Andrew Clements 
Troublemaker 

Andrew Clementss latest novel, about mentors, role models, and choosing friends, examines the fine line between good-humored mischief and dangerous behaviorand how everyday choices can close or open doors.Theres a folder in Principal Kellings office thats as thick as a phonebook and its growing daily. Its filled with the incident reports of every time Clayton Hensley broke the rules. Theres 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 Clays 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 Kellingsas a donkey. Its 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 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 behavior and how everyday choices can close or open doors.