SOLVED. Middle Grade, Boy obsessed with Tom Sawyer and having the best summer ever. [s]

[meg]

I remember this boy was obsessed with having the best summer ever and was using the Tom Sawyer book as a guide. I think there was a scene where this boy tried to give people a dead rat on a string like Tom Sawyer did and everyone thought he was weird and gross. I think there also may have been a subplot about putting together some sort of time capsule for the future

I read this sometime between 2000 and 2005 but it could've been written much earlier, though probably not before the mid 80s. I'd say target audience was ages 8-12. I think the cover was a drawing of the boy and his friends but I'm not positive

[Tab]

Hobie Hanson, You're Weird

[meg]

this is absolutely it!!! thank you so much!!!