Billy Plimpton has a stammer, but he also has a plan to get rid of it. Once he does, he's going to be the most popular boy in his new secondary school and a brilliant stand-up comedian. Until then, he needs to stay silent, avoid the school bully, and definitely not sign up for the talent show.
The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh is heartwarming, uplifting and very, very funny.
Billy was a great character who goes through a lot over the course of the novel and comes out the other side laughing (and has us laughing along with him). I loved the jokes opening each chapter and Billy's stand-up routines, which bring as much joy and laughter to the reader as they do to the characters on the page.
However, despite its overall joy and lightness, this novel also deals with a lot of difficult issues which many children and young teens will be able to relate to: bullying, fitting in with friends, bereavement. It is about learning to feel comfortable being you, when you're convinced your life would be better if you were more like everyone else. Billy has a wonderful group of friends and a lot of supportive adults in his life, but ultimately he has to believe in himself if he is going to go after his dreams.
Helen Rutter's debut sparkles, and I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.
Thank you Scholastic, for sending me a copy of The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh to review.
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