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The iconoclastic cousins Butch and Spike enter sixth grade with a reputation for breaking all the rules. Narrator Jasper begins to weaken to the charms--and smarts--of the cousins even as he maintains his reputation as a teacher's "joy to have in class." Gauthier does not skimp on any chance for humor, deploying satire and slapstick in turn as Spike and Butch strike out against the restrictions and regulations that make education boring.