Still suffering through sixth grade at P. S. 38, Nate Wright is up to his usual entertaining tricks in the sixth book of Peirce's best-selling series. He jumps on (and breaks) a beanbag chair in the library, repeatedly hits his head with an empty water bottle, and draws a steady stream of irreverent cartoons. For the first half of the book, Nate embarrasses himself in a variety of ways: getting stage fright in front of the entire school, earning a "D" in social studies, and being mocked by the school's most popular guy. But things turn around with the apparent help of his friend's good-luck charm, and Nate mends his reputation and the hurt feelings of his band's lead singer. Peirce focuses on Nate's school challenges rather than on his home life, but there is a sweet moment when Nate's father confesses that he wasn't a stellar sixth-grade student either. Peirce's drawings are amusing but also surprisingly expressive, capturing everything from the agony of facing a teacher's tantrum to the joy of a surprise free period.

Nate is suffering from a severe case of horrible luck in his sixth book. After Nate's friend Chad shares his good luck charm, Nate is suddenly "In the Zone"; he'll need all the luck he can get to win a bet with seventh-grade cool kid Marcus. Peirce's spot-on depiction of a sixth grader's point-of-view is entertaining, and comic panel illustrations enhance the humor.