The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh
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.
If you would like to be invoiced for this product (or would like a different quantity), please email julia@chestnutbooks.co.uk with an order number and we’ll be happy to help.
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.
If you would like to be invoiced for this product (or would like a different quantity), please email julia@chestnutbooks.co.uk with an order number and we’ll be happy to help.
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.
If you would like to be invoiced for this product (or would like a different quantity), please email julia@chestnutbooks.co.uk with an order number and we’ll be happy to help.
We love this book because it is:
hilarious: packed full of one-liners that your class will love
a heart-warming tale of determination & perseverance
stars a child with a stammer
wonderful for teaching empathy & being confident in who you are - your class will be cheering Billy on all the way
Learning opportunities:
Writing: write about a moment you had to overcome a fear (eg. speaking in class)
Writing: write a diary entry from Mr Osho’s point of view
Writing: write a school news blog about the talent show
Reading: character profiles
PSHE: celebrating uniqueness - create a list of Things I Know About… (a child in the class) following a chance to talk together
PSHE: thinking about the future - Billy has a dream and a plan of how to achieve it. Talk about your dreams & think about the steps to make it happen.
PSHE: bullying
Performing: organise/take part in a school talent show
Writing: write your own jokes
Read the sequel!
Follow the link for teaching resources provided by Scholastic: Scholastic Resources
Visit Helen’s website to book an author visit: Helen Rutter Website
