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Troublemaker

by Andrew Clements, Mark Elliott (Illustrator)

3.63 of 5 stars 3.63 · rating details · 518 ratings · 113 reviews

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 ar...more

Hardcover, 160 pages

Published July 26th 2011 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers (first published 2011)

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Feb 21, 2012 Brian rated it 3 of 5 stars

WARNING!!! CONTAINS SPOILERS :

In this book, there are one sixth grader boy called "Clay Hensley" has many troubles in his Truman Elementary school. His record book has filled with troubles that he made. He likes to joke with his friends. During the art class, he drew his principal like a donkey and he went to principal's office again. When he came back to home, his big brother decided to change Clay to a good student, and Clay promised to his big brother that he will going to be a good student....more WARNING!!! CONTAINS SPOILERS :

In this book, there are one sixth grader boy called "Clay Hensley" has many troubles in his Truman Elementary school. His record book has filled with troubles that he made. He likes to joke with his friends. During the art class, he drew his principal like a donkey and he went to principal's office again. When he came back to home, his big brother decided to change Clay to a good student, and Clay promised to his big brother that he will going to be a good student. However, he forgot his promise and he threw foods to lower grader, just because it's fun. Clay was regretting about that happening, but teacher sent him to the principal's office, again. Clay told to his principal that he will never do this stuffs again, and he don't want to make his brother feel disappoint, and principal accepted. In the Halloween, Clay wasn't hanging out with his best friends, and just stay in the home rest of the day. That night, cops were visit Clay's house and told to his mother and big brother that they are looking for Clay. What the cops were saying was Someone threw the eggs and draw donkey on principal's house. Clay explained to his family that he didn't go outside whole day except for school. Clay decided meet principal after a day. He met his principal and principal apologize to Clay that he doubt him. After few weeks, Clay won the art contest with his new donkey drawing. He was a trouble maker, but no more.

For the main conflict in the story, the cops were visit Clay's house because of principal's misunderstanding. Someone threw eggs and drew donkey on principal's house, and he thought Clay did it. However, Clay was staying in his home whole day, so Clay decided to go to principal's house and meet him. After the day, Clay met his principal and had conversation with him and got apologize from the principal.

I liked the whole story because I saw the one boy who is trouble maker, started to reminds his self and tried to fix himself. Also his big brother was helping Clay to be a appropriate and good student. It was so impressive. (less)

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Jan 27, 2012 6th Grade Honors Language Arts Class rated it 4 of 5 stars

Trouble-Maker
Author: Andrew Clements
Review by ; Dominique

Andrew Clements the author of Trouble-Maker was born on May 29, 1949, in Camden, New Jersey. As a child, Andrew enjoyed summers at a lakeside cabin in Mane, there he spent his days swimming, fishing, and in the evening reading books. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Northwestern University and a Masters of Arts in Elementary Education from National Louis University. Andrew worked as a teacher sharing his love...more Trouble-Maker
Author: Andrew Clements
Review by ; Dominique

Andrew Clements the author of Trouble-Maker was born on May 29, 1949, in Camden, New Jersey. As a child, Andrew enjoyed summers at a lakeside cabin in Mane, there he spent his days swimming, fishing, and in the evening reading books. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Northwestern University and a Masters of Arts in Elementary Education from National Louis University. Andrew worked as a teacher sharing his love of reading with Elementary, Middle, and High school students. His first book was the award winning Frindle, which won sixteen state book awards.
Andrew Clement book Trouble-Maker is about a boy named Clay Hensley who is always getting in trouble and one day he got sent to the principal’s office for getting in to trouble in his art class. When he gets there the principal and him talk about his behavior and how he can improve it. The next day Clay brings his phone and takes a picture of the drawing he made in the art class. The drawing is a picture of the principal with a horse head, he thinks it’s funny and so do his classmates, Clay calls it a jackass. A few days later his brother comes home from jail. Clay shows him the picture. His brother doesn’t think it’s funny instead he hates the way he acted and doesn’t want clay to be like him. He makes Clay change his personality even his wardrobe. Halloween comes and clays brother doesn’t let him go out trick-or-treating. Instead of staying at home Clay sneaks out of the window. Before the night is over the police come to his house and thinks he drew the picture on the principals door.
I think Andrew Clements wrote an amazing story. I liked the way he wrote the book. I liked the wording Andrew used in this book. My favorite part was the little case in the book. I like similar genres. I thought the story was funny and well written. I don’t really relate to this story. The only thing I relate to is I like to have fun like clay does.
I think kids my age would enjoy reading this book. I think they would enjoy reading the case like I did. Kids would see that Andrew described the setting and characters very well. My favorite character is clay because he makes everything fun. My least favorite character is his friends. I don’t like them because they try to get Clay in trouble when he doesn’t want to get into trouble. I think kids would like to see who drew the picture on the principal’s door. I know I would. It’s very shocking.
I would recommend this book to anyone I know. Andrew really makes the book come alive. A part that really comes alive is where clay rides his bike by the principals’ house and sees him painting his door white to cover the drawing. Finally I think that anyone who reads this book will love it the way I do.
(less)

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Sep 04, 2011 H rated it 3 of 5 stars

Clements has recently been leavening his humourous school stories with more serious subjects or undercurrents. With Extra Credit, I thought he was only partially successful, but I think he succeeds pretty well with Trouble-Maker, the story of Clay Hensley - a sixth grade boy who has been making mischief pretty much since he was in kindergarten. Much of Clay's trouble making is of the just this side of serious sort, so he's not a candidate for juvie (yet). His world is rocked when his idolized 20...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the things that I especially love about working at an elementary school is the variety of children I get to meet. This can be both enjoyable and incredibly frustrating, but never boring, and I learn as much from them as they do from me (hopefully). Clay is one of those students who is more than capable of doing well in school, but chooses not to. In Clay's case, his admiration for his older brother, leads him into mischief, including the donkey drawing of his principal. When Mitchell retu...more

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Jun 01, 2011 Abby Johnson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Clay is a troublemaker. He doesn't pull pranks to be mean or because he's angry, but because his older brother was a prankster and Clay's following in his footsteps. In fact, when Clay uses his time in art class to create a hilarious picture of the school's principal as a jackass, he can't wait to show Mitch and tell him the story of what happened. But Mitch is, for the first time, unimpressed by Clay's prank. Just home from a 30-day jail sentence, Mitch knows it's time for him and Clay to turn...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-fiction, school, relationships, friendship

In quintessential Clements fashion, Trouble-Maker explores a typical middle-school age problem which ends with an appropriate conclusion. Clayton Hensley has always been a trouble maker, right from the get-go when he was in kindergarten. Mischief started off small and almost-laughable, but as Clay grew, the problems became more troublesome to both his parents and his principal, Mr. Kelling.

That all changes once his big brother comes home from being incarcerated. Mitch sees the errors of his own...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Josiah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Clay Hensley is an impressive character. Reminiscent of some of the best work produced by the great Barbara Park during her years as a novelist, the construction of Clay's personality is inspired at every turn. He's hilariously funny, with a faultless ability to assess the risk/reward of any situation and a smart enough tongue that he hardly ever gets in trouble for his shenanigans unless he wants to, and even then he's good at talking himself out of any real trouble. Like his brother, Mitch, b...more Clay Hensley is an impressive character. Reminiscent of some of the best work produced by the great Barbara Park during her years as a novelist, the construction of Clay's personality is inspired at every turn. He's hilariously funny, with a faultless ability to assess the risk/reward of any situation and a smart enough tongue that he hardly ever gets in trouble for his shenanigans unless he wants to, and even then he's good at talking himself out of any real trouble. Like his brother, Mitch, before him, Clay has been a troublemaking prodigy since his first days of school, making mischief and talking circles of absurdist logic around the school's authority figures until they can no longer tell if punishment is appropriate or not. Clay revels in the strength of the reputation he's earned over the years, and why shouldn't he? By now, entering sixth grade, Clay is one of the top dogs of his class in terms of popularity. While he never fails for long to become involved in some kind of trouble, Clay's roguery is always of a playful nature, mostly poking fun at those in charge while eliciting laughs from his peers. Sixth grade is set to be his best school year so far, as popularity among the student body begins to rise in importance and having a reputation as a fun-loving guy can be the best way of making new friends of either gender.

It may seem as if it's the picture Clay draws that changes everything, but it really isn't. With the way things were going, Clay's confrontation with his older brother was inevitable, and it just happens to be the picture that brings it about. Clay is quite the rising artist in addition to his skill as a prankster, but when he draws an unflattering portrait of the school principal to lampoon him in retaliation for a disciplinary remark he made to Clay a few days earlier, he gets in trouble again. This is standard fare for Clay; what he did isn't bad enough for any serious punishment, just a stern talking-to and a few admonitions that future misbehavior will lead to steeper consequences. Clay almost seems to enjoy the "interrogation" in the principal's office, though not nearly as much as does the receptionist, Mrs. Ormin. It's been her duty (privilege?) to take notes on every meeting between the irascible Clay and the principal since the boy started school, and the most entertaining parts of her day always come courtesy of Clay's verbal high jinks.

Since Clay's brother, now almost twenty, was a lot like Clay when he was in school, Clay looks forward to informing him all about the derogatory picture he drew of the school principal, and how much fun it was to get a free shot at the man in charge. What a surprise it is to Clay to find that his brother's short stint in jail has changed his outlook completely, and the former rascal in whose footsteps Clay has been happy to follow wants no part of that old lifestyle. Mitch has seen prison; he knows what can be the end result when one's tricks and pranks escalate until they culminate in illegal activities; he knows what it means to be afraid all the time and have one's freedom taken away, and he's not going to let that happen to him ever again. That's not the future he wants for his younger brother, either, and he lets Clay know it in no uncertain terms. Things with Mitch sure are different now, Clay sees, and his brother's intensity surprises him more than a little. Yet Clay has always listened to what Mitch had to tell him in the past; why should this time be any different?

Mitch has genuinely turned around his own life, and he's not going to let Clay slip through the cracks of the system and get into really big trouble, either, if he can help it. Using milder versions of the rigid disciplinary techniques favored in jail, Mitch tries to reform his charmingly impish brother practically overnight, and in doing so goes overboard in some respects, restricting Clay's avenues of personal expression in ways that aren't likely to be helpful to the cause. But Clay knows Mitch means business, and his brother's fear of going down the wrong path has had its affect on Clay. Maybe now really is the time for him to tone down his troublemaking activities, he thinks, to filter out the bad while keeping the lovable spontaneousness of his personality and giving others the chance to like and respect him for who he is, not just the high-profile pranks he commits.

Clay's resolve to take Mitch's regiment of self-improvement seriously won't be easy to maintain. The closer he sticks to the new plan, however, the better the chance that when an anonymous act of vandalism is traced back to Clay, his denial of guilt will be believed by those closest to him: his family, friends and even one or two others whose opinions Clay had never previously valued. Maybe he really can make this new lifestyle of a kinder, less tricksterly Clay stick for good, and he won't have to worry about ever facing the bad things that caused Mitch to finally make changes in his own life. Maybe Clay's turnaround has happened just in time to give him a new start without all the baggage of the past, able to make his way in junior high and beyond without the "troublemaker" label attached to his name. If anyone is smart and capable enough to manage such a transformation, it's Clay Hensley.

Andrew Clements does a nice job of bringing this story around full circle by the end, tying up all the loose ends meaningfully and memorably. Clay is someone I know I won't soon forget, a lavishly talented and delightfully scampish boy who can be just as sensitive and sincere as he can be hilarious, the kind of kid everyone should be lucky enough to have for a friend. Because of Clay's presence in the book, I would certainly consider two and a half stars for Troublemaker. I had a good time with this story, and I thank Andrew Clements for writing it.(less)

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Aug 12, 2011 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-literature, contemporary-fiction, fiction, listened-to, young-adult-fiction

Ahhh, firstLane Smith, now Andrew Clements... we are bound and determined to get the word jackass beyond the would-be censors of children's literature.
Clements is in top form with this story of Clay Hensley, a sixth-grader who enjoys the challenge of seeing how many times he can be sent to the principal's office during his elementary career. Why? Because his brother was a prankster who was not afraid to get in trouble, and Clay wants to be just like Mitch. So when Clay draws a picture of a jacka...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Brittany Sahadat added it

This book was very interesting especially because I knew someone like this in junior high school. Most times when children come from a home of trouble and no rules that continues everywhere that child goes. Clay and his brother Mitchell came that type of home and it continued while they were at school and nobody wanted to be bothered by them becuase of their attitudes. Once they realize they want to change it is not as easy as it sounds. Mitchell made it through and changed but now wants his lit...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Stacy Ford rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: boy-protagonist, cre, kennedy-2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The blurb on the back of this book said that "Andrew Clements sets the standard for the school story." I gotta say that I agree with that.

Clayton Hensley is a troublemaker. His latest stunt drawing a picture of a jackass that is a spot on caricature of his school principal. Clay cannot wait to tell his older brother tonight at dinner what he has done. You see Clay takes pride in being a troublemaker because it makes him like his older brother. But, Clay is in for a big surprise. His brother was...more

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Dec 14, 2011 M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

With the same deft hand he applies to 3rd graders, Andrew Clement has moved on to 6th grade. Clay Hensley, doing what he can to follow in his idolized big brother's footsteps, is a smart, charming troublemaker. And then Mitch gets out of jail. To Clay's surprise, Mitch wants to change his own ways and definitely wants Clay to change his. Not so easy when Clay has spent his entire elementary school years deliberately fomenting angst at the school all in the name of fun.

The difficulties inherent i...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Jowel Uddin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-2011-2012

Troublemaker Review

The usual pattern of having a child in either a middle or elementary school with a problem of some sort, is Andrew Clement's usual suit. This is evident once again, in Andrew Clements somewhat recent book, “Troublemaker”.

The book begins with Clay, who is the protagonist. Clay is a sixth grader who is quite mischievous. Clay wants to see how many times he can go to the principal's office, and he has quite a reputation in school. Clay has a huge folder at the principal's off...more Troublemaker Review

The usual pattern of having a child in either a middle or elementary school with a problem of some sort, is Andrew Clement's usual suit. This is evident once again, in Andrew Clements somewhat recent book, “Troublemaker”.

The book begins with Clay, who is the protagonist. Clay is a sixth grader who is quite mischievous. Clay wants to see how many times he can go to the principal's office, and he has quite a reputation in school. Clay has a huge folder at the principal's office spanning from kindergarten to the sixth grade. Clay acts as a troublemaker to become like Mitch, his older brother, who was also a prankster. Mitch was sent to jail for a thirty day sentence, which changes him. Upon seeing Clay's crud behavior, Mitch tries to change him, and guide him off the path that he once followed. Clay's change does not come easy, as he has to make up for a few years worth of trust and respect from various individuals around him, including his principal.

This book seemed enticing because I am an enormous fan of Andrew Clements. Andrew Clements has a special way of crafting characters which are deemed likeable. The story's plot was somewhat different from Clement's usual plots. Usually, Clement's plots involve a girl starting her own school newspaper or a boy trying to direct a holiday concert, among many things. The book shows the change that all of must go through and from an angle is like a coming of age novel. The change that Clay must go under is not easy, and at times we all experience a change of perspective. This particular book of Andrew Clements is fascinating because the protagonists in his earlier novels, don't change as much as Clay. Clay's character was refreshing because many of Clement's protagonists aren't troublemakers or mischievous. The constant danger that Clay faced, as he had to decide whether to stay out of trouble or go back to his old ways, was amazing to follow as a reader.

Although “Troublemaker”, is deemed as a child's book, the book is perfect for readers of all ages. Any of Andrew Clements books, especially this one, is easily relate able to any audience. Ultimately, “Troublemaker”, is about redemption and change. At times we must change and change isn't easy. Clements depicts the frustrations of change and exemplifies it on a simpler level, by crafting Clay. Clay is a sixth grader and change is quite hard for him, as it is for us. Yet Clements shows the rewards that come with changing for your own betterment. In Clay's case it was earning the trust of those around him, yet the concept of change can be applied to anyone's life. The book is a great read for audiences of all ages, as are all of Andrew Clement's fine and inspirational works.
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May 17, 2011 Terryann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids, slj-books-reviewed

Clements, Andrew. Troublemaker. Atheneum Books for Children. July 2011. ISBN: 978-1-4169-4930-5. $12.99 F

Gr. 4-6
Clayton Hensley is a troublemaker. He wants to be exactly like his older brother Mitch, who just got out of jail for wielding his own brand of trouble. When Clay 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 Mitc...more

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Nov 11, 2012 Runa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Clever premise, rushed ending. We've seen all kinds of different gifted children in Andrew Clements' books, and it was cool to have a protagonist gifted in art this time around. Clements really does have a book for everyone. Clay is a typically loveable, mischievous, creative protagonist, and the book felt like a return to Clements' golden days of The Landry News, The School Story, and Frindle. Unfortunately, the resolution is thin. No mention is made of Mitch's coercive tendencies toward his yo...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Beverly rated it 4 of 5 stars

From the inside flap:

“Once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker?

There’s a folder in Principal Kelling’s office that’s as thick as a phone book, and it’s growing daily. It’s filled with the incident reports for every time Clayton Hensley broke the rules. There’s the minor stuff, like running in the hallways and not being where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be there. But then there are also reports, like the most recent addition, that show Clay’s own brand of troublemaking: The ar...more From the inside flap:

“Once a troublemaker, always a troublemaker?

There’s a folder in Principal Kelling’s office that’s as thick as a phone book, and it’s growing daily. It’s filled with the incident reports for every time Clayton Hensley broke the rules. There’s the minor stuff, like running in the hallways and not being where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be there. But then there are also reports, like the most recent addition, that show Clay’s own brand of troublemaking: The art teacher had said tha the class should 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 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.”

Clay is one of those students “who is not living up to his potential.” He idolizes his older brother and wants to follow in his mischievous footsteps. At first I worried that this book might be a “bad influence” by giving kids ideas for making trouble (and it does, but nothing a mischievous child hasn’t already thought of). But it also sets a good, if someone simplistic example. Clay’s admiration for his older brother Mitch may get him into to trouble in the beginning, but it also puts him on the right path to making better choices.

What I liked about the book: It provides a good message in simple and humorous terms. The writing is typical Clements and will appeal to students and educators alike. Mark Elliott’s illustrations have a feel as though they were done by a talented student, which will have great appeal for readers.

What I don’t like about the story: The message is a little oversimplified. Though I think the simplicity of the story makes it perfect for its targeted audience it might also give the impression that changing one’s behavior can happen virtually overnight. It has the feel of an “after school special” where everything is solved in a couple of hours.

Overall this is a good read and I recommend it for Clements fans and anyone who wants to impart a message about how your choices tend to follow you.

Recommended for 3rd grade and up.

Mrs. Archer’s rating: 4 of 5(less)

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Feb 02, 2013 Alicia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Not my favorite Andrew Clements book as the subject matter was a little advanced for my 7 year old. Clay is a seasoned 6th grade troublemaker with a school file inches thick. His older brother gets out of jail (!) and decides that Clay will not end up well if he doesn't clean up his act. Clay struggles with being respectful, not playing pranks and being serious in school, but in the end, it all works out for him. The use of the word "jackass" was quite prevalent (in describing a drawing of the a...more

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Sep 09, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-copyright, j-fiction

Really more of a 3.5 star book. Clay gets in a lot of trouble at school. It's trouble that could be avoided - except Clay doesn't want to avoid it. He thinks making trouble is fun and he likes the attention it brings to him. But when his older brother is released from prison, he makes Clay promise to stay out of trouble. And that's a very hard promise for Clay to keep.

This book has a really good message about consequences of your actions, what your reputation can mean (good or bad) and how it's...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Xavier added it

What I thought about the book was very funny. The character Clay is the trouble maker in this book. He does things on purpose. Like in school,he drew a picture of the principle as a donkey. Why he did this is becuase he wanted to show how the principle can be a donkey sometimes. But its funny because he does it without fear. Also his smirks and smiles make me laugh because it shows he is unstoppable anywhere. He may probly do evryday in school. With his behavior I wonder what he does on hallowee...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens

I listened to this book. It is suggested for ages 8 and up. While 8-year-olds could certainly understand the language and the sentence structure, I don't know if I would want to expose 8-year-olds to some of the concepts in this book. The ideas for mischief that (could be adopted by some) are one thing, but the fact that Clayton's older brother went to jail, that the school bus and the cafeteria are scary places ripe for bullying, maybe it is just my rose colored glasses, but I would prefer to w...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Shuhei Ota rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

October 16 - 23:Time / 90 minutes
October 23 - 30 : Time / 70 minutes
Seven words: draw- principal - creative - brother -smack- promise- stupid
Discussion Question
Q1: Main character is good at drawing. What are you good at?
A1: I am also good at drawing. I often draw picture when I have time.
Q2: He likes his older brother. Do you like your brother or sister if you have ?
A2: Yes. I have two young brothers. I always enjoy chatting with them. Sometimes we help each other. So, I like them.
Comment:
I...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Carie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I used to enjoy practically any Andrew Clements book (Frindle is my hands-down favorite). But recently his stories have failed me - especially this one. This book is on our state award list for next year (4-6th grades). While it's always nice to see a easy read on the list, I think the committee could have found one more worthy. The book is typical of Clements: a school story with a moral. Not bad reading, but I just found it dull. And the use of "jackass" in the book could potentially cause som...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Ann Williams rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: just-right-for-4th-graders

A "just right," read for 4th graders. If you like Andrew Clements, you will like Troublemaker. This is the story of Clay and his transformation from troublemaker to student. When his brother Mitch returns home after spending time in jail, he makes Clay promise not to get in trouble any more. Clay has a hard time making people believe that he has turned over a new leaf, but ultimately he is successful. Both boys and girls will like this book. I especially enjoyed the way Clay used Art as a way to...more

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Nov 22, 2011 Katherine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-for-fun

It is difficult to break out of habits you set for yourself. Clay's habit is being a troublemaker. He likes being the class clown and getting as much attention as he can. Then, his older brother is released from prison. Clay makes a promise to him to stay out of trouble. But can he keep that promise? Especially with Halloween just around the corner.

Andrew Clements has been dealing with more mature subjects in his school stories. This one may be best saved for a little bit older or more mature mi...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Adriana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children

http://shesgotbooksonhermind.blogspot...

It's hard to believe that I've read and loved one of my top favorite books, A Week in the Woods, but I've never read any of Andrew Clements other books. I think it's because his books are plentiful with the signature image of a kid holding something for the reader to see. I guess I thought it would be generic and childish. I must be losing my mind. A Week in the Woods was hardly that and Troublemaker proved me all kinds of wrong. I have decided it's my mis...more http://shesgotbooksonhermind.blogspot...

It's hard to believe that I've read and loved one of my top favorite books, A Week in the Woods, but I've never read any of Andrew Clements other books. I think it's because his books are plentiful with the signature image of a kid holding something for the reader to see. I guess I thought it would be generic and childish. I must be losing my mind. A Week in the Woods was hardly that and Troublemaker proved me all kinds of wrong. I have decided it's my mission to read as many Andrew Clements books I can get my hands on. It could even lead to him being one of my favorite authors. It only fits since he wrote one of my favorite books of all time.

Clay is a troublemaker and so is his older brother Mitchell who came back from serving time in jail. Mitchell doesn't want that for his brother so he makes him promise to turn a new leaf. Clay looks up to his big brother so he agrees. I feel like Clay and Mitchell have any obvious difference between them. Clay's troublemaking is doing silly things that may hurt others feelings but he never knows it. He just does things to be funny or get a rise out of people. He may draw a picture of the principal as a jackass and get in trouble for that. He loves drawing. I love how with this book and in Okay for Now the main character is perceived to be these bad, troubled kids but they are really great people who love to draw. Mitchell is more of the angry kid. His troubles revolve around fist fights. Clay may want to be like his older brother and make him proud of his shenanigans but he's never been that bad. Clay is a great kid who just doesn't understand that what he does sometimes can hurt other people's feelings.

Mitchell goes a little too far. After Clay promises him that he won't do anything wrong he makes him over in the most hilarious way. He looks all goody two shoes and his friends don't like the change. Still no one really trusts him. I loved how Clay's promise endured through almost everything. There was some seriousness to the story with cops and his brother formerly being in jail. Clay's a great kid and I enjoyed reading about him. We need more Clay's in the world. He deserved to be trusted and he will always be known as the character that kept me reading Andrew Clements.(less)

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Sep 05, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: gr-4-6

I think Clements books are really readable. They're like vitamin water: they go down so smoothly it's easy to overlook the slightly deeper level that they can operate on. This one, like others, has clearcut characters, including believable and slightly-more-than-one-dimensional adults. You could pause along the way and really think about how you would react if your brother or best friend changed dramatically. Still, there's a formulaic feel to Clements writing, and if I could I'd probably actual...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Dawn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Another winner by Andrew Clements! We love to listen to his books on CD when we are traveling. The actor who reads the books aloud is very good. This book is a bit shorter than some--only two CDs, but still a high quality story. A boy who has spent his entire grade school career as a troublemaker wants to change, but he finds that it is hard to escape his reputation. Clements' story is both entertaining and thoughtful with some good lessons woven in. I'd give this book a 3.5 if I could.

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Sep 26, 2011 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, pretty_clean

Clayton Hensley has always been a troublemaker. But when his role model older brother returns from a month in prison for insulting a judge, he's determined to reform both himself and his brother. Clay's difficulty in controlling himself and changing his reputation is realistic, as are his new realizations that trouble doesn't necessarily equal fun. Religious parents may not be interested in their children's reading about some extreme troublemaking, but the overall message is positive.

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Apr 13, 2012 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't read a lot of books at this level, but I thought this one was pretty good. Easy to follow story, easy to understand moral of the story, and some good illustrations. It says it's for ages 8-12, but it uses the word jackass throughout the story, both to describe a donkey and a person, which I find odd. I'm not one for censorship at all, but I think it's weird for an 8 year old to be reading a book where the principal of the middle school is referred to as a jackass.

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Jun 18, 2012 Mel Raschke added it

Clay is a troublemaker and a frequent visitor to the principal's office. His file is so thick with incident reports that the school secretary calls it her masterpiece. However, when Clay's brother Mitch is released from jail after serving a month for contempt of court, Mitch sets out to change Clay's ways. While it's not easy giving up throwing food at lunch, Halloween and hanging with his troublemaker friends Clay learns to trust his brother's words of wisdom.

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May 11, 2013 Barb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-gs

One of the best children's chapter books I've read for a long time! It had me laughing out loud and reading a section aloud to my husband at the first, then smiling with pride at the main character in the middle, and shedding a few tears at the ending! I'm going to recommend that our school counselor read it aloud to our 3rd graders. GREAT message wrapped up in a GREAT story!

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About Andrew Clements

I was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1949 and lived in Oaklyn and Cherry Hill until the middle of sixth grade. Then we moved to Springfield, Illinois. My parents were avid readers and they gave that love of books and reading to me and to all my brothers and sisters. I didn’t think about being a writer at all back then, but I did love to read. I'm certain there's a link between reading good books an...more I was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1949 and lived in Oaklyn and Cherry Hill until the middle of sixth grade. Then we moved to Springfield, Illinois. My parents were avid readers and they gave that love of books and reading to me and to all my brothers and sisters. I didn’t think about being a writer at all back then, but I did love to read. I'm certain there's a link between reading good books and becoming a writer. I don't know a single writer who wasn’t a reader first.
Before moving to Illinois, and even afterwards, our family spent summers at a cabin on a lake in Maine. There was no TV there, no phone, no doorbell—and email wasn’t even invented. All day there was time to swim and fish and mess around outside, and every night, there was time to read. I know those quiet summers helped me begin to think like a writer.
During my senior year at Springfield High School my English teacher handed back a poem I’d written. Two things were amazing about that paper. First, I’d gotten an A—a rare event in this teacher’s class. And she’d also written in large, scrawly red writing, “Andrew—this poem is so funny. This should be published!”
That praise sent me off to Northwestern University feeling like I was a pretty good writer, and occasionally professors there also encouraged me and complimented the essays I was required to write as a literature major. But I didn’t write much on my own—just some poetry now and then. I learned to play guitar and began writing songs, but again, only when I felt like it. Writing felt like hard work—something that’s still true today.
After the songwriting came my first job in publishing. I worked for a small publisher who specialized in how-to books, the kind of books that have photos with informative captions below each one. The book in which my name first appeared in print is called A Country Christmas Treasury. I’d built a number of the projects featured in the book, and I was listed as one of the “craftspeople”on the acknowlegements page, in tiny, tiny type.
In 1990 I began trying to write a story about a boy who makes up a new word. That book eventually became my first novel, Frindle, published in 1996, and you can read the whole story of how it developed on another web site, frindle.com. Frindle became popular, more popular than any of my books before or since—at least so far. And it had the eventual effect of turning me into a full-time writer.
I’ve learned that I need time and a quiet place to think and write. These days, I spend a lot of my time sitting in a small shed about seventy feet from my back door at our home in Massachusetts. There’s a woodstove in there for the cold winters, and an air conditioner for the hot summers. There’s a desk and chair, and I carry a laptop computer back and forth. But there’s no TV, no phone, no doorbell, no email. And the woodstove and the pine board walls make the place smell just like that cabin in Maine where I spent my earliest summers.
Sometimes kids ask how I've been able to write so many books. The answer is simple: one word at a time. Which is a good lesson, I think. You don't have to do everything at once. You don't have to know how every story is going to end. You just have to take that next step, look for that next idea, write that next word. And growing up, it's the same way. We just have to go to that next class, read that next chapter, help that next person. You simply have to do that next good thing, and before you know it, you're living a good life.(less)

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