Middle School—Safety Goggles Advised: Exploring the Weird Stuff from Gossip to Grades, Cliques to Crushes, and Popularity to Peer Pressure

This guidebook considers the unfamiliar and sometimes strange parts of middle school through insights from hundreds of students. It portrays a new school shaped by puberty, tests, homework, hormones, varied personalities, cafeteria food, and unpleasant smells. Alongside greater independence, new friends, and activities, it addresses harsh judgment, popularity, and drama. The book focuses on the mix of changes and social pressures that can make middle school feel confusing.