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Class Clown #1
Class Clown
Will Lucas ever stop clowning around?
98 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
42 people are currently reading
537 people want to read
About the author
Johanna Hurwitz
115 books67 followersJohanna Hurwitz is an American author of more than sixty children's books. She has sold millions of books in many different languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
March 9, 2010
The title of my book is “Class Clown” and it was written by Johanna Hurwitz. This book is a comedy and I chose to read it because I like funny stories. I could relate to the main character because sometimes, I like to make jokes in class. The main character is Lucas Cott, and he is a third grader who likes to make jokes in class. He is very smart, but is always getting in trouble. Mrs. Hockaday is the teacher. She is very strict, especially with Lucas. Cricket Kaufman is the smart girl of the class and the one who always gets the good grades. Julio is another one of Lucas’s classmates and sometimes he gets in trouble with Lucas. Marcus and Marius are Lucas’s brothers and they are always misbehaving.
The setting of the story is in Lucas’s school. It takes place during the school year. The main plot is about a kid named Lucas who is always getting in trouble. He tries to behave better, but it doesn’t work, until he suggests that his class makes a Circus. Everyone is excited with the idea, but Lucas does not want to be the clown. He wants to be the ringmaster.
I really liked this book because it was very funny but it also taught me a lesson, and the lesson is never to give up. I recommend this book to anyone who likes funny stories or to anyone who misbehaves in class.
The setting of the story is in Lucas’s school. It takes place during the school year. The main plot is about a kid named Lucas who is always getting in trouble. He tries to behave better, but it doesn’t work, until he suggests that his class makes a Circus. Everyone is excited with the idea, but Lucas does not want to be the clown. He wants to be the ringmaster.
I really liked this book because it was very funny but it also taught me a lesson, and the lesson is never to give up. I recommend this book to anyone who likes funny stories or to anyone who misbehaves in class.
December 1, 2014
Class Clown written by Johanna Hurwitz is about a Lucas Cott a smart young boy who is a disruptive class clown in his third grade class. His teacher (Mrs. Hockdays) sends home a letter to his parents to try to eliminate Lucas’s behavior. As a result his parents convince Lucas that he needs to straighten up and change his behavior to perform his best at school. Lucas tries his best to not be disruptive to his peers. One day Lucas suggests for a school play. The class performs a circus act. Mrs. Hockdays loves the idea and assigns the roles with Lucas being the clown. Lucas is not happy with his role; therefore he tries to win the respect from his teacher to obtain the lead role (the ring master). Eventually, Lucas wins the lead role when the original ringmaster got sick. Finally, Lucas learns when he can be funny and when he has to be serious.
This is a very funny book. This book reminded me of myself because I always had to be the center of attention and I was always jealous of my peers. Therefore, I constantly acted out and got in trouble for being the class clown/center of attention. Hurwitz did a great job developing the other characters in the story when she needed too. For example, Cricket is a girl in Lucas’s class who his is jealous of because she is a “know it all” and knows all the correct answers in class. The cover art by Sheila Hamanaka depicts exactly what this book is about; as the cover displays Lucas balancing a book being the distraction/center of attention with a disappointed teacher standing at the front of the classroom. Hamanaka also provides one black and white illustration each chapter that displays the most important part of the chapter. This is a great feature for students who are transitioning from picture books to chapter books because they don’t distract the reader from the book but they also allow the new reader to feel comfortable in their transition. Hopefully this cover art would attract many new transitioning readers attention. The illustrations are very funny and depict the best part of the chapter.
This is a great book for readers beginning chapter novels. The text is easy to read and very funny. Every student can relate or knows someone who is a class clown. Even if the student can’t relate the student will have a great time reading and laughing throughout this entire book. The book also offers some good themes. Such as never give up always work hard toward your goal (in Lucas’s case behaving good and receiving the lead role) and the novel teaches children there is a time and place to act funny and there are other times when a student/child shouldn’t. This short novel is definitely a page turner. Throughout the book, I was asking myself and had to find out: what Lucas will do next? Will Lucas ever behave? and will Lucas receive the lead role? This would be a good start for a transitioning reader. I would recommend this book for a distinguished third grade reader and up. This is a very easy book to read with a great plot, funny characters, and funny situations.
This is a very funny book. This book reminded me of myself because I always had to be the center of attention and I was always jealous of my peers. Therefore, I constantly acted out and got in trouble for being the class clown/center of attention. Hurwitz did a great job developing the other characters in the story when she needed too. For example, Cricket is a girl in Lucas’s class who his is jealous of because she is a “know it all” and knows all the correct answers in class. The cover art by Sheila Hamanaka depicts exactly what this book is about; as the cover displays Lucas balancing a book being the distraction/center of attention with a disappointed teacher standing at the front of the classroom. Hamanaka also provides one black and white illustration each chapter that displays the most important part of the chapter. This is a great feature for students who are transitioning from picture books to chapter books because they don’t distract the reader from the book but they also allow the new reader to feel comfortable in their transition. Hopefully this cover art would attract many new transitioning readers attention. The illustrations are very funny and depict the best part of the chapter.
This is a great book for readers beginning chapter novels. The text is easy to read and very funny. Every student can relate or knows someone who is a class clown. Even if the student can’t relate the student will have a great time reading and laughing throughout this entire book. The book also offers some good themes. Such as never give up always work hard toward your goal (in Lucas’s case behaving good and receiving the lead role) and the novel teaches children there is a time and place to act funny and there are other times when a student/child shouldn’t. This short novel is definitely a page turner. Throughout the book, I was asking myself and had to find out: what Lucas will do next? Will Lucas ever behave? and will Lucas receive the lead role? This would be a good start for a transitioning reader. I would recommend this book for a distinguished third grade reader and up. This is a very easy book to read with a great plot, funny characters, and funny situations.
November 28, 2012
Class Clown written by Johanna Hurwitz is a smaller chapter book, about 112 pages, that is about a boy named Lucas Cott. He is the class clown of Mrs. Hochaday's third grade class. After continuous acts of disruptive behavior and causing lots of problems in his classroom, his teacher finally decides to inform his Mom of what exactly her son is doing. After reading the detailed letter from Lucas's teacher, his Mom really encourages him to try hard and get his act together. Surprisingly, he does just that! Everyone is s thrilled to see such a well behaved student who doesnt shout out in class and who actually completes his homework assignments. The book progresses and lots of changes were made for Lucas. Towards the latter end of the book, its time for his classroom to plan their classroom play. Lucas being the creative kid that he is, thinks it would be a good idea to have a Circus themed play. His teacher gives Lucas the role of the "clown"... back in the day Lucas would have been super excited about this role, but this time, not so much. Luckily for him, on the day of the play, the Ringmaster was sick so Lucas gladly took his place! He was an amazing Ringmaster. Since school is drawing to an end, his teacher is thrilled to tell Lucas how excited she was for his improvements. Lucas receives "most improved conduct" award and has lost the name of being the "wild, rambunctious child" that he always used to be. He ends this school year on a great note and makes lots of people happy.
I personally really enjoyed this book and think it is extremely appropriate for 3rd-5th or 6th graders! There are lots of students that could probably relate to Lucas so I think it would be very enjoyed by the students. I think students would love seeing how easy it is to change your behavior and turn things around for the positive side, even if they sometimes get off to a rough, bad behaved, start.
I would recommend teachers to read this book to their students more for pleasure than for a lesson. I dont see lots of material in this book that would make for an educational lesson, but for entertainment purposes I think it would be a great book to have a copy of in the classroom or library!
I personally really enjoyed this book and think it is extremely appropriate for 3rd-5th or 6th graders! There are lots of students that could probably relate to Lucas so I think it would be very enjoyed by the students. I think students would love seeing how easy it is to change your behavior and turn things around for the positive side, even if they sometimes get off to a rough, bad behaved, start.
I would recommend teachers to read this book to their students more for pleasure than for a lesson. I dont see lots of material in this book that would make for an educational lesson, but for entertainment purposes I think it would be a great book to have a copy of in the classroom or library!
October 19, 2012
Class Clown is a chapter book about a boy named Lucas Cott who is the class clown in Mrs. Hockaday's third grade classroom. Since he is so disruptive, his teacher sent a note home to his parents letting them know about his behavior. His mother encourages him to "turn over a new leaf" and start acting correctly in class. Accepting the challenge, he does what it takes to do better in class. He overachieves on his homework and even goes a whole day without speaking (thus not shouting out). Towards the end of the book his class is planning a play, and Lucas' idea is to to have a play about a circus. Mrs. Hockaday allowed him to be a clown, but he soon realized that he would rather choose to be a down instead of being told he had to be a clown. On the day of the play, the child who was playing the ringmaster got sick and so Lucas was able to fill in for him. On the last day of school, Lucas received an award for having the "most improved conduct" as well as a note from his teacher saying that he was no longer rambunctious.
I think this book would be great for a classroom library of third-fifth graders. Most classrooms have their own class clown, and I feel as though students would relate to the text. I also think they would find it to be humorous. I would not use this book as a read aloud for a lesson, however I think it would be great for the teacher to read aloud (over the period of a few days) if there was extra time at the end of class. It would be a great way to get the children quiet and listening to a great story.
As for illustrations, there is one illustration per chapter, and there are eight chapters. Each image is black and white and appears to have been drawn with a pencil. The fact that the images are limited is a great feature for students who are transitioning into more complicated chapter books. The illustrator did a great job of choosing the most important part of each chapter and representing it in a picture.
I think this book would be great for a classroom library of third-fifth graders. Most classrooms have their own class clown, and I feel as though students would relate to the text. I also think they would find it to be humorous. I would not use this book as a read aloud for a lesson, however I think it would be great for the teacher to read aloud (over the period of a few days) if there was extra time at the end of class. It would be a great way to get the children quiet and listening to a great story.
As for illustrations, there is one illustration per chapter, and there are eight chapters. Each image is black and white and appears to have been drawn with a pencil. The fact that the images are limited is a great feature for students who are transitioning into more complicated chapter books. The illustrator did a great job of choosing the most important part of each chapter and representing it in a picture.
December 5, 2014
This book is a hoot! It is about Lucas Cott a young boy who is the definition of a class clown in his third grade class. His teacher gets so tired of his disruptive behavior that she sends home a letter to his parents to try and rid Lucas of his ways. With this, his parent tell Lucas that he must start acting right if he wants to do well in class. After that, Lucas tries his best to not be disruptive. One day when they are deciding on a theme for a school play and Lucas suggests the Circus. His teacher and classmates love the idea and Lucas is assigned the roles of being the clown. Lucas is not happy about his role and decides to win the respect from his teacher so he can be the lead role. When the ringmaster gets sick, Lucas is given the lead role and he learns that there is a proper time to be funny and to be serious.
This is a very humorous book that all kids would enjoy. The cover art by Sheila Hamanaka gives a general idea of what the book will be about. It shows Lucas balancing a book being his normal clown like self while his teacher stands disapprovingly behind him Hamanaka also provides one black and white picture per chapter that depicts the most important part of the chapter. This is ideal for kids who are in the transition from picture books to chapter books because they allow for that comfort of pictures from their old familiar books but these illustrations are not the center focus of the books.
This is a great book for readers beginning chapter books on their own. The text is easy to follow and full of humor. It is also a good book because you will find a class clown in almost every classroom. therefore, most kids can relate to this book. even if you didnt have a particularly clownish child in your class, this book still does a good job of emphasizing the importance that there is a time and place for everything.
This is a very humorous book that all kids would enjoy. The cover art by Sheila Hamanaka gives a general idea of what the book will be about. It shows Lucas balancing a book being his normal clown like self while his teacher stands disapprovingly behind him Hamanaka also provides one black and white picture per chapter that depicts the most important part of the chapter. This is ideal for kids who are in the transition from picture books to chapter books because they allow for that comfort of pictures from their old familiar books but these illustrations are not the center focus of the books.
This is a great book for readers beginning chapter books on their own. The text is easy to follow and full of humor. It is also a good book because you will find a class clown in almost every classroom. therefore, most kids can relate to this book. even if you didnt have a particularly clownish child in your class, this book still does a good job of emphasizing the importance that there is a time and place for everything.
November 18, 2011
This is my transitional as well as one of my book talks. This is a story of Lucas. He is always causing trouble in the class, until one day his teacher sends a letter home to his parents. When he finds out the teacher doesn't like his behavior, he kind of gets upset. He wants the teacher to like him so he promises he will try and behave. He still isn't perfect and he does try to be better. He sometimes doesn't see what he does wrong. When its time to "put their thinking caps on" and come up with an idea for the class play, Lucas takes the lead. What could be better than a circus for the class clown. He realizes that he doesn't want to be the clown part he was assigned however. He wants to be something more important; the ringmaster.
This is a story that is good for beginner readers. The language is simple and easy to read. The form of this is episodic which is best for beginner readers because they might not be able to remember what happens through out the whole story. It is also relatable for the kids. All students know a class clown and this is told from his point of view. Also, throughout the book, he is thinking about what he wants to be when he gets older. A lot of students at this age wonder that same question. There is also friends and enemies in the book along with siblings and family.
The few illustrations in the book are really good and add a lot to the story. It is good for children to see what a scene is talking about. That helps them when there is no illustrations to form their own thoughts. I would recommend this for 2nd or 3rd grade.
This is a story that is good for beginner readers. The language is simple and easy to read. The form of this is episodic which is best for beginner readers because they might not be able to remember what happens through out the whole story. It is also relatable for the kids. All students know a class clown and this is told from his point of view. Also, throughout the book, he is thinking about what he wants to be when he gets older. A lot of students at this age wonder that same question. There is also friends and enemies in the book along with siblings and family.
The few illustrations in the book are really good and add a lot to the story. It is good for children to see what a scene is talking about. That helps them when there is no illustrations to form their own thoughts. I would recommend this for 2nd or 3rd grade.
November 9, 2009
This book was about a little boy who thinks he can do any thing he wants to do like when hes in class he thinks he can yell out stuff and make jocks about things and people around hem and every time he does that he gets in trouble and gets yelleg at by the teacher.like if some one realy did that they whoulden't have any reminders they whould be sent to the office as fast as they can but first the teacher whould call them, call them on the speacker phone or send them a email. then the person who did what they did they might not be able to come to school for about 2 or3 days or maybe a week.like why whould a student act like that any way when they know that it is so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so wrong.you know I don't like they boy beacause he is mean and a very bad kid to be around.like my mom always teels me don't hang out with people who will get you in alot of trouble.I have some people I shouden't be hanging around sometimes and every one teels me i'm a smart kid and I am just when people come around me I get distracted from those people.
[the charters were:]katie and ugean.
The setting was when they were at the class room and every one laughing at what the boy said and they were destribing other people who wanted to learn some things.
I shania middleton think this was a great book and will teach you a leasen.
[the charters were:]katie and ugean.
The setting was when they were at the class room and every one laughing at what the boy said and they were destribing other people who wanted to learn some things.
I shania middleton think this was a great book and will teach you a leasen.
October 24, 2012
Who doesn’t know a Lucas Cott. A rambunctious boy who tries to act right, but just can not figure it out at the beginning! His poor teacher, Mrs. Hockadays, she is the type of teacher you wonder how she really does it. This chapter book was fun, sweet, and kept me wanting to read. I really enjoyed how Lucas tried to listen to his mom about acting the write way. He attempted to act right and succeeded. Because of Lucas’s good behavior he was able to hold the lead role in the play he was in. He was first the clown in the play, but was pleased about holding the lead role. I enjoyed how he was the class clown, changed his ways and he succeeded. The illustrations in the book were not my favorite. There were only eight black and white illustrations, so they really didn’t provide to the story too much. I believe this book would be good for 4th or 5th grade students. Some words could be challenging for younger readers. I believe many students could relate to this book. Relating to a book as a child always makes me the book more memorable in my opinion. Overall really enjoyed this chapter book! Hope to read it to my class one day!
June 2, 2010
This book is about a kid who is always goofing off in class to make his friends laugh but his teach don't like it, every time see tells him to do something he does he oppose.
I can connect this book to life because when I was in 4th grade there was this kid who always goofed off and he was always getting in trouble with the teachers and when the teacher called his parents that year the next year he was well behaved and listening to the teacher's every word.
I give this book 5 stars because even though it is a low level book it is still funny and full of life, and if you are a level Z then just read this book and you will still life the content and rich story it has to tell.
I can connect this book to life because when I was in 4th grade there was this kid who always goofed off and he was always getting in trouble with the teachers and when the teacher called his parents that year the next year he was well behaved and listening to the teacher's every word.
I give this book 5 stars because even though it is a low level book it is still funny and full of life, and if you are a level Z then just read this book and you will still life the content and rich story it has to tell.
April 23, 2014
I really enjoyed Class Clown by Johanna Hurwitz! It is a small chapter book that would be great to use when easing a child into chapter books. I think every teacher has a Lucas Cott in their classroom. Lucas is one of the smartest kids in his third grade classroom, but he is also one of the craziest. The book takes you through all the funny situations Lucas gets himself into but by the end, Lucas learns there is a time to act goofy and a time to act right. Johanna Hurwitz does a great job of a creating fun, realistic characters. There was fun humor throughout the whole story! Kids will love it!
October 22, 2007
I read this in Spanish to help improve my language skills. The title in Spanish is El Payaso de la Clase.
Lucas Cott is a third grader with some impulse control issues. He is smart, but often gets in trouble at school for disrupting the class. He is jealous of the star student, Cricket, who always gets the right answers. Eventually, Lucas and Cricket discover some common ground and Lucas learns how to use his talents to contribute rather than to disrupt.
Cute story and it only took me a month and a half to get through it in Spanish!
Lucas Cott is a third grader with some impulse control issues. He is smart, but often gets in trouble at school for disrupting the class. He is jealous of the star student, Cricket, who always gets the right answers. Eventually, Lucas and Cricket discover some common ground and Lucas learns how to use his talents to contribute rather than to disrupt.
Cute story and it only took me a month and a half to get through it in Spanish!
April 22, 2013
Lucas Cott is one of those students you hope you don't get in your class, but then by the end of the year, you hate to see him go. I could see several of my students in this character. He is full of potential and you could see him grow throughout this book, short as it was. As an adult, I enjoyed this book, but I think younger readers would enjoy this book, too. It's funny and it has a good message about becoming the best you that you can be... and the endless possibilities of what you can become.
November 13, 2013
This seemed to me like an overall happy book! I really liked it because it reminded me of what it was like in school with a class clown again. However, in this story Lucas seems like a major class clown! He try's to behave but just always seems to have something up his sleeve. He always brings out his sense of humor in everything, especially the classroom even if he shouldn't. He even gets his head stuck in a chair. I think this would be a humorous and fun laugh for children to read, and I think they would enjoy it like I did.
May 6, 2014
This book was good small chapter book. Lucas Cott was the smartest kid in his classroom and I feel like a class can relate because almost every class has a Lucas in there room. The book takes you through all the times when Lucas is crazy and funny. Towards the end of the book Lucas learns that there is a time to be funny and a time to be serious and responsible. The author of this book did a great job making the characters seem real but also fun. It was easy to read and get into I thought. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to read something funny and also be able to enjoy it.
October 23, 2014
This book was good small chapter book. Lucas Cott was the smartest kid in his classroom and I feel like a class can relate because almost every class has a Lucas in there room. The book takes you through all the times when Lucas is crazy and funny. Towards the end of the book Lucas learns that there is a time to be funny and a time to be serious and responsible. The author of this book did a great job making the characters seem real but also fun. It was easy to read and get into I thought. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to read something funny and also be able to enjoy it.
January 24, 2013
I'd been thinking about this book for some time, having read it when I was as kid. Much to my chagrin, I couldn't remember the author or title. Then, while browsing the children's section in the library one day, I found it! Imagine my delight at seeing this old friend again. If you know a young person who loves to laugh and can't seem to sit still in school, Class Clown is the book for them!
September 9, 2009
Lucas cott is one of the smartist kids in mrs.hockdays thrid grade class and lucas does not mean to be the class clown.At is home he had a messy breakfeast but almost at the end he had a bet befor that cricket kaufman came in the class room all happy and lucas made a bet!!!!!!!!!! and lucas was bord and restless in class.
October 23, 2009
Class Clown i think is a good book. I think it is really funny. It reminds me of like when people think they are really cool and funny and then they slack off and realize no one is doing it so then they start to really focus, cause we know everyone can be smart at one point or another. I think Lucas was really genuine at heart just not wanting to be one of those people.
October 19, 2010
Lucas is a third grader in Mrs. Hockaday’s classroom and he is the most obstreperous student in the class. The teacher sends home a note to his mother and he vows to stop his bad behavior. Lucas improves his behavior and receives an award from his teacher at the end of the school year. Children can relate to the characters and the way they think in this book.
November 8, 2010
i like this book a lot!
there´s a whole series about it
i like the part were Mr. mime comes and he gets suck in the chair and gets all the attention so when he gets out the mime gives him a imaginary ballon!
there´s a whole series about it
i like the part were Mr. mime comes and he gets suck in the chair and gets all the attention so when he gets out the mime gives him a imaginary ballon!
February 6, 2013
This is a very comical book. A obstreperous third grader learns how to become a more well mannered student. This would be for upper elementary grades. Also, at least two new vocabulary words for the reader to learn that are clearly identifiable while reading.
February 16, 2014
I LOVE this book for boys! 2-4 grade. Super easy read for grades above that. Fun to see how the innocence of mischief and a little friendly competition can change a boy into the star. I love the vocabulary component. They don't write books like this for boys any more!!!!
December 31, 2014
I read this book a lot as a kid, and just stumbled across it at a used bookstore. Of course I couldn't resist picking up a copy! I re-read it quickly, but loved it just as much as I used to. I can't wait for my son to read it - I think he'll like Lucas clowning around in school!
June 5, 2012
This book was great. I loved it. Im a very good reader. This book was easy. Trust me. Im an 8 year old boy and I loved this book. I give it a 5 star. I started it in 2012 June 3
October 13, 2012
I started reading books during my second grade. And yes, this is the first book I have completely finished reading and I thank Johanna Hurwitz for making me a certified book lover. :)
November 24, 2012
I liked this book a lot as a kid (even though I was the opposite of the class clown), and I re-read it recently and feel like it holds up pretty well for being 25 years old.
June 21, 2014
Ever have one of this kids in your class? What will the teacher do? Read to find out what the teacher does at then end.
December 30, 2014
These books were my favorite in third grade and sort of inspired me to become a writer so... yeah they're all getting five stars.
December 4, 2019
"Class Clown," by Johanna Hurwitz is about a boy named Lucas. He fools around and causes trouble in class, so a letter is sent home to his parents. He does not like the fact that his teacher dislikes his behavior, so he decides that he will try to behave better and resolve the problem. Sometimes he still misbehaves, but he makes an effort to act better. The students had to come up with ideas for the school play, and since Lucas was known as the class clown, he thought that the circus was a great idea. He was assigned to be the clown. Rather than being the clown, however, Lucas wants to be the ringmaster. The original ringmaster got sick, so he was able to play the lead role and learns how to improve his behavior. This book is great for students who are beginning to read chapter books because the text is easy to read and does not contain any complex words or ideas. There are not many illustrations in this book, but there are some. This can help make the book more interesting for students who are used to reading picture books with illustrations on every page. The illustrations go along well with the story and can help the readers understand what is going on. The illustration on the cover of the book is simple and colorful, and it perfectly depicts what the book is about. I think that this book would be good for third and fourth graders, or any student who is transitioning from picture books to novels.
October 31, 2018
Johanna Hurwitz did an awesome job with Class Clown! I enjoyed this book and thought it was comedy. Its perfect to read to second or third graders. Lucas is the main character and he loves to make everyone laugh. He is the class clown of his third grade classroom and makes lots of jokes. He is a very smart kid but sometimes his goofing off isn’t okay. His teacher Mrs. Hockaday decides she has had enough and sends a note him to his parents. He feels upset for getting in trouble. Lucas changes his behavior, tries very hard to be better and it does work until he suggests that his class makes a circus. He wants to be the ringmaster. I really liked this book because it was very funny but it also taught me a lesson, and the lesson is never to give up. This book is great for beginning readers because of the simple language and short chapters. It is also great for students transitioning from picture books to chapter books. The cover art would attract many new transitioning readers attention. The illustrations are very funny and depict the best part of the chapter. Even if the student can’t relate the student will have a great time reading and laughing throughout this entire book. Overall, I recommend!
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