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Jake Drake #4

Jake Drake, Class Clown

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Meet Jake Drake.

He's ten years old and he already has a full-time job. Because that's how he treats school. Like it's a job. And his teachers are his bosses. Up until now -- fourth grade -- Jake has lucked out in the boss department. All of his teachers have been pretty nice. But Jake is about to have the grumpiest teacher yet, and the worst thing is, she's not even a real teacher. She's a student teacher.

How can Jake make his grumphead student teacher, Miss Bruce, lighten up enough to crack even the littlest smile? Why, by becoming the class clown, that's how. But will Jake take his new act too far?

In this series by the best-selling author of Frindle, The Landry News, The Janitor's Boy, and The School Story, Jake Drake confronts the problems of school life and finds some surprising solutions.

80 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

31 people are currently reading
207 people want to read

About the author

Andrew Clements

190 books2,178 followers
I was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1949 and lived in Oaklyn and Cherry Hill until the middle of sixth grade. Then we moved to Springfield, Illinois. My parents were avid readers and they gave that love of books and reading to me and to all my brothers and sisters. I didn’t think about being a writer at all back then, but I did love to read. I'm certain there's a link between reading good books and becoming a writer. I don't know a single writer who wasn’t a reader first.
Before moving to Illinois, and even afterwards, our family spent summers at a cabin on a lake in Maine. There was no TV there, no phone, no doorbell—and email wasn’t even invented. All day there was time to swim and fish and mess around outside, and every night, there was time to read. I know those quiet summers helped me begin to think like a writer.
During my senior year at Springfield High School my English teacher handed back a poem I’d written. Two things were amazing about that paper. First, I’d gotten an A—a rare event in this teacher’s class. And she’d also written in large, scrawly red writing, “Andrew—this poem is so funny. This should be published!”
That praise sent me off to Northwestern University feeling like I was a pretty good writer, and occasionally professors there also encouraged me and complimented the essays I was required to write as a literature major. But I didn’t write much on my own—just some poetry now and then. I learned to play guitar and began writing songs, but again, only when I felt like it. Writing felt like hard work—something that’s still true today.
After the songwriting came my first job in publishing. I worked for a small publisher who specialized in how-to books, the kind of books that have photos with informative captions below each one. The book in which my name first appeared in print is called A Country Christmas Treasury. I’d built a number of the projects featured in the book, and I was listed as one of the “craftspeople”on the acknowlegements page, in tiny, tiny type.
In 1990 I began trying to write a story about a boy who makes up a new word. That book eventually became my first novel, Frindle, published in 1996, and you can read the whole story of how it developed on another web site, frindle.com. Frindle became popular, more popular than any of my books before or since—at least so far. And it had the eventual effect of turning me into a full-time writer.
I’ve learned that I need time and a quiet place to think and write. These days, I spend a lot of my time sitting in a small shed about seventy feet from my back door at our home in Massachusetts. There’s a woodstove in there for the cold winters, and an air conditioner for the hot summers. There’s a desk and chair, and I carry a laptop computer back and forth. But there’s no TV, no phone, no doorbell, no email. And the woodstove and the pine board walls make the place smell just like that cabin in Maine where I spent my earliest summers.
Sometimes kids ask how I've been able to write so many books. The answer is simple: one word at a time. Which is a good lesson, I think. You don't have to do everything at once. You don't have to know how every story is going to end. You just have to take that next step, look for that next idea, write that next word. And growing up, it's the same way. We just have to go to that next class, read that next chapter, help that next person. You simply have to do that next good thing, and before you know it, you're living a good life.

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5 stars
90 (25%)
4 stars
115 (33%)
3 stars
100 (28%)
2 stars
33 (9%)
1 star
10 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Profile Image for Steven R. McEvoy.
3,783 reviews172 followers
January 17, 2023
This is the fourth and final book in the Jake Drake Series that we have read. The books seem to have two or even three different order lists. I am uncertain if one is publishing order and the other chronological? But this one is consistently listed as book 4. Much as Narnia was reordered in some editions. So I am really not sure what order the books belong in. But no matter what order you read them in they are great fun.

When I started reading this series I thought Jake Drake, Bully Buster was book 1. I enjoyed that book so much I mentioned it to my son, and he has since read to me both Jake Drake, Bully Buster in short order has read the rest of the series to me. My son is in grade 9, and yes, these books are below his reading level. But he has been dealing with some serious bullying for a number of years now. Most of it instigated by the same ring leader, a boy that would give Link Baxter, Super Bully, more than a run for his money. My son loved the first story he read and asked if we could read all four together, even though the other Jake Drake books do not deal with bullying, we have loved reading these books together.

Six years ago, I discovered the works of Andrew Clements. I was instantly hooked and have now read almost 26 books from his masterful pen. Many consider him the ‘master of school stories’, and I would agree. I have a dual form of dyslexia and did not learn to read until after grade 7. So I never read ‘school stories’ when I was young. That combined with having my own school aged children has instilled a great appreciation for the genre and specifically for the works of Andrew Clements. Clements passed away in 2019 his last novel was The Friendship War, which is another excellent volume. He wrote amazing stories for children, but they are also stories that any of us can learn from. Back then I set the goal of reading all of his works, but as my own children have outgrown these books and they had slid by the wayside. I have now returned to them yet again. I have read 1 a week over the last several weeks and plan to do so for a while yet.

This is another great read in a fantastic series. These are books I wish we had read with my son years ago. It is another excellent read. The description of this book is:

“Miss Bruce is the new student teacher in second grade, and she never smiles. Never. But when Jake cracks up the class during a spelling bee, he sees the tiniest hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth. Suddenly, Jake has a new mission in life: to be so funny that even Miss Bruce will laugh!

But then things get out of hand, and Jake finds himself in big trouble. Has Jake discovered -- too late -- that not everybody loves a clown?”

The chapters in this volume are:

New Boss
Scared Stiff
Scared Silly
Secret Information
Unstoppable
Mr. Funny Bone
Christmas in April
Judge Brattle
No More Clowning

Jake has a new teacher, actually a student teacher. And she is very by the book. She is following what she learned in school, and is afraid of losing control of the class. Because of that she comes across as harsh, mean and even hurtful. Jake tells a joke in class and the students react. And seems to lighten the mood. So Jake starts trying to figure out how to be funny in class. And it is a fine line between a funny guy and a smart Alec, and Jake might just cross it and things go from funny to sad and serious. Can he help undo the mess he has made? To find out how and if Jake can make amends you will need to read this terribly fun little story.

This is a great offering from the masterful pen of Andrew Clements. This is a wonderful early chapter book, for Middle Grade Readers. It is an excellent read for young readers, and for those of us who just love a great story! It will leave you wondering might have happened in further Jake Drake adventures.
Profile Image for Nancy Kotkin.
1,405 reviews30 followers
January 30, 2019
When an overly stern student teacher takes control of his class for three weeks, Jake experiments with using humor to lighten the mood. For a children's chapter book, too much emphasis is placed on the student teacher. I'm also not sure why the student teacher was advised that she couldn't even crack a smile or she would completely lose control of her classroom. Children don't learn well in unsupportive environments, and definitely not in stressful circumstances. Don't they teach that to education majors in college?
1 review
February 7, 2017
Jake was a trouble maker and was a risk-taker making jokes and doing all these bad stuff that nobody should do.My favorite part in the book was when Jake burped and ms.Bruce ran out of the room and cried.It reminds
86 reviews
December 27, 2023
The Jake Drake series is great for my second grade boy. It is realistic, but entertaining! We are excited to finish reading the other books in this series.
Profile Image for Naohiro Hotta.
31 reviews1 follower
January 7, 2014
1. Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks. Jake Drake series

2. 12/30=30 minutes 1/6=70 minutes

3. strict, no-smile, struggle, funny, upset, encourage, experience

4. Q. In this story, Miss Bruce was so upset because Jake behaved stupidly. She couldn't cope with his joke. When you were a student, was there those boys or girls in your class?
A. In my case, when I was an elementary school student, my teacher had those boys. Perhaps I might be involved in them for the teacher. One of my friends was proud of himself highly. That means he had perfect rhythm. When he struggled with a sheet of mathematic, then he bursted into crying and tore the sheet. After that, of course, our teacher were very very angry and scolded him.
However, he was getting harder and harder. When I watched the scene, our teacher didn't seem to be upset, but after long that, when I asked our teacher about him, he told me that then actually he didn't know what to do. Instead, he told me that thanks to him, he could get a skill to cope with those students.

5. When I read this book, I thought that we had to get a skill to cope with some jokes to become a good teacher. Perhaps, I will see those students who like telling jokes, but in my case, even now sometimes I' m not sure what to do when my coworker tell joke in my part time job. That's why becoming a teacher is needed humore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Moe.
29 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2014
1. Publisher=ALADDIN
Series=Jake Drake
Level= I couldn't find it.

2. 1/5=100min

3. 7words summary:
school-classroom-teacher-strict-scary-accidents-judge

4.When you were a junior school or a high school student,how was your favorite teacher like?
When I was a high school student,not only me but also all of other students really loved our classroom teacher. My classroom teacher wasn't changed for three years. She was really kind and always thinking about us. I thought she was like my another mother. I want to be a teacher like her.

5.This story was a little difficult for me to read smoothly but I enjoyed it. I want to be a teacher in junior high school, and I'm really looking forward to teach as a student teacher. From this stury I could learn the importance of a teacher in a classroom.

11 reviews
January 13, 2014
@Time of reading
12/26 100 min

@7 word summary
scare teacher boy try laugh joke memory

@Discussion question
Have you ever had a scare classroom teacher?

@My answer
Yes, i have when i was in 6 grade of elementary school. actually she was good, but she was so strict. when she received homeworks from students, if they missed on the way of writing and how to do the homework, she throwed away their notes from her desk. it was so scare. i was a transfer student, so when my notebook was thrown on floor, i was so surprised.

@What I think about the book.
it was interesting :) i like this book. and this book wrote about children's mind exactly, so i could felt children's mind. that's why this was interesting. i would like to have good friends like Jake who is clever, kind, unique.
11 reviews2 followers
January 19, 2014
1. Title Publisher, Lvel
Jake Drake, Class Clown ANDREW CLEMENTS Level3



2.Time
120 mini


3. 7word summury
teacher- strict-never smiles-classclown- try -laugh- memory


4. Discussion Question
Q. What do you do if your teache is very strict and not suitable for you.

A. If it is my present self, I will try to find that my teacher' good point. However, if it is old self, I will turn against thoroughly.


5. Comments
I felt that this book is difficult for me because there are some difficult words and expressions, but after I did Quizlet, it bacames easier to read this book. Additonally, I have some kind of experience in this book, so it let me interested. When I was high school student, I was scolded a lot because I was really noisy student, but I did not regret it at all because I had a mission to make my classmates laugh!





28 reviews
January 6, 2014
1. Title, Publisher, Level
Jake Drake, ALADDIN PAPERBACKS, Level 3

2. Reading Time
180 min

3. 7-word summary
A new student teacher/ Never smiles/ A spelling bee/ Library/Laugh/Judge Brattle/ The end of the student-teaching time

4. Discussion & Question
Q. Have you ever met a teacher who had never smiled?
A. Yes, I have. One of my junior high school teachers had never smiled!

5. What I thought about the book
It was a little difficult to read the book. However, it made me think about how to behave as a teacher. I have a dream of being a teacher. If I wouldn't smile during the class, students would feel uncomfortable and scary. I would like to smile and be friendly as a teacher.
12 reviews
October 20, 2011
I give this book a four star rating. I believe it is a realistic fiction novel. The main characters are Willie, Jake, Miss Bruce, and Mrs. Brattle. Jake doesn’t like his student teacher Miss Bruce because doesn’t smile because she her professor says if you smile they will get fired up. So then Jake tries to get her to smile by being funny. One time he goes too far and makes the teacher laugh and then it into mass chaos. The teacher runs out of the room and the primary teachers takes Jake down to the teacher’s lounge. They apologize and go back to class. Jake was never being silly again.






The End
17 reviews
January 13, 2014
1. Jake Drake CLASS CLOWN

2. I spent 100 minutes on this book.

3. School Student Teacher Class Joke Cry Smile

4. This book is about a student teacher. Maybe you want to be an English teacher, so how do you want to be the teacher? Strict or kind?
I want to be an English teacher. I think it's necessary to be strict to students but I want to make a good relathionship with students. I want to trust each other.

5. This book was very interesting because it's about a student teacher. It can be connected to me. I think this book is good for student who want to be a teacher.
Profile Image for Ruiji Kimura.
13 reviews9 followers
December 8, 2014
12/8 60min

7-word-summary
boy - joking - family - class - laugh - classmates - change

〜PASSAGE/EXCERPT from the book that you liked or didn't like〜
Abby crossed her arms and frowned. "I don't want jokes. I want the pigs."

〜Why did you like/didn't you like the passage/excerpt you wrote above〜
These sentences describe that Abby is really young.
"I want the pigs" is cute.

〜What do you think about the book (or part of the book that you read)〜
Honestly, most jokes are boring. The first one in this book was so funny, so I felt the others are more boring.
28 reviews
December 24, 2013
100minute

7words
boy/student teacher/scared/joke/laugh/noisy/confidence

Do you have any good memory about school life?
When I was in high school, I went to China for school trip. It was first time to go to other countries. It was good time for me.

I went on internship in this year. I went to junior high school. I couldn't speak with students at first time. I can understand that sometimes, teacher is hard work.
Profile Image for Takahiro Yamada.
33 reviews
January 6, 2014
90 minutes
boy- teacher- joke- never- smile- alian- confidence
Have you ever met unique teachers?
When I was in elementary school, I hated one teacher. He was my home room teacher. He was very strict and he was always angry.

This book was a little long, but once I started to read it, it was easy to read. I think it was because the story is related to school and I'm interested to being a teacher.
26 reviews
January 6, 2014
1.aladdin
2.100min
3.boy, student teacher, teacher, joke, class, noisy, cry
4.What is your best memory during your school life?
My best memory is going to Tokyo as a school trip. I enjoyed the school trip. And I enjoyed talking with my friend during this school trip.
5.I like this story because I also want to be a teacher in the future. Therefore, I undersood a student teacher's feeling. Also I learned that teachers are always important for students from this story.
Profile Image for Erina Komaki.
28 reviews3 followers
January 7, 2014
1.Publisher=ALADDIN
Series=Jake Drake
2.Time 1/5=60min 1/6=50min
3. 7words summary:boy-student teacher-scary-silent-joke-smile-cry
4.This story is about teacher. Have you ever met a good teacher?
-Yes, I have. When I was an elementary school student, I liked my teacher. She taught me importance of homework and how wonderful music is.
5.I enjoyed reading this story. At first, I didn't like the student teacher but I understood her feeling.I think classroom management is very difficult.
26 reviews1 follower
January 13, 2014
I spent about 100 minutes to read this book.
There were a lot of difficult words but it was easy to understand because this story related to us.

7 words summary
school, teacher, silly, practice, funny, boy, teach

Discussion question
Have you ever met teacher who never smile like Miss Bruce?
Yes. When I was a junior high school student, one of my teachers didn't smile during the classes. He was so strict, so I didn't him so much.



16 reviews
January 14, 2014
Time 90min
7word school-new teacher-no smiling-children-joke-laughing-good

Discussion Question
Have you ever taken student teacher's class when you were a junior high or high school student?
I had taken only once.
Then, I took math class.

Do you like to say something funny?
Yes, I am a kind of people who like to say joking.

It was a book which made me think about relationship between teachers and students.
42 reviews1 follower
November 28, 2014
Reading Level: 3.4
Interest Level: 4-8

Part of the Jake Drake series, this book dives into the world of Jake as he encounters a student teacher that doesn't smile much. Jake decides to take on the role of class clown to be funny enough to make the new teacher laugh, but he just might overstep the boundaries. This is a great series that is extremely relatable for students as it takes place in the classroom from the point of view of the student himself.
Profile Image for Tessei.
11 reviews1 follower
December 15, 2014
12/8 20min
12/9 50min
12/15 36min
7-words summary
boy, funny, collage, teacher, poker-face, tried, laugh

passage I like
when a class starts laughing, it's sort of like when a volcano begin to rumble

why?
because this is what had happened when a new teacher comes.

I finally have finished reading the book. unfortunately, I could not understand all jokes in the book but I could enjoy the story. I decided to try to be nice to students.
Profile Image for Emi Kanada.
26 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2014
85 min

elementary-school student-teacher funny joke crazy settle experience

Q. Have you experienced an intership?
A. Yes, I have. I had been to elementary school for two months.
I completely understood Ms. Bruce's mind because children sometimes went crazy and couldn't stop by myself. I'm interested in other Andrew's books.
16 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2014
1/5 70min
Student-teacher-elementary-school-smile-class-clown
Q:Did student-teachers come to your school?
A:Yes. I met many student-teachers. They were so nice to us and they are liked by everyone in my class, not like Ms.Bruce in this book.
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read but still not too easy.
26 reviews
January 7, 2014
Publisher: ALADDIN PAPERBACKS
Time: 12/26 20min 12/27 20min 1/2 40min 1/5 30min
7-word summary: boy-school-student-teacher-smile-never-forgot

Q&A
Have you ever seen anyone who don't smile all the day?
No, but I think smiling is good things to live happily.

Sometimes I couldn't understand the situation but one of my friends likes Jake so I enjoyed reading this book.
Profile Image for Yuki Miyashita.
25 reviews3 followers
January 8, 2014
70min
teacher cool-headed ridiculous chalenge finaly smile memory
Q: Do you think smile makes your life better?
A: Of course yes! I heard smile is a good medicine and makes you healthy.

I have met a lot of teachers in my life included teachers in other countries. fortunately, I have never met teachers who don't smile.
21 reviews2 followers
January 13, 2014
2014.01.07

100minutes

teacher/never/smile/student/joke/clown/funny

Q, Have you met any teachers who have never smiled?
A, No!! I haven't met such teachers ever! Smile is very important for not only teaches but also any works. And smile makes people happy!

it was easy to read and a very good story. i want to be a teacher, so i was really interested in this book.
Profile Image for Jenna.
116 reviews
November 4, 2009
This book I didn't enjoy and read it in about 10 min. I was looking for more great Andrew Clements books and was going to see if this was one of them. The only reason that I rated it 2 star, is because I might recommend it to a younger age. Maybe...
Profile Image for Jodi.
279 reviews5 followers
December 8, 2011
I read this for a 3rd grade book club and must say it was really good "for an 80 page chapter book". I loved the characters, the plot made me laugh out loud and I highly recommend it to a 9 year old!
Profile Image for Ayana Aoki.
14 reviews
December 26, 2013
student teacher/ smile/ clown/ giggle/ funny/ jokes/ children

Dec 26
60minutes

This story was really funny. All Jake's jokes were unique and funny. He was a very cute child, so I wanna meet him:) Especially, the end of the story was nice!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews

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