Most students moving up to middle school, despite feeling a certain amount of normal dread, feel excited to meet new people and experience an entirely new environment. Why does Rafe perceive middle school as a penitentiary from the moment he arrives, only to have his opinion of the place grow worse?

In order to become a sixth-grader, Rafe had to successfully complete elementary school. Is it really the case that middle school students have more odious rules to follow than elementary kids, and if so, why?

From the first day of class, Rafe endures bullying from Miller, who won’t even allow him to take a seat. Should Rafe have sounded the alarm on that first day by telling the teacher he was being bullied? Why did he not? What are some other strategies for dealing with a bully like Miller?