My sister texts one evening saying she is reading the funniest book. Her son (aka, Super Nephew) wants to read the series (this is the first book) and she is reading it to make sure it is appropriate for him. So, caveat, that this is a book squarely aimed at a younger market. And, with my sometimes juvenile sense of humor, I decided to read it.

Rafe Khatchadorian tries to survive his first year of middle school via a plan hatched with his best friend, Leonardo the Silent—break every rule in the school handbook. Each rule is assigned points based on the difficulty of the achievement and an elaborate game plan is detailed in an artistically created notebook. (The drawings, illustrated by Laura Park, are sprinkled throughout the book.

As the game progresses, Rafe draws the attention of the school bully, the popular girl, the stern principal, interfering teachers, his mother, his mother’s live-in boyfriend…and much of the student body.