Not Much Just Chillin': The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers

by Linda Perlstein

Suddenly they go from striving for A's to barely passing, from fretting about cooties to obsessing for hours about crushes. Former chatterboxes answer in monosyllables; freethinkers mimic everything from clothes to opinions. Their bodies and psyches morph through the most radical changes since infancy. They are kids in the middle-school years, the age every adult remembers well enough to dread.

Here at last is an up-to-date anthropology of this critically formative period. Prize-winning education reporter Linda Perlstein spent a year immersed in the lunchroom, classrooms, hearts, and minds of a group of suburban Maryland middle schoolers and emerged with this pathbreaking account. Perlstein reveals what's really going on under kids' don't-touch-me facade while they grapple with schoolwork, puberty, romance, and identity. A must-read for parents and educators, Not Much Just Chillin' offers a trail map to the baffling no-man's-land between child and teen.

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, Parenting, Psychology, Social Science, Adult, School

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 4, 2003

About the author

Linda was the first curator of the Amazon Books bricks-and-mortar bookstore chain and managed the nonfiction and lifestyle book selection. Before that she was a freelance book editor and a consultant to several nonprofits and foundations in the fields of K-12 and higher education. She worked at The Washington Post from 1994 to 2004, as a copy editor, graphics editor, and, for most of those years, a staff writer covering education. She is the author of Not Much Just Chillin': The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers and Tested: One American School Struggles to Make the Grade.

From 2008 to 2011, Linda was the Education Writers Association’s first public editor. More than 400 education reporters came to Linda for coaching, and she wrote the Educated Reporter blog. Linda has also written for the Washington Post op-ed page, the New York Times Book Review, Newsweek, Slate, Salon, The Nation, American Prospect, Columbia Journalism Review, and Parents. She has been interviewed on “All Things Considered,” “This American Life,” MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News.

A Milwaukee native, Linda received a bachelor's from Wesleyan University and a master's in international affairs from Columbia University. She lives with her husband and son in Seattle.

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although Ms. Perlstein closely follows members of a class through their eighth grade year, her findings are more than anecdotal. This book is better than many others on this topic for a couple of reasons. First, the author gives equal time to the stories of both boys and girls, which gives a pleasing balance to the book. There are many more books on the behavior of girls at this age than boys. Second, Perlstein discusses brain development in a way that makes the crazy way that children this age act much more understandable. She also writes in an engaging style, and the reader comes to care for the children as much as she does.

[Milo Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom wrote this book and recently read it to me! It's unbelievable and so awesome1

[Don Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

As you can guess from the jacket description, and as the tone of this book will indicate, this book was written with middle-schoolers' parents in mind. It tries to explain how middle-schoolers think. I'm not a parent, but I was curious to know how similar the experiences described in this book are to my experiences. They're only generally similar, and in limited respects. The middle school depicted in this book (Wilde Lake Middle School, somewhere in Maryland, circa 2001) starts with sixth grade, and ends with eighth. You can read the details yourself, but I thought I would list the similarities and differences between this middle school and mine. I went to a middle school in Phoenix, Arizona, from 1992-1994. (I'm not an educator, just a haunted ex-student.)
-My school included only seventh and eighth grade.
-Emotional abuse, often in the form of sexual harassment, is definitely a worse problem than being physically assaulted. Author Linda Perlstein touches only on the edges of this with Wilde Lake Middle School.
Sexuality and sexual harassment: The premise is that if kids don't have as much knowledge of and interest in sexuality as their classmates, they will be harassed. About this, Perlstein mentions students obnoxiously asking each other about bodily parts or functions and pretending they know a lot. That happens everywhere. Maybe my school wasn't as nice as Wilde Lake, but what I saw was far more persistent and pervasive than Perlstein indicates it to be at Wilde Lake. Male sexual harassment often takes the form of students asking classmates questions to test their knowledge, usually either "do you know what [body part, or behavior:] is?" or "do you [process, often masturbation:]?" Riddles might be used; one they got me with was "If you had a friend named Jack who had trouble getting off his horse, would you help Jack off a horse?" This wasn't violent, just very persistent; If the questioned student does not know the answer, or answers wrong, he will be revealed as naive, and targeted for more extensive harassment. That often means being accused of being "gay." Perlstein points out that middle-schoolers tend to describe anything they don't like as "gay," but it can go further: students who are naive and/or not seemingly interested in their sexuality or in the opposite sex can be taunted as alleged homosexuals. Accusers often pretend to be gay themselves in order to do that.
In my experience, the sexual harassment is most intense in gym (P.E.) class locker rooms, encouraged by students' having to partly undress in front of each other. (In my P.E. class, we were required only to change shirts; gym shorts were not needed.) The accusing guys, pretending to be "queer," would--in a crudely "humorous" manner--would ask a targeted student for physical contact and, if the target was shirtless, initiate it (running fingers over the target's chest, for instance, and pretending to be excited). The target couldn't do much to stop it, such as fighting with the harassers, because there would be several of them.
Non-sexual bullying: Sexually naive and/or different (physically or mentally, or both) students might also receive physical assault, but I never knew it to be very serious or frequent. I got slugged from time to time, and worked over once (punched in various spots at intervals of a minute or so, because my groans amused the attackers), but never anything that constituted classically being beaten up. (I didn't see that many fights at my school either.)
The kids might also, in classes using tools (science labs, home economics, or shop), use tools to harass (rarely or never causing injury). During the sewing section of home ec, I had a fellow poking (not stabbing) me in the back with a seam ripper. My parents got me out of shop class before anything other than verbal abuse happened.

This book just isn't deep; it only scratches the surface of what can happen to kids in middle school.

[Ali Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good idea, but a little outdated in 2022.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe this book should be called "Chilling", as in chilling for parents to read. The upside of this insider's look at middle schoolers (grades 6-8, ages 11-14) is that they really are still children in so many ways. The downside is that they can hurt each other and be hurt so badly despite being children. You may think you remember middle school but I guarantee this book will hold surprises and sobering lessons for everyone. Ironically, our family experienced a middle school crisis while I was reading this book. One of the lessons I learned was to trust that the school administration understands this student population. So far that has paid off and we are moving forward in a very healthy way. One crisis down, how many to go??

[Hank Stuever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think of all those books people have done about "a year in the life of a typical (or atypical) high school," which, not very deep down, are less works of journalism than they are merely functions of the author's lingering fascination with high school. NOW, think of a book that truly desires to crack the mysteries of human beings who are going to middle school. This is that book. (As with my review of the author's other book,Tested, you should know that she's a dear friend of mine. Doesn't matter; "Not Must Just Chillin'" still rocks.)

[Jenifer Jacobs · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book reminds me why I absolutely hated Anthropology in college. The author condescendingly "observes" middle schoolers and then weaves a narrative. Much of what she writes could not be known by observation alone, and clearly the youngster did not tell her this information, therefore she made it up. If you are writing fiction that is OK but please don't try to pass it off as nonfiction. Having a middle schooler of my own and working with teens and tweens for many years I found much of what she wrote lacking in depth or clear understanding. I would pass on this one.

[Lyddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book consists of some interesting anecdotes that brought back suppressed memories of being in 6th through 8th grade, but very little research was incorporated into the text explaining how this suburban Maryland school is typical of the nation's youth. I would have also appreciated an introductory chapter explaining how the author gained access to her student subjects, and a concluding chapter about the methods adults can take to help students through those early adolescent years.

[Angela Juline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Strange writing style and organization...I get that it's supposed to be glimpses into a middle schooler's life, but it is just so weird. The author pretends to not editorialize, but she can't seem to help herself. Quite frankly, I think her portrayal does a disservice to what a real middle schooler is like. I found it to be rather cliched.

[Blair Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish I had read this when my son was starting 6th grade. Recommended for anyone with kids in MS. Won’t give you the answers, just helps with understanding! Very well done.

[CTEP]

Recommended for anyone who works with, is related to, or once was a middle schooler, “Not Much Just Chillin” is an eminently readable work of creative non-fiction.

Linda Perlstein, education reporter for The Washington Post, embeds herself on the front lines of the middle school experience, spending a year with seventh and eighth graders at a suburban Maryland middle school and chronicling their soccer games and soul searching, report cards and racial divisions, crushes and class schedules, after school activities and angst.

Perlstein’s writing is by turns prosaic,

“Wus^. NMJC. What’s up? Not much just chillin’. If not much is up and they’re just chilling, you wonder why they don’t have time to type out the words. But anyway. Parents have become familiar with the sounds of IM, the arpeggios of acceptance twinkling every time the person on the other end of the line has something to say” (145),

and journalistic,

“Middle-school reform has become its own industry, the subject of many research dollars and foundation studies... as it stands, according to one estimate, 70 percent of questions asked in middle-school classes are rote recall” (117).

The majority of the book comprised of incisive but sympathetic descriptions of adolescent pathos:

“[Eric’s] brother Tim always says, ‘Why settle for Lincoln Tech when you could go to MIT?’ Sometimes Eric agrees. An MIT grad doesn’t wind up with kids early and nothing to settle on, but a Lincoln Tech grad might, and if his dad had been more ambitious they’d have a house already. But sometimes he feels like he just wants to be ordinary, and ordinary, as far as he has seen, means being a mechanic or a truck driver, and Eric tells [his mom] Tenacious he’d be content with that” (124).

Written about the middle school graduates of 2001 and 2002, this book documents experiences that many CTEP members may remember from their own middle school years: the newly acquired craze of socializing through AIM chats, the introduction of ‘freaking’ at school dances, the re-introduction of consumerist mores through ‘counter-culture’ marketing that middle schoolers are almost, but not quite sophisticated enough to see through.

For ‘adults’ working with this age group now, the book offers numerous reminders of the social and psychological pressures faced by middle school students, and uses clear personal examples from the students to debunk common adult perceptions of middle schoolers: Some of them are getting physically involved with each other at a much more mature level than we’d hope, some of them still wonder why everyone else is so boy/girl crazy. Bullies are not some malicious minority within the student body; excluding, name-calling and spreading gossip is far more the rule than the exception for middle school behavior. Students whose grades are slipping don’t respond to teachers’ empty threats and are passed through to 9th grade even when they’re not ready for it. Kids who are comatose about responding to parental inquiries such as “what did you do today?” worry just as much, if not more, about the possibility of their parents getting sick, divorcing, abandoning and giving up on them.

Unfortunately, because this book focuses so in-depth on one middle-class, suburban experience of middle school, there are numerous issues that it does not cover. Perlstein’s recurring message is that society, parents and teachers hold the best intentions and highest expectations for students. Most of the students who Perlstein interviews in-depth, with one notable exception, come from two-parent households, are middle class and white. I found myself wondering about the middle school students whose daily routine includes being sent to detention, not doing their homework, skipping school, criminalization and suspicion via zero tolerance policies and metal detectors at school entrances, taking care of younger siblings or their own children, getting schools shut down on them due to AYP failures, visits with their social worker. Those stories are not captured in this narrative, and not necessarily because they did not exist at the school Perlstein chose to write about. The youth that CTEP members work with may deal with many of the issues Perlstein addresses in the book, but the messages it sends about the ‘average’ middle school experience must be taken with a big grain of salt.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the perspective of a parent of a soon-to-be middle schooler, this book is a useful reminder of what middle school is generally about and how much is going on for kids of this age. I found it interesting and relatively optimistic that parents can find ways to connect with kids of this age even when things seem impossible.

Based on my own memories, though, these kids were relatively gentle with each other and/or the author never really observed the heart of the cruelty of kids of that age. Or maybe it felt worse than it sounds hearing about it now. It might actually be easier to study today because so much more of these exchanges are happening online/through texts.

As an anthropology text, I found the book confusing. It was never clear to me how the author got the information about what was in the heads of the students. Did she conduct interviews? Get access to journals? A lot of thoughts were in quotes and in the alleged voices of the students, but it wasn't obvious how the author accessed that information. I'd be surprised to learn that she got these kids to open up to her about their feelings, but anything is possible. The author also couldn't quite decide whether she wanted to editorialize about the subjects (e.g., describing one student as less socially advanced than her peers) or just observe actions.

I'm sure there are other books that handle this same subject matter in a more expert way; this one just happened to find its way into my house. I'm not sorry to have read it, but I don't see why you'd seek this out compared to more recent/more well-acclaimed books.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the plus side, the book is easy to read. At no point does it feel "too academic" (aka - too challenging to read, not "light enough," burdensome, etc.). I think this ease is facilitated by the text being so grounded in anecdotes. The book moves easily from scene to scene establishing the middle school scene through the lives of those living it. That I like.

But, at my core, I am a geeky academic, so there were numerous things missing from the book that I really wanted to see.

First, organization. The book seemed to progress chronologically, for the most part, and was divided into segments of the school year (Autumn, Winter, Spring). And each chapter was titled after a pull-out quotation spoken by some involved character, typically a student. But, in the discussion with author Linda Perlstein in the Discussion Guide at the end, she mentioned several themes she had wanted to focus on in her work. (She specifically mentions kids' relationships with their parents and kids' romances and crushes.) But, I could have really used some fore-fronting of that information throughout the book itself, even if it was something as simple as extending chapter titles such that "Chapter 11 - purple. is that close enough?" becomes "Chapter 11 - purple. is that close enough?: girls navigating reciprocity in close peer friendships." Perhaps that adds too much "academic-ese" unnecessarily, but having a clear "let's focus on THIS issue" would have been helpful to me and I think would have made the book more accessible and easy to navigate for all readers. (Similarly, I could have benefited from an index, or similar, of brief student biographies to help me keep the identities of the primary students straight. Nothing too complicated. Just a "Elizabeth (Liz) - 7th grader; parents: Joe & Ellen; only child; swimmer; blah, blah, blah.") I find clear organizational markers very helpful in reading.

Second, I am left with some pretty significant questions about Perlstein's methodology. She talked briefly about it in the discussion with the author at the book's end, but I found myself not trusting her findings as much as I would have liked to, because I didn't fully trust her methods -- because I didn't know what they were. I was SHOCKED that Perlstein used the school's, the teachers', and the students'/families' real names. In typical research that is often a BIG no-no, and working with a population (middle schoolers) that can be so emotionally vulnerable and are underage, I was surprised. (Would you like to read about yourself, your classmates, or those you know in such personal detail? Sounds mortifying to me. And then for those kids to grow up and have that already challenging time in their lives immortalized and made utterly public -- ouch. It's obvious Perlstein lived and breathed this work for at least one academic year (plus writing). But I want to know details of her process. She obviously observed kids at school and at home, in extra-curriculars, hanging out with friends, etc. And she appeared to have pretty open access on all fronts. But it seems that she wasn't an "outside" observer, but involved. She asked questions. Got full access to IM chats, notes, grades, disciplinary conversations, etc. But, through what process/channels and with or without who's permissions? And member-checking. Did she do any? There were MANY instances in which she wrote, so-and-so was feeling this and believed that. How does she KNOW? The kids said so? She decided so? She fictionalized? I have no idea, because there were no resources to help me understand her process.

And third, I was disappointed that the text didn't incorporate more pre-existing research directly. It was clear that Perlstein did research, but she didn't necessarily share that research directly with readers. (Something like, "Researchers say… The situations of Eric/Jackie/Jimmy/Lily/Liz show that… suggesting that the research is…" might have been helpful once in a while.) Key to the potential value of a text like Perlstein's is an opportunity to demonstrate -- through anecdote and pre-existing research in the field -- the ways that these kids are a typical reflection of American middle schoolers, to demonstrate what we know about middle schoolers' development and challenges, to highlight gaps in research, and to offer suggestions for ways in which adults can better understand and work to support middle schoolers. The stories Perlstein gathered from the lives of these kids could have served as a context for sharing fancy academic research often lost in academia with a broader crowd. It was an opportunity mostly lost.

Overall, Not Much Just Chillin' was an interesting read. I am reminded why I focus my educational work on the early childhood and elementary crowds and on adults. I find middle-schoolers both infuriating and baffling. Despite knowing the chaos going on hormonally, physically, in the development of their brains, etc., I have little tolerance and patience for this population and I know I would be a poor match to work with them on an extended basis. As such, I have nothing but utter and deep respect for the adults in middle schoolers' lives that love them, understand them, work to help them navigate the challenges of the time, and stick by them. It is a valuable gift worthy of massive respect. Being a middle schooler is often hard, and THAT is something Perlstein does an excellent job of demonstrating.

[Andrea Bastien · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as required reading for my Adolescent Development class this summer. It really does dive into the preteen psyche, which could be why it really didn’t do it for me. It was authentic, but dated, following a group of sudents who were in 6th grade when September 11 happened - that’s older than me. While some things never change, I really struggled to view the teens in this book as even remotely comparable to today’s teens.

[Victoria Kenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting insight into the lives of middle schoolers. Useful preparation for me as my son starts middle school in August!!

[Steve Lavapies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the book was spent on detailed, ultimately repetitious reporting on the lives of a handful of kids. I would have liked more theory & suggestions for understanding middle schoolers.

[Damon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dated and doesn’t stand the test of time. In fact, the references are quite funny to read now. Into the minutiae but not in a productive way. Not much practical use.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book just starts with the lives of jr high/middle school kids, with no explanaion of who is telling the story! So, I suggest that you read the appendix first which explains that the author just hung out with a bunch of kids for a whole year. It bothered me that she would say stuff like, "Jimmy thought..." I think there were a lot of assumptions, both positive & negative, on the part of the author.

Also, I read several reviews that said this book was "chilling" or "frightening" to parents. I think those were reviews by old people. You might call me old for having been in jr high over 15 years ago, but I mean really old people...like your grandma or someone. It pretty much just showed that the kids were both ambitious & lazy at the same time (ie...I want to be a movie star and an author and a race car driver, but I am just going to watch TV for now) and they are starting to feel some stirrings toward the opposite sex. It really was nothing terribly shocking to me. From the reviews I thought there would be graphic sex and drugs and swearing. Sadly, no.

It did make me reflect back on my days in jr high. Those were not fun days. I remember trying to be very cool as a 9th grader so that my little 7th grade sister would know she as a peon (pee-on?) She was in a band concert once. She "played" the clarinet. I actually only heard her practice or play twice--ever. It was bad. Bad bad bad. And some more bad. Not that most people say, "Man, I just want to hear the sweet, sweet song of a clarinet right now. That will really calm my nerves," but you also rarely hear people say, "To this day the sound of a poorly played clarinet makes me want to hit my sister and then tattle on her."

Anyway, I came up with a way to totally humiliate her in front of her band teacher, parents, and most importantly, her geeky friends. I was going to call out "Go Abby!!!" at the end of the concert while everyone else was clapping. The concert ended. Everyone was politely clapping. I hollered out, "Woot! Abby!", but everyone was still clapping too loud, so mostly no one heard. And Abby definitely did not hear because she did not turn a deep shade of red and keel over from embarrassment. So I tried again. "Yay! Abby!" A few people heard since the applause was dying down. But dang that Abby! She still didn't hear! Again "ABBY! You rock!" Nothing, except a few more people turned around to see who was yelling. So, I finally waited until there were only like two people clapping, then I screamed out, "Yay! Abby!! Good job!!!!!!!! Woo wooooooooooo!!" This time most of the auditorium turned to look at me with expressions of "Why are you screaming? #1 Did you just have a stroke or something and #2 it was not all that good!" One of the boys that I loved that I was sure was secretly in love with me turned around and rolled his eyes at me.

And that is the story of how I [attempted to:] humiliate my sister in jr high. Had I thought it through a bit more, I might have come up with something better than cheering her on. If only I could relive my life...

Dear sister...you are welcome.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Linda Perlstein did something most superheroes would tremble at the thought of. She spent a year in middle school and documented the things she saw. In Not Much Just Chillin' she reveals her findings, including the dynamics that exist between middle schoolers and their peers, teachers, and parents. She discusses the sexually overt behavior of some middle schoolers, the blind disdain some of them have for adults, and the seeming lack of concern for their own well-being and academic achievement. She also discusses what little scientific discoveries there were available in the early 2000s (book published in 2003) as well as the changes educational entities have made since the 1960s to try to better reach and teach the strange mixture of hormones, emotions, and thought that is the middle school child.

My dear friend, colleague, and personal life coach gave me this book to try to help me cope with the fact my daughter will begin middle school in the fall. Although I have been a school librarian in middle schools for 12 of my 18 years in education, there is something different about living with a middle schooler. Being the teacher of this strange and often unruly beast is different from living with one on many levels, but I have to admit that as both an educator and parent I learned a great deal I did not know about the middle school years, brain development and temperament during that time, and how parents and teachers can perhaps try to ease this transition. While the reference to bullying, the budding romance, the sexuality and impropriety, the cursing and dependence on peers gave me an anxiety attack, there was enough reassurance that most people leave middle school nearly unscathed to provide me with the comfort I need to send my daughter into the melee that is middle school. One message Perlstein sends anyone willing to listen is that while children in the middle years seem to be deaf to their parents' influence and seem to be pushing their parents away with deft and brutal force, the truth is that these children really want and need their parents to be involved in their lives and their education. They want us to care, to question, to show support and concern, even if it is met with eye-rolling and grunting. They may not outwardly respond to a parent's affection and concern, but inwardly they embrace what they see and hear, crave our time and attention, and actually do listen to what we have to say about morality and expectations.

I highly recommend this book for parents of those approaching the middle years and teachers working with these students. The social references may be a bit dated, but the information and encounters Perlstein shares all ring true today.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times this book was simply too much for me! I spend all day with middle schoolers and it can be pretty painful to read Perstein's very detailed chronicles of their daily existence. Don't get me wrong, the book is fantastic! It's just that it can be really frustrating to read because it is SO on the ball about what these kids are like personality-wise and brain development-wise... and they are frustrating!!!

I love Perlstein's writing style. She's a journalist so her writing balances the human interest/storytelling portions with research and facts that help explain the "why." She tells the story through a series of middles school characters, whose lives she chronicles and manages to evaluate critically without necessarily passing judgments about them. Her storytelling is extremely accurate and reflective of what middle schoolers across the country are like and the book helps the reader understand what is so wonderful and challenging about this age group.

This is the ideal read for parents and teachers who are considering teaching to this age group. I also recommend Perlstein's Tested, which tells all about NCLB.

[Colleen Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be a must-read for parents of middle-schoolers. I don't think I ever intuitively really thought about the major changes an adolescent goes through...and how that effects them emotionally. The premise is that a reporter embeds herself (with permission from all involved) and chronicles the lives of middle school kids and their parents. It was almost like looking directly at the life of my own middle schooler. It made me realize that it was like looking into my own life as a middle schooler and countless other lives. We've all been through the trials and tribulations brought on by puberty - that's why we can all relate to the same stories. Even the popular kids look back and don't think they were the popular ones. This book doesn't offer suggestions or guidance on raising a middle schooler, but gives a really insightful look into what makes them tick. That alone helps when you as a parent are stuck in the middle of this pubescent quagmire. It helps to know that your child is not really possessed and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. If you have a middle schooler, know a middle schooler, or ever where a middle schooler, I highly recommend reading this book. Perlstein is an education reporter, not a mental health professional, so this isn't a "how to raise a kid" kind of book. She just follows a few kids for a year and intersperses their stories with information about what kids at that age are going through emotionally, physiologically, socially, and mentally. It was such a great reminder of all the drama that occurs at this age, but also WHY that drama needs to occur and what the kids are getting out of it. Oh, and that they will likely become normally functioning adults some day. Whew!
One of my favorite passages was about cultivating your own style at this age - you can totally pick whatever color Aeropostale t-shirt you want to wear. Provided it is an Aeropostale t-shirt.
The entire book rang true and it was good to step back and try to see the big picture, rather than focus on the daily drama that currently unfolds at my house....

[Kelly Hager · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read any non-fiction in a while, and this caught my eye in the bookstore last year, so I'm glad to finally get around to it. It's set in a Maryland middle school (Wilde Lake) and follows a few middle schoolers around for a year. I liked it, and it's probably much less alarming than you'd think. There're relationships involved, but nobody's having sex and there's nothing in the way of drinking or drugs.

One thing I did think was interesting is the fact that it seems like parents (even involved parents who make an effort to talk to their kids) are pretty clueless when it comes to what their kids are up to. The theory goes that kids are at least one step beyond what you think they're up to, so (for example) if you think they've skipped one class, they've probably skipped several; if you think they might've kissed one boy, they've probably done more there, too.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because when I was hired for my job, I was tasked with creating more programming for middle school students. In addition to working with middle school students to get to know them better, I wanted to read this book, which I heard about on the middle school themed episode of This American Life. I appreciate how Perlstein hones in on the lives of a few students and highlights the highs and lows of their year in middle school. She also throws in some brain research tidbits that help explain why middle schoolers behave in the ways that they do, and that helped me. Having much more familiarity with the developmental research related to the preschool age, her comparisons of middle school brain development to preschool brain development gave me a few "aha!" moments and really put the middle school developmental stage into perspective.

[Nola Decker · Rating 3 out of 5]

NOT MUCH JUST CHILLIN was reasonably useful but I found myself wanting more. Maybe more facts about the tween brain or more ideas about how to use her anecdotes to make generalizations about the middle school population. OR, in many cases, I was wanting to know what to do as a parent of one of these non-communicative self-absorbed slackers. Is there a way to keep them engaged and motivated or are they doomed to this 2 or 3 year period of nothingness??

I'm giving it three stars just because I can see it as being useful for me as a middle grade writer when I want a reminder about this age group. But, my son is 11 right now. I'm going to be living this nightmare for the next three years so I probably won't need a reference book to keep my characters "real". Some of the anecdotes felt so much like my daily interactions already that it was hard to enjoy the read at times.

[Salsabrarian]

A journalist follows several suburband Maryland middle schoolers during the course of the 2001-02 school year. This highly readable documentary account details these students' conversations, motives or lack of, frustrations, changing friendships, dreams and relations with their parents and families. The author also ties in their actions and thought processes to the dramatic physical, emotional and brain changes that go on during this period of life. It helps explain why teens this age are the way they are. Author mentions that the emotional part of the brain is fully developed rather that the logical, organizational part so any family troubles may keep students from focusing their logical side on their studies. Empathetic presentation.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

More episodic than I would have liked, Perlstein focuses a little too much on the rhythm of the school year so her attempt to draw plot out of the back-and-forth drama of the average middle school is not super-engaging. The most valuable thing I took away from this book as a middle school teacher: this stage of adolescent development is comparable to 2-year-olds. Add a hefty dose of peer pressure and insecurity and this makes perfect sense of middle schoolers: they're highly impatient, talk constantly, need continual validation, and they go from charming to infuriating in no time flat. Not a great read, but definitely worth it if you interact with this age group.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I heard about this book on This American Life's episode entitled "Middle School". Which was very good, incidentally. But this book was....just so-so. The kids were followed really intensively, which was great, and middle-school is a very interesting age range, so I appreciated this book. What this book was lacking was more explanations for the kid's behaviors. She occasionally cited research or psychological explanations, but I definitely wanted much more. The other issue is that there were a lot of characters, and she switched between them, so the "plotlines" were hard to follow.

(It also did very little to increase my love for middle schoolers.)

[jacky · Rating 5 out of 5]

insightful, yet not shocking. It made me not excited for my children to become teens by bringing forth the role of the parent (totally different from my role of teacher teaching 9th grade and teen on my own adolescence). Some items were very revealing to me about confusing behaviors I've witnessed as a teacher, while others really reminded me of some of the uglier moments of my own past. I really liked the male perspective, too. I'd consider this a must read for anyone teaching grades 6 - 9.

[Stacy Natal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the anecdotes in the book somewhat depict the unique brains of middle school students, I felt that the Maryland students that the author used for the study are not necessarily typical of the middle school students that I know. These kids are given a lot more freedom than mine. The main message is the same as it always is... pay attention to your kids, set a good example for them, and be there when they need you. However the book is so chaotically written that it took me quite awhile to find this message and the snippets of "research" in the book.