
By Andrew Clements, Brian Selznick (Illustrator)
A school prank leads to unexpected discoveries in the basement.
Caught defacing a desk with gum, Jack Rankin faces punishment cleaning up after school. The twist? The custodian he's angry with is his dad. As Jack serves his time, he uncovers surprising truths about the school, his father, and himself. What secrets lie beneath the surface, and how will they change Jack's perspective?
IT WAS THE PERFECT CRIME Unfortunately, it also led to the perfect punishment. When Jack Rankin gets busted for defacing a school desk with a huge wad of disgusting, watermelon bubble gum, the principal sentences him to three weeks of after-school gum cleanup for the chief custodian. The problem is, Jack’s anger at the chief custodian was the reason for his gum project in the first place. The chief custodian happens to be Jack’s dad. But doing time in the school basement after hours reveals some pretty surprising things: about the school, about Jack’s father, and about Jack himself.
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