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: There’s a folder of incident reports in Principal Kelling’s office that’s as thick as a phonebook and growing daily. Most recently, Clay’s 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 Kelling…as a donkey.

It’s 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 ways…but he can’t 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 behavior–and how everyday choices can close or open doors.