Warlocks of Lōbethal - Class Clown

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TAGLINE When the warlocks choose you, the joke stops being funny. LOGLINE When a joke‑obsessed Year Seven boy is chosen by the school’s secret warlocks for a magical 'lesson', he’s transformed into a clown and must outwit the curse before the punchline becomes permanent. See Original Edition on Amazon See Spellbound Edition on Amazon See Workbench Edition on Amazon GENRE Primary: Middle-grade contemporary fantasy Secondary: Comedy, Coming-of-age It sits squarely in middle‑grade contemporary fantasy, but it bends the genre by making the magic a school‑sanctioned rite of passage rather than a hidden world, turning the “chosen one” trope into a comedic punishment that forces a class clown to grow up. SETTING The story unfolds in a small South Australian town, centred on the strange, secret‑ridden Lōbethal All‑Boys School where everyday life mixes with hidden warlock rituals, magical 'lessons', and the chaotic trials of Year Seven. BLURB Big nose, bigger lessons. Life’s hard when you’re 12-years-old. Especially, when you’re me. I’m Ben Kirkland. But most people know me as the class clown. I like being funny. You know, making people laugh so hard that it kinda hurts. I thought my first year at Lōbethal All-Boys School was going to be a breeze. I mean, how hard can Year Seven be? Well, I’ll tell you what — the joke was on me. There’s a secret hidden in the basement of this school they don’t want you to know about. My fate was sealed when sixteen cloaked warlocks decided I was to play “victim”. The problem is, I don’t know why. If puberty and the journey to manhood weren’t enough of a test, wait 'til you find out what those magic wielders did to me! I mean, I knew my body would change. But not like THIS!! I have a lesson to learn, and if I can’t figure out what it is - and fast! - it won’t be me having the last laugh. Feel your feet swell and hands balloon with Benny! Explore the funny transformation magic and grab this ride today! CONTENT WARNING This book is suitable for readers 10 years and over. It contains: Pubescent themes and bodily developments CHAPTERS Stay in the dark 1. Schedule # 17 2. Pick a card 3. Listen carefully 4. Clown school 5. We’re men! 6. My bad 7. Sooooo jelly! 8. Embarrassment is only up here 9. Roll up! 10. I can’t fix it! 11. He’s going to kill me 12. Good one, clown! 13. A clown forever 14. It’s not funny! 15. A pretty good nose 16. Voila! 17. Hugs from Wilbur The gods have spoken AUTHOR'S NOTE I wrote Class Clown because there are too many boys — smart, funny, restless fellas — who slip quietly out of reading right when they need stories the most. Around twelve or thirteen, something shifts: the world gets louder, bodies get weirder, embarrassment becomes a full‑time job, and books suddenly feel too slow, too neat, too polite to match the chaos inside them. I wanted to write something that didn’t tidy that chaos away, but matched it beat for beat. This book exists because boys deserve stories that feel like their lives: messy, loud, stupidly funny, occasionally terrifying, and full of adults who seem both magical, funny, struggling but caring at the same time. I wanted a story where the magic isn’t a prophecy or a destiny — it’s a consequence. A lesson. A rite of passage wrapped in absurdity. Because that’s what growing up feels like: one minute you’re laughing, the next minute you’re humiliated, and somehow both moments are teaching you something. I wrote Benny as a boy who performs because he’s scared of being ordinary, a boy who thinks laughter is the only thing he’s good at. And I turned him into a clown because sometimes the thing we cling to becomes the thing we have to face. His journey isn’t about becoming serious — it’s about learning timing, responsibility, and the difference between being funny and being unable to stop. This book is for the boys who don’t see themselves in tidy moral tales. It’s for the kids who get in trouble for talking, who hide their fear behind jokes, who want to be liked but don’t know how to slow down long enough to be understood. It’s for the boys who think reading is boring because nothing on the page feels as wild as their real lives. It’s for the boys who need a story that lets them laugh first, then think later. Will it get boys reading again? I hope so. I wrote it with that exact intention: short chapters, fast pacing, real embarrassment, real stakes, real stupidity, real heart. A book that doesn’t lecture, doesn’t sanitise, doesn’t pretend puberty is graceful. A book that respects boys enough to give them something chaotic, honest and fun — because when a story feels alive, boys will follow it anywhere. And if this book gets even one boy to pick up another book after it, then the magic worked. THEMES The book’s themes cluster around transformation, responsibility, identity, and the messy, funny brutality of growing up, but each theme expresses itself through a very specific lens unique to 'Class Clown'. Growing Up Through Consequence Benny’s magical punishment is a metaphor for the moment every kid realises that charm and humour can’t replace responsibility. The warlocks’ 'lessons' force him to confront timing, self‑control, and the impact of his behaviour on others. Identity vs Performance Benny performs constantly because he believes laughter is the only thing that makes him valuable. Becoming a literal clown externalises the internal conflict: Who am I when I’m not entertaining? The story explores the fear of being unseen, unheard, or unliked without the mask. Tradition, Secrecy and Community The Warlock system is a generational ritual — half terrifying, half ridiculous — that binds the school together. It explores how communities pass down traditions, how adults justify strange systems, and how kids inherit both the magic and the consequences. Puberty, Embarrassment and Bodily Chaos The book treats puberty with humour and honesty: erections, awkwardness, shame, bravado, and the desperate desire to appear “grown up". It frames bodily change as both absurd and universal. Friendship and Loyalty Jimmy’s embarrassment, Kyle’s aggression, and Benny’s impulsivity all orbit the same question: What does it mean to be a good friend when everyone is changing? The story shows how friendships strain, stretch and survive during early adolescence. Power, Authority and Fairness The warlocks’ lessons raise questions about who gets to decide what a child “needs to learn.” The adults are powerful but flawed; the magic is impressive but bureaucratic. The theme explores how authority shapes kids — and how kids push back. Comedy as Coping Humour is both Benny’s shield and his trap. The book examines how comedy can soothe, distract, deflect or sabotage, and how learning when to be funny is part of emotional maturity. TONE & VIBE 'Class Clown's tone is funny, fast and mischievously magical, with a warm, Australian coming‑of‑age vibe where slapstick chaos, secret warlock rituals, and Benny’s frantic humour collide in a story that’s both silly and sincere. POV First-person limited Past tense 'Class Clown' unfolds in a breathless first‑person past‑tense stream from Benny Kirkland, whose frantic humour, impulsive logic and panicked inner commentary colour every moment so completely that the reader experiences the magic, the mischief and the consequences exactly as he does. MAIN CHARACTER SNAPSHOTS Benjamin “Benny” Kirkland — Protagonist A twelve‑year‑old compulsive entertainer whose humour is both his armour and his downfall; Benny lives for the rush of making people laugh, but he’s blind to the chaos he creates, terrified of disappointing adults, and secretly convinced that if he ever stops performing, people will stop liking him. His transformation into a literal clown forces him to confront timing, responsibility, and the uncomfortable truth that jokes can’t fix everything. Jimmy — Best Mate Sweet‑natured, loyal and uneasily embarrassed, Jimmy is the emotional ballast Benny doesn’t realise he relies on; he wants adventure but not attention from bullies, but his fearlessness of showing off contrasts sharply with Benny’s embarrassment when he transforms. He’s the mate who will defend Benny in public but question him in private, and the one whose reactions reveal the real stakes of Benny’s antics. Kyle — The Bully A volatile mix of insecurity and bravado, Kyle masks his fear of irrelevance with aggression; he wants control because he has none anywhere else. He’s the obvious candidate for a warlock 'lesson', but his behaviour also exposes the darker side of Year Seven — boys who lash out because they don’t know how to be seen any other way. Mrs. Livingston — The Principal A stern, exhausted, secretly soft‑hearted leader who believes deeply in the Warlock tradition; she sees Benny’s potential but refuses to let charm excuse disruption. Her authority is absolute, but her affection for her students leaks through in moments of exasperated humour, making her both judge and reluctant mentor. Mr. Travis — Maths Teacher / Warlock Dry, literal and quietly amused by the chaos around him, Mr. Travis is the warlock who takes the rules seriously but enjoys the theatre of it all. He’s the adult who sees Benny clearly: talented, undisciplined and one bad decision away from a magical consequence. Ms. Scott — Art Teacher / Warlock Warm, whimsical and slightly chaotic, Ms. Scott brings colour — literally and figuratively — to the coven. She loves beauty, hates the drabness of the cloaks, and provides the emotional counterweight to the stricter warlocks. Her softness hides a steeliness when it comes to teaching lessons. Mr. Emery — Physics & Sex‑Ed Teacher / Warlock Blunt, factual and unintentionally hilarious, Mr. Emery treats puberty like a physics problem and magic like a curriculum requirement. He’s the embodiment of “this is awkward but necessary,” and his presence grounds the absurdity of the warlocks in everyday school life. The Warlocks of Lōbethal — The Collective A secret coven of teachers who use controlled magical transformations to teach life lessons to Year Seven boys; they’re equal parts ominous, bureaucratic and incompetent, blending ritual seriousness with staff‑room pettiness. Their magic is powerful, but their organisation is shambolic, making them both terrifying and deeply human. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Big‑picture questions (themes, ideas, meaning) How does Benny use humour as both a strength and a shield, and where in the story does that stop working for him? What does the Warlock system suggest about how adults teach lessons — and is it fair, ethical or necessary? In what ways is Benny’s transformation into a clown symbolic of early adolescence? What does the book say about responsibility? Does Benny actually learn it, or does he simply survive the consequences? How does secrecy shape the culture of Lōbethal All‑Boys School? Who benefits from it, and who suffers? Character‑focused questions What does Benny believe about himself at the start of the book, and how does that belief get challenged? Jimmy and Kyle represent two very different responses to growing up. What does each boy reveal about Benny? Mrs. Livingston is both an authority figure and a reluctant mentor. How does her relationship with Benny evolve? Which adult warlock do you think understands Benny best, and why? Is Kyle a villain, a victim or both? Magic, worldbuilding and genre questions How does the book blend everyday school life with magical ritual? What effect does this mix have on tone? The Warlocks’ magic is powerful but also bureaucratic and messy. What does this say about institutions? Why do you think the magical 'lessons' are only for Year Seven? What does that age represent? Does the magic feel like a punishment, a rite of passage or something in between? Tone, humour and voice How does the first‑person narration shape your understanding of Benny’s impulsiveness? Which comedic moments reveal something deeper about Benny’s fears or insecurities? Where does the humour heighten the stakes, and where does it soften them? How does the book balance slapstick comedy with emotional honesty? Plot and structure The opening scene in the rain sets a mood of fear and anticipation. How does it frame the rest of the story? How does the book use misdirection — both magical and comedic — to build tension? What is the turning point where Benny realises the situation is bigger than a joke? Coming‑of‑age and social dynamics What does the book suggest about the pressure to “perform” socially in early adolescence? How do embarrassment and bodily changes shape the boys’ behaviour? What does Benny learn about friendship through Jimmy? Through Kyle? How does the story portray the transition from childhood to early teenage identity? Ethics and debate questions Should adults be allowed to use magical consequences to teach children lessons? Why or why not? Is Benny actually the right choice for a magical lesson, or is he being punished for being different? Does the Warlock system reinforce or challenge the idea of “good behaviour”? If you were a parent at this school, would you sign the permission form? Creative / extension questions If you were designing a magical 'lesson' for Benny that wasn’t clown‑related, what would it be and why? Rewrite a scene from the perspective of one of the warlocks — how does it change the tone? Imagine the same story told from Kyle’s POV. What shifts? What would a Year Twelve student say about their own Warlock experience? ISBN 9798293536993 RELEASE YEAR 2025 SERIES INFO Warlocks of Lōbethal Book 1 WORD COUNT 25,000 AVAILABLE FORMATS Original edition: Paperback, Kindle Spellbound edition: Kindle Workbench edition: Kindle See Original Edition on Amazon See Spellbound Edition on Amazon See Workbench Edition on Amazon