Airi Sano, Prankmaster General: New School Skirmish

The US Army has a file on me at least five hundred pages thick. An OMPF. That s what Mom says, anyway. She says we ought to request it so I can learn the effects of my behavior and start to think before I act. She always sighs when she says that. Then she looks up at the ceiling and asks, How did I raise such a delinquent?

I like it better when she gets mad. Her face gets all red like a pepper, and she uses my full name: Airi. Evelyn. Sano. Like that. You can hear the periods. It always makes me giggle. When she sighs, there s nothing to laugh at.

I had to look up the word delinquent online when she first used it. There were a few definitions. Here are my favorites:

delinquent (de-­LING-­kwent)
1. noun ­a usually young person who regularly performs illegal or immoral acts
2. adjective ­neglectful of a duty or obligation; guilty of a misdeed or offense
Synonyms: offender, wrongdoer, malefactor, lawbreaker, culprit, criminal

I also found a bunch of mug shots. Turns out that means pictures of criminals, not actual mugs. At first I thought mug stood for something, like MUG: Mostly Unwashed Guy. Then I remembered back when Dad was stationed at Fort Mackall-­Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina, I heard one of my teachers say a kid had a mug only a mother could love after he broke his nose falling off the jungle gym. I asked Dad about it later and he said mug is an old-­fashioned way of saying face, but he didn t know why. I didn t get it then, and I don t get it now.

These days, when Mom calls me a delinquent, I leave little drawings of what my mug shot might look like ­if I ever actually get arrested ­all over the house for her. I even asked my obaachan (that s what I call my grandma in Japan) how to write delinquent in kanji ( ) to really make my point. I like to hide the pictures so she ll find them when she least expects it. Sometimes I ll be across the house and I ll hear her yelp when she opens the bathroom cabinet and sees me

Zoe Tokushige (she/they) originally hails from Southern California, but has spent the past decade on the East Coast. After attending NYU for a BS in media, culture, and communications, Zoe received an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College before returning to New York to work in publishing. Zoe currently works at Penguin Random House. When not writing, Zoe enjoys crafts, video games, and D&D. You can visit Zoe online at zoetokushige.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @zoetokushige. 

Jennifer Naalchigar (she/her) is a British Japanese illustrator based in Hertfordshire, England. She has a love for quirky characters and enjoys experimenting with digital brushes. Jennifer can often be found listening to music and doodling with her tablet in a coffee shop. She also enjoys reading picture books to her kids and scanning anything she can get her hands on. After five years working as an art buyer for Oxford University Press, she decided that illustration was the career for her. You can follow Jennifer on Instagram @naalchidraws. 

Praise for Airi Sano, Prankmaster General: New School Skirmish:
 
The ultimate prankster has arrived! She s clever, creative, and ready to cause a little trouble. With her scrappy attitude and an unlimited supply of classroom antics, Airi Sano is guaranteed to keep readers on their toes! Booki Vivat, New York Times bestselling author of the Frazzled series
 
Zoe Tokushige s debut novel is clever, heartfelt, and fun! Readers will fall in love with Airi Sano s doodles, reports, and flair for pranks. Maia and Alex Shibutani, authors of the Kudo Kids series and Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All
 
You ll fall for the stupendous Airi and her hilarious hijinks! Remy Lai, award-winning author of Pie in the Sky

* "Tokushige embeds her tale and its realistically multicultural cast in a Hawaiian setting that positively bursts with vivid details of daily life, speech, and spirit. Naalchigar adds lots of monochrome portraits and spot art of food, shirts, and other local color to match." Booklist, STARRED review

"A hilarious, charming story full of humor and mischief." Kirkus Reviews