‘Very funny, very touching, very truthful – a total delight to read.’ Jacqueline Wilson‘Amazing’ Noel FieldingA laugh-out-loud, against-all-odds triumph of a story: the funniest debut of 2021 Billy Plimpton is an eleven-year-old boy with a big dream. He wants to be a stand-up comedian when he grows up: delivering pinpoint punch-lines and having audiences hang on his every hilarious word. A tough career for anyone, but surely impossible for Billy, who has a stammer. How will he find his voice, if his voice won’t let him speak? The idea for this story came from Helen Rutter’s son, who has a stammer: she wanted to write the book that he would love to read, starring a child like him.

Praise for The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh ‘This incredibly debut tugs at your heartstrings and makes you laugh out loud in equal measure. I guarantee you’ll be cheering along in the final pages!’ Lisa Thompson ‘It’s Wonder with one-liners.’ Scott Evans, The Reader Teacher ‘As warm and wise as it is funny.’ Shappi Khorsandi ‘A laugh out loud story, the like of which I’ve never read before.’ Kerry Godliman ‘This book is a great way of showing children how to be confident and winners by having a sense of humour and making others laugh.’ Baroness Floella Benjamin ‘This book is brilliant. It is funny, wise, kind and exciting.’ Marcus Brigstocke ‘So funny and joyful.’ Rachel Parris

Our February 2021 Ages 11+ Book of the Month

For children aged 11+, my Book of the Month pick for February is The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh. From debut author Helen Rutter, this is perfect for fans of Lisa Thompson, Sam Copeland and David Baddiel. Inspired by her own son who has a stammer, Rutter wanted to write a book that he would love to read and starred a child just like him. There came the idea for The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh, starring eleven-year-old Billy Plimpton who dreams of being a stand-up comedian when he grows up, but fears his stammer will make that impossible for him to achieve. A touching, truthful, heartwarming and hilarious book that inspires confidence in all that read it.