The Middle School Survival Guide: How to Survive from the Day Elementary School Ends until the Second High School Begins

The only survival guide a middle school kid will ever need.

It can be the best of times. It can be the worst of times, too. Middle school happens at that tumultuous time in life when one's not a teenager and not a little kid. Middle school means being a middle-aged kid. Expectations―from teachers, parents, friends, siblings―can all change dramatically, causing worry and concern even for the most laid-back student.

The Middle School Survival Guide covers every issue, inside school and out, from the most trivial concerns to the most serious issues that middle school students face today. Arlene Erlbach has assembled a teen advisory
board of 200 kids between fifth and tenth grade who give advice about topics from cracking a locker combination, to dealing with multiple teachers, to sex and dating.

Grade 6-8-This book offers advice in dealing with changes in the school routine, teachers, families, social lives, sex (a section that is fairly explicit), and issues such as drugs, sexual harassment, and school violence. Pen-and-ink cartoons feature preteens and sometimes parents in a variety of situations. A highlight of the book is the advice given by actual middle-school students. For the most part, it is practical, straightforward, and helpful; it is printed in italics and is easily identified throughout the book.
Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 5-7. Erlbach offers a collection of practical tips for making it through that netherworld between the primary grades and high school. Chockablock with advice about peers, home life, and transitions, each chapter tackles different aspects of a particular topic. "Academics," for example, is broken down into sections: "Why Teachers Give So Much Homework," "How Much Parents Should Help," and so on. Erlbach's advice is sound, but the real gems are the quotes from kids. There are some explicit content and frank discussion, with Erlbach using the same no-nonsense language whether covering drugs, sexual harassment, crushes, cheating, oral sex, or pregnancy: "I like kissing, hugging and a little touching, but I don't want any guy putting his hand inside my underwear." Strong, and well-delivered, often necessary medicine. Terry Glover
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