Available:*
Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33607002566415 | Juvenile Fiction | CLEMENT | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
Once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker?
There's a folder in Principal Kelling's office that's as thick as a phonebook and it's growing daily. It's filled with the incident reports of every time Clayton Hensley broke the rules. There's the minor stuff like running in the hallways and not being where he was suppose to be when he was supposed to be there. But then there are also reports that show Clay's own brand of troublemaking, like the most recent addition: the art teacher has said that the class should spend the period drawing anything they want and Clay decides to be extra "creative" and draw a spot-on portrait of Principal Kellings...as a donkey.
It's a pretty funny joke, but really, 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.
Author Notes
Andrew Clements was born in Camden, New Jersey on May 7, 1949. He received a bachelor's degree in literature from Northwestern University and master's degree in teaching from National Louis University. Before becoming a full-time author, he taught in the public schools north of Chicago for seven years, was a singer-songwriter, and worked in publishing.
He is well known for his picture book texts, but it was his middle school novel, Frindle, that was a breakthrough for his writing career. Frindle won numerous awards including the Georgia Children's Book Award, the Sasquatch Children's Book Award, the Massachusetts Children's Book Award, the Rhode Island Children's Book Award, and the Year 2000 Young Hoosier Book Award. His other works include The Landry News, The Janitor's Boy, No Talking, Things Not Seen, Things Hoped For, and Things That Are.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Clayton Hensley wants to be exactly like his older brother, who just got out of jail for wielding his own brand of trouble. When he uses his free art period to draw the principal as a donkey, he makes sure he's the talk of the school, showing off on the way to the office. But, when Clay reveals the drawing to Mitch, he's in for a surprise. Not only is his brother not proud, but he's also disappointed. Mitch wants Clay to turn his life around. The problem is, Clay isn't sure he can do it, or if he even wants to. Being good isn't any fun at all. Or is it? Clements forms interesting parallels between choice, habit, and repute, asking the questions: Can people change their reputations? And, is having fun at the expense of someone else really fun? Occasional pencil drawings of Clay's antics highlight the best parts of the story. Clay will encourage kids who want to forge a new path, placing their own brand on doing the right thing. An inspiring and comical read.-Terry Ann Lawler, Phoenix Public Library, AZ (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Clements (Extra Credit) delivers another rock-solid school story that will resonate with middle graders. Like his older brother, Mitch, sixth-grader Clay is habitually in trouble, and he can't wait to tell Mitch about his latest coup-a realistic portrait of Principal Kelling as a donkey. But his 19-year-old brother, who's just finished a 30-day jail sentence after losing his temper in court, is not amused, and he orders Clay to straighten out ("You're gonna do all the stuff that I never did-and do things right, the smart way"). Clay promises to do so, but learns that his well-established reputation is hard to shake, backsliding is easy, and taking his life in a new direction might mean leaving old friends behind-or being pranked himself. Though the story is largely Clay's, Clements offers the perspectives of other characters, demonstrating how Clay's tussles with his conscience have an impact on the environment around him. Clements's empathy for Clay is clear-he's not a bad kid, just someone whose mischievous tendencies have always been encouraged. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Troublemaker CHAPTER ONE NOT APPROPRIATE Clay Hensley frowned at the paper on the table. It wasn't a very good drawing. He'd made tons of better ones . . . like that picture he'd made of the old man sitting on the bridge? Now, that was good--even won a prize. This drawing? It was okay, just a simple portrait. It wasn't going to win any prizes--but then, it wasn't supposed to. It was supposed to do something else. Soon. Out of the corner of his eye Clay saw Mr. Dash get up from his desk. The class period was almost over, so the art teacher was beginning his inspections, same as always. Clay squinted and kept working on the portrait, shading a little here, erasing a little there, trying to get the expression on the face just right--actually, trying to get the whole head to look right. It wasn't easy. Excerpted from Troublemaker by Andrew Clements All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.