ELVIN LINK, PLEASE REPORT TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE!

How do you keep from being forever remembered as That Kid who made a fool of himself at the annual school Field Day?

Fifth grader Elvin Link has a history of being called to the principal’s office—and not for great reasons. His passion for drawing anything, anywhere, and with any kind of implement lands him in hot water on numerous occasions. But who wants a boring old desk when you can transform it into a spaceship? Yet when Elvin gets an opportunity to use his drawing skills as a composite-sketch artist to solve real-life problems, it changes his whole point of view—of himself and the world. Readers get to observe how he navigates his way through conflict with parents, classmates, siblings, grown-ups, and a wedgie-obsessed bully named Peter Zorber. The frequent cartoon illustrations are full of humor, spunk, and occasional references to turdmuffins and underwear. Whatever the plot lacks in tension, New Yorker cartoonist Dernavich makes up for in affection for his characters, their beloved made-up game of flipdisc (with rules only a fifth grader would make up), and the power of drawing as diplomacy. Elvin and his family seem to be white; the principal is a woman of color, and names point to a diverse student body.

A good-natured illustrated story to warm the hearts of misunderstood boys and their friends.