*Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This was such a fun and silly read - perfect for reluctant readers! I loved watching Alley and Rex's friendship blossom as they try to save Alley from going to private school.

Alley may be a sixth grader, but the reading and interest level of this book skews several years younger. This might make it a decent choice for reluctant readers. Alley's recklessness and wild imagination make it a highly entertaining read and the degree of misadventure is pretty appealing. It reads like a less cynical, more kind-hearted version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

A cute story for older reluctant readers. It felt very short, so I hope the actual book is chunkier in page count. I wish they had explained Rex's backstory more. Maybe if this ends up being a series, they could have a book from his point of view.

Alley & Rex is fun and silly, it will have your child laughing out loud. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy books about mischief-makers at school. It is a sweet story about an unexpected friendship.

Alley needs an A on his science test or his parents will send him to a dreaded private school. To assist Alley, the school principal pairs him up with Rex as a student mentor. Alley and Rex are two very different kids and it is endearing to see their friendship blossom. In the end, Alley gets the grade and the day is saved - but it is primarily due to Rex's cleverness. I personally wish we had seen Alley develop as a character, I would like to have seen him earn his grade in some manner. However, my 2nd grader loved the book and was not bothered in the least that Alley's success was not achieved via his own agency or actions.

My 2nd grader's favorite things were the cafeteria scene, Rex's bunny outfit and formal speech. Seriously, Rex had my child cracking up. The short chapters and illustrations are great. I would recommend this book for 4th-6th graders.

I think there are a few things about the Kindle PDF that are missing and make it a little bit harder to read--some bits of the story seem to be told in the illustrations, which don't come through on the PDF. But regarding the prose, I find it funny and a very good readaloud. Alley and Rex are both good characters. The vocabulary is rich and also tongue-in-cheek. Alley is a lot smarter than he seems to give himself credit for. Lots of fun!