book realistic and (for me) funnier.

Finally, I also liked how this book was an activity book as well. Every few pages were places where the reader could draw, write in their opinions on the topics that Rafe and Georgia were talking about, or puzzles to solve. I feel like this provides kids with an additional way to invest in the book, which as a librarian, I feel is always a good thing!

I would definitely recommend this book to any of my patrons at work- and I plan to!

Note: I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book should appeal to kids from about ages 9 through middle school. Girls especially will delight in filling in the many and diverse activity pages. There is no story line, but instead alternate rants/opinion pages by fictional brother and sister, Rafe and Georgia, both in middle school. It's silly fun as they go back and forth with contrasting tastes and opinions regarding typical middle school subjects: school assignments, bullies, dress codes, vacations, friends, TV shows, hygiene and styles, bathroom subjects of course, and others. At one point, Rafe and Georgia weigh in on their single mom's online dating-- a subject I imagine many kids could identify with.

The activity pages offer an array of opportunities for kids to list their preferences, write their own opinions, make up silly songs and stories, be creative. The 'Wimpy Kid' style illustrations on every page have proven to be popular with the middle school crowd.

I even experienced some adult-sized chuckles reading some of the pages, especially where Rafe and Georgia present their common-sense adolescent views on fairy tales.

I would recommend this book to my grandkids, with a slight reservation regarding some negative views about school.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author; I offer my honest review.

[Siddharth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book didn't have an actual story behind it, but it was still hilarious!
Classic novel by James Patterson.

In this book, Georgia and Rafe debate and fight about different opinions on different stuff.

Light and breezy, another book full of jokes.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Patterson, or rather his publisher, sent me this book. I am thrilled!

I did not expect what I found. First off, I am not the target audience. As an adult who is trying to stamp out burping and farting contests in 7th grade. However, James Patterson knows his audience. He knows my students, despite being (almost) teenagers, are fascinated with bodily functions. (This was a total shock to me when I began teaching middle school--farting and burping are still fascinating subjects!)

I know I ought not take off a point for that but I didn't enjoy the book as much as I'd like as a result of farts.

I love the interactivity of the book. I received a hard cover and I know it's going to be tempting for my students to destroy my book. I'm thinking of putting out a sacrificial copy of the book on my bookshelves for the students to destroy... errrr... interact with.... while leaving my copy pristine.

I really liked the smackdowns, the competitions between two viewpoints or choices. I have so many students who are unwilling to take a stand. They vacillate. I'm hoping this book will help them make a choice and take a stand. Maybe this will even transfer over into their essays. In any case, I can imagine my students debating the qualities of dogs over cats, pizza over burgers, Rafe over Georgia.

I really wish I could get a copy for each student in my class. I'd love to turn this into a whole class novel just so they could debate. Unfortunately, I know my district doesn't consider books consumables (an attitude I'm trying to rid myself of). I want students to learn how to destroy books with marginalia, pics, and annotations.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the first in the series. But each subsequent one is becoming more slight & trivial, and more cliched. The Mad Libs in here are lame. The activities include 'free period, draw whatever.' One of the showdowns tells the reader what all his quarterfinal & semifinal choices will be, forcing an outcome. Kids deserve better.

Otoh, it's popular. I can see the mark of many readings on my library copy.

On the third hand, popular includes Twilight and Da Vinci Code.

Now to find an eraser so I don't get blamed for the previous user's (few) write-ins.

:sigh:

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite funny, I am so glad I was finally able to read one of the books in this series! Similar in style to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, as the story is told with both text and pictures. If you're looking for a humorous book to read, you'll love this story that is told from the points of views of rivaling siblings, Rafe and Georgia.

[Wallis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing, I love how they argue all the way through the book but at the end the admit that they have their differences but they are still there for each other!

[Leah Aleks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this a book because I find it really entertainingx

[Jack Frerichs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, but not one of the best middle school books I've read. It was very entertaining because it had several puzzles you had to solve on your own, and that was pretty cool. It also shows a new side of books from the middle school series. For example, it shows how Ralf and his sister fight which is what the book is about. They don't actually fight though, just arguing in a brother-sister like manner. This really appealed to me because I have a brother and Ralf and his sister have the same relationship as me and my brother. Always competing. Overall the book was pretty funny and had some cool drawings and stuff in it. As I said wasn't the best though, it didn't really have much of a plot or any drama in it. I recommend that people who have read the other "Middle School" books should read this one.

[TheBookWorm🐛 🐛 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always loved the Middle School series. This was no exception, it was funny to read about Rafe and Georgia going back and forth about their opinions and make up funny th8ngs. Like Rafe’s fart chart. It tells you exactly what fart you had!

[Millie Hodgson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It got a bit boring towards the end and I got a bit fed up but I am going to try and read another one then see if I like it.

[BookWizard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is better if you have a copy of it. It has a lot of fun activities in it. It is not so much of a reading book though.

[Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

Contrary to what I am about to say, this series would appeal to reluctant readers and there's no big reason for them not to read it. It's just that, having enjoyed Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I was disappointed to find this rather unimaginative, echoing the thoughts of middle schoolers without enriching them with Wimpy Kid's humour and style. As the title suggests, this brother and sister are constantly at odds, Rafe taking the cynical and Georgia the overly excitable view of life, school, clothes, hygiene, etc. This could still make an entertaining story, however there isn't much of a story here at all, just brief explanations of what they like or don't like, what they call each other, or telling us they are 'way better' or 'much funnier' than the other.

Here are some chores I hate. Georgia? She loves chores, so this would be her "Favourite Things to Do on the Weekend" list.

Making the bed
Mowing the lawn
Taking out the trash
etc., etc.

There's also some banal advice for facing bullies (try to become good at running away), a warning for moms to stay away from online dating, a selection of mostly ordinary DIY activities (mazes, guess the words, etc), a few unnecessary DIY activities (make a list of fart names, guess what did the kid with the stomach virus had for lunch, etc.), as well as a few interesting pieces of information (roadside attractions actually worth seeing) and an insightful section analysing fairy tales (Rafe wishes Cinderella would fall for "Prince Kind-of-Awkward-but-He's-a-Nice-Guy-Once-You-Get-to-Know-Him").

If it appeals to reluctant readers you could let them run with it, though they may be better challenged and inspired elsewhere. On another note, I hear Patterson's I Funny: A Middle School Story is great, so I might go and check it out.

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Free-spirited Rafe , and prudish Georgia take on each other in a battle of the siblings and beware, you will get sucked right into the middle of it. You cannot just stand by and do nothing while they are duking it out. You are invited to have a voice in their opinions, rants and very different views points on such things as dress codes, food preferences and especially friendships. You contribute to the narrative of the book as you get to contribute what you think. How cool is that?

The Khatchadorian duo use language that kids of this age will love. They talk about self-image, food fetishes and use words such as fart, zit popping and vomit which will have this age group devouring the content, reading on and asking for more of the same. I know, I taught this grade level and I am fully aware of how their little brains work....or don't work sometimes too.

The book is amazing because it is interactive and engaging to the middle-grade reader. It is filled with more than 40 writing, drawing prompts and games that cry out for their attention and will have the reader, pen in hand, ready to dive right in and have his say. The momentum of the book is fast-paced and cheers the reader on to the next topic.

I highly recommend this book. It is fun, witty and the illustrations could stand on their own, but with text added makes a brilliant combo. I am always on the look out for kid-friendly books for that age group as those are the years that kids (especially boys) slip away from the printed word. When you find a treasure like this, a tool that will get your kids back into the "reading game", it is so important to get the word out that a book of this kind is available. I give "Middle School Ultimate Showdown" two thumbs up and would give it three if I had an extra. Please buy and serve with a pen or pencil.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this copy free from the author/publisher for a review.

Five may sound like a high rating for a book of this kind, but for the age group, it's excellent. Plenty of writing, art, jokes, and stuff to do besides just read, kids should dig it. I think it would cater more towards boys myself, due to some of the crude humor, but girls should like it as well. It's told through two opposing points of view - Rafe, as the stylish and gross brother who hates just about everything; the sister, Georgia, who is perky, nerdy, and loves school with a positive outlook on life.

The two jibe and disagree with each other for about anything related to school, including Summer vacation, school dances, librarians, dress codes, bullies, peer pressure, extra credit, homework, and about anything else. Each side is shown with small art and told in a different style to designate who is speaking. There are a few cut outs - such as Georgias "fill in yourself" bookmark for the librarian. There's plenty of mazes, scrambled words, fill in boxes, and other arts/crafts/projects that tie in with the story going on. Besides plenty to DO, it's just cute to read and look at, with creative text and fun voices that should resonate with children.

I would recommend this for high level elementary school children (fourth and fifth grade), and sixth grade middle school children. 7th grade may be pushing on how much they enjoy it depending on the books and subject the kid likes. I think they'd enjoy the text part as humorous more than the activities by that age.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Readers will most certainly be entertained with the rantings spewing forth from siblings Rafe and Georgia Khatchadorian! As the good-natured, friendly (?) diatribe ensues, we see the opinionated duo face-off in a Middle School: Ultimate Showdown. As with the other Middle School books, we've seen that these siblings have their own unique personalities and are not afraid to share. Everything from burps and farts to clothes and zits (and everything in between) are discussed with aplomb.

This Middle School series is great for both reluctant readers and voracious readers alike. Kids will see themselves in these pages, as Patterson and Bergen clearly have a handle on tweens and their angst. The illustrations perfectly enhance the dialogue and will keep readers laughing all the way through the book. Personally, I love when these types of books sneak in some facts, whether they be scientific, geographical, or historical. The reader will find some of these interesting tidbits slipped inside the pages, and while there are not a ton of them, the ones in the book I found very informative.

Ultimate Showdown is a fun, interactive book that has the reader sharing, right along with Rafe and Georgia, some of their own opinions about the subjects. A clever way to engage the kids in writing with expression.

Thank you to James Patterson, Goodreads, and Little, Brown & Company for this great book!

[Liz Friend · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story: Rafe and his sister Georgia are back! Sibling rivalry, nothing: they're putting on the gloves to duke it out over a whole bunch of different middle school topics, like their spoofs of the Gettysburg Address, their take on bullies, and whether school dances are torture or tons of fun. Keep track as you go along to see who wins the Ultimate Showdown!

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG (lots of fart talk); Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence G; Substance Abuse G; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes PG (bullying); overall rating G.

Liz's comments: If you haven't read the earlier books in Patterson's Middle School series, it might take you, like, 30 seconds to figure out what's going on here. Rafe and Georgia are very close in age, but totally opposite in personality, so their views of middle school are pretty much polar opposites, which is part of what makes this book so fun. It's really not clear how much of the writing is done by Patterson and how much by the sub-author listed in the small print (Julia Bergen on this one), and it's not quite fair that Patterson has so many blockbuster series going on all at the same time (possible because of the afore-mentioned sub-authors!) but this one is funny and fun, and boys especially will cheer for Rafe, a very likable rule breaker.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I am not in middle school, but have nephews and cousins that are, so I like to prescreen books and write reviews to let them and other parents know about these books.
This book was incredible, most books you just read, this book was very interactive, there were a lot of questions and there were pages where you could draw, etc. Rafe and Georgia talk about bullying and a lot of other issues that Middle school kids go through. They fight like typical siblings, but if an outside party messes with one of them, LOOK OUT!
I think this is a great book for all those kids out there that just won't read. This was a fun book!

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the previous middle school books that I have read Georgia and Rafe fight all the time, but this book really did put it in perspective of how much they actually fight. The main thing that Rafe and Georgia do in this book is argue back and forth. While Georgia give good information Rafe gives useless information. Georgia and Rafe are the main characters in the book. I do not recommend this book because it is really repetitive and does not have a climax. Also, there is a lot of "do it yourself" parts in the book that just waist a bunch of your time. The last reason why you shouldn't read this book is because there is no action and it gets really boring as you get to the end.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another "read aloud to the kids" book and I think we all would have liked it more if we had a copy of our own to read. We borrowed it from the library and there are so many activities inside, as Rafe and Georgia battle their opinions and ideas out, that we were skipping a lot of pages and not really able to participate in them. I guess we could've grabbed a sheet of paper, but it seemed like too much work at the moment...

This is fun, humorous, and the characters personalities shine through, but I wasn't head-over-heels about it.

[Jaden Barnwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rafe wanted to win the contest between him and his sister debating on who is better at surviving middle school, but his sister's ways of to handle middle school is pretty good. So Rafe and Georgia make it a real battle each having unique and different ways of handling and getting through middle school. Then it is up to you to decide who wins. Middle School Ultimate Showdown is a book about bravery, compassion, and honesty.

[Rosemary Yakubowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adorable addition to the Middle Schools series. Here Rafe and sister Georgia have a "showdown" on their opinions. It's enjoyable to read. A BIG plus for this books for the kids is that it's full of games for them to play along with the story. Middle School Rafe-bingo, word search, fill in the blanks. It's REALLY a great little book!!

[Blair · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't really think that this book should be classed as a main one in the series, as it is an activity book with a storyline. This book is good for when you are on holiday not if you are looking for a proper read.

[Louisa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book. It wasn't just reading it I got to write in it it had mazes, food/animal brackets for me to fill out.

[Adan H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s...

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's just say this will not be a series I'll be picking up during my reread years

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Caution: This review might be unfairly biased because of the fact that I chose to listen to this book instead of reading it. Having experience with the series I was well aware of the fact that the illustrations play a huge roll in the ultimate experience, but I thought I'd give the audiobook a whirl because I was curious to how it would actually work. Needless to say, it didn't work out that great. The book was read by two actors, one reading for Rafe and the other for Georgia, so that allowed for some banter to go back in forth in an enjoyable way, but the biggest downside was the constant reference to the "PDF". I'd say once every minute or so the line "go to the PDF and do..." was used. It got to the point where I felt like what was the point of even listening to this book, apparently, you just needed to read the PDF, which kinda defeats the point of having an audiobook in the first place. So final consensus, I wouldn't recommend listening to any of the books in this series.

Audiobook aside, I recently read the 6th book in this series just last week and upon realizing I'd skipped the 5th I knew I had to read it. To highlight some of the things I enjoy with this series, I feel like they are great for getting reluctant readers to have a book in their hands and I think that although these books have a very humorous tone, they do ultimately teach a lesson. For some reason, this book doesn't go anywhere near the life lessons the other book in this series teaches. Instead, it is a giant jumble of gripping and "one-upping" between a brother and sister. Sure, in the end, they say something along the lines of always loving each other, but the general tone is one of complaining and making fun of others. I felt like I was listening to siblings fighting in the back of my car the entire time I had it playing.

I still have high praise for the series and I'm going to continue on to book #7, but this book is the rotten egg of the bunch so far. Probably wouldn't have hurt if I hadn't gone back and read this one that I had skipped.

[Aiden Villalobos · Rating 5 out of 5]

GoodReads Book Review
The book Middle School: Ultimate Showdown by James Patterson is about Rafe and his sister Georgia in a battle to see who has the looks, who has better advice in bullying, who is the smartest, and other things they competed in. Of course they are brother and sister, so they obviously don’t ever have the same opinion. This book is awesome because once you see what is inside it you will be surprised. There is reading but sometimes there are some twists, where they ask you in the middle of the book, who is winning, or sometimes you get to draw something. I love this book because it makes reading fun for everybody. So that’s why I recommend this book for kids in middle school and high school. This book is funny because and silly and clever they way the author put the book together.

[Steven Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

eaders get a chance to participate in James Patterson's wildly successful Middle School series in this interactive book featuring more than 80 hilarious anecdotes from dueling siblings Rafe and Georgia Khatchadorian – plus dozens of fun-filled activities!

The Khatchadorian kids are an opinionated duo, and as readers of the Middle School stories know, they don't exactly see eye to eye. But when wild-card Rafe and mostly-straight-laced Georgia go at it, the only thing more fun than their ranting is getting to join in! Their back-and-forth banter on a range of topics – from bullying to cafeteria food to school dress codes – introduces more than 40 writing and drawing prompts and other games, along with room for readers to share their own points of view. This should have been a summer magazine for youngster not part of the series.

[Jessica Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The popular series gets a new twist with Rafe and Georgia going head to head with more laughter and chaos.

Rafe Khatchadorian and his sister Georgia are a very dynamic duo who don’t see eye to eye, and when readers get to get in on the action, things get even better. These two characters have the best brother and sister banter that kept me laughing all throughout the story. Rafe and Georgia go at each other chapter after chapter with more wit and humor to keep young readers turning the pages. The pictures throughout are great for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid making for another series with multiple books for readers to enjoy. I recommend these books to young readers looking for fun reads with parent approval.