Billy Smith is ordinary. Run-of-the-mill, nothing special, everyday ordinary, along with his parents called John Smith and Jane Smith. He didn’t stand out at school for sports or academic achievements. He didn’t have tons of friends that were admired by others, or any quirky habits that people laughed with him about. He was just… ordinary.

At least until a TV show began to film at his school. Lots of other kids played up for the cameras during the day, but Billy shrugged it all off. Sure he’d like to be famous, but reading about his favourite star Sunshine De Marto in his mum’s glossy magazines was as close as he was ever going to get to his dream of meeting her.

And then his true ordinary shone through all of the other students. At first the opening TV episode of School Daze, was full of everybody else with no sight of Billy – much to his parent’s dismay. Then there he was, being his normal ordinary self in front of the classroom. When the episode finished, he knew he’d never be famous.

But fame is a strange beast, and suddenly his ordinaryness had become famousness! Social Media went crazy with his own trending hashtags and tv clips turned into rap songs. The film company, TOTALTV TV is over the moon and in a blink Billy is a celebrity wherever he goes.

The more popular he gets however, the more he feels like someone else. His best friend Bo is at his side, and on his side whenever she feels something isn’t right for Billy, but soon that’s impossible. Billy’s dream of meeting Sunshine De Marto is so close, but he has to make some choices for it to finally happen.

Caught up in his own fame he makes some terrible decisions, that only true friendship can save him from. This friendship helps Billy achieve his dreams after all.

A fun story on how fame can come and go in a heartbeat and how fickle it can be. Most of it isn’t real, even a type of mania sometimes. The most popular famous stars are usually the most down to earth ordinary people which Billy begins and ends with in this eye-opening tale.

David Walliams fans will enjoy this funny story and cast of quirky characters. They might also recognise themselves in Billy, his family and his dinner of fish fingers, chips and peas.

Author – David Baddiel

Illustrator – Steven Lenton

Age – 9+

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(2022, Harper Collins, Humour, Funny, Fame, Famous, School, Friendship, Choices, Family, Stars, TV Show, Trolls, Social Media, Hashtag, Instagram, Likes, Followers, Dream, Glossy Magazines, Celebrity, Popularity)