Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Clay can't wait to tell his older brother Mitch--a troublemaker in his day--about his latest trip to the principal's office. But Mitch has just gotten out of jail, and he doesn't want Clay following in his footsteps. How does Clay go about reinventing himself? Clements has fashioned another fine school story, this time about second chances and the possibility of change. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Clay learns that it's easy to get into trouble but far more difficult to get out of it in this breezy Scared Straighttype novel for the elementary-school set.Clay has finesse. He can create mischief with such cheerful aplomb that he can charm even the principal's assistant, who has been documenting Clay's misdeeds since kindergarten. A clever boy and a talented artist, Clay is bursting with enthusiasm for his pranks. Clay loves and emulates his older brother, Mitch, who was the pre-eminent troublemaker before him. However, Mitch, unlike Clay, has taken his misdeeds to a level of aggression that fun-loving Clay does not. The day Mitch is to come home from prison, Clay undertakes a master antic to impress him and is devastated when Mitch slaps him and demands that he shape up or else end up like himself. Thus begins a makeover, as Mitch gets Clay a new wardrobe and stipulates new rules by which to live. Clay is certain that he looks like Mr. Potato Head with his new haircut, but he's dedicated to pleasing his brother. School provides terrific opportunities for mischief that Clay finds hard to resist, especially the launchable lunch food. But the hardest part of this new life is the rift growing between him and his best buddy, co-trickster Hank. Clements here enters into provocative territory and pulls it off like the pro he is. Kids will easily relate to Clay, and the secondary characters come alive as well.With easygoing prose enhanced by occasional sketches, this slender school story does its job with no trouble at all.(Fiction. 8-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.