Troublemaker

Once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker? A reputation proves challenging to change in this rock-solid school story (Publishers Weekly) from Andrew Clements.

Clayton Hensley is accustomed to trouble: Theres a folder of incident reports in Principal Kellings office thats as thick as a phonebook and growing daily. Most recently, Clays art teacher told the class to spend the period drawing anything they wanted, and Clay decided to be extra creative by drawing a spot-on portrait of Principal Kellingas a donkey.

Its a pretty funny joke, but Clay is coming to realize that the biggest joke of all may be on him. When his big brother, Mitchell, gets in some serious trouble, Clay decides to change his own mischief-making waysbut he cant seem to shake his reputation as a troublemaker.

From the master of the school story comes a book about the fine line between good-humored mischief and dangerous behaviorand how everyday choices can close or open doors.