Billionaire Boy facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | David Walliams |
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| Illustrator | Tony Ross |
| Cover artist | Tony Ross |
| Country | England |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | HarperCollins Children's |
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Publication date
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28 October 2010 |
| Media type | Print & Film |
| Pages | 288 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-00-737104-4 |
Billionaire Boy is a fun children's book. It was written by David Walliams and drawn by Tony Ross. The book came out on October 28, 2010, published by HarperCollins.
The story is about Joe Spud, who is super rich. He has everything he could ever want, except for one thing: a true friend. This popular book was later made into a TV show for BBC television. It first aired on January 1, 2016.
Contents
The Story of Billionaire Boy
Joe's Rich Life
The story begins with Joe Spud, a 12-year-old boy. He is a billionaire because his dad, Len Spud, invented a special toilet paper called Bumfresh. Joe and his dad live in a huge house. They have amazing things like an orang-utan butler, a bowling alley, and a cinema. Even with all this, Joe feels sad because he has no friends.
Joe decides to leave his fancy private school. He wants to go to a regular local school instead. There, he meets another 12-year-old boy named Bob. They quickly become good friends.
Secrets and Bullies
One day, after a cross-country race, Joe and Bob visit Raj's shop. Raj accidentally tells Bob that Joe is a billionaire. Bob gets upset that Joe didn't tell him. But soon, Bob understands and accepts Joe's secret.
Later, they meet Dave and Sue Grubb. These two are bullies who often pick on Bob. The Grubbs even dump Bob into a rubbish bin. Joe then learns that Bob's father has passed away. Joe offers Bob some money, but Bob refuses it. Joe later pays the Grubbs to stop bullying Bob, without Bob knowing.
Secrets Revealed
In History class, Joe forgets his homework. His strict teacher, Miss Spite, gives him 15 minutes to get it. Joe calls his dad for help. Len Spud arrives in a helicopter, bringing Joe's homework. This shows the whole school that Joe is super rich.
Everyone starts chasing Joe, wanting money from him. He finally gets back to class, but he's five seconds late. Miss Spite gives him a month of litter duty. Joe tries to explain, but she won't listen.
Friendship Troubles
While Joe is on litter duty, Bob helps him. But then, the Grubbs show up. They tell Bob that Joe paid them to stop bullying him. Bob gets very angry. He calls Joe a spoiled brat and leaves, ending their friendship.
After the school break, a new girl named Lauren joins the school. All the boys, including Joe, like her. Soon, Joe and Lauren become best friends. Bob tries to warn Joe that Lauren isn't real. But Joe thinks Bob is just jealous. Joe tells Bob he felt sorry for him because he had no friends. Bob gets furious and ends his friendship with Joe for good. He refuses Joe's money and says Joe is the one to feel sorry for.
A New Start
Joe comes home one day to find his dad having a huge party. His dad's new girlfriend, Sapphire, accidentally says she saw Lauren on TV before. Joe soon finds out that his dad paid Lauren to be his friend. Joe is very upset and decides to run away from home.
Raj, the kind shopkeeper, finds Joe sleeping in a skip (a large rubbish container). Raj talks to Joe about his problems. Joe then goes to Bob's house to say sorry. Bob accepts his apology.
Soon after, they see on TV that Mr. Spud has lost all his money. Everyone is suing him because Bumfresh toilet paper made people's bottoms turn purple! Joe goes back to his dad's house. His dad tells him to save something special before everything is taken away. Joe surprises his dad by bringing back a rocket made from toilet paper rolls. He made it before they became rich, and he says it was "made with love."
In the end, Joe's father marries Bob's mum. This makes Joe and Bob step-brothers, and they become a family.
Main Characters
Joe Spud
Joe is the main character of the story. He is the son of a very rich man. Joe is 12 years old at the start of the book. His best friend is Bob. He is also interested in Lauren, but she turns out to be an actress. Joe was bullied at his old school because of his dad's toilet paper business. He is a bit shy and awkward around people.
Leonard Spud
Len Spud is Joe's dad and the founder of Bumfresh. He is a multi-billionaire. He is 46 years old and often dates much younger women. At the end of the story, he marries Bob's mum.
Bob
Bob is Joe's best friend and later his step-brother. His dad passed away from cancer, and his family is not rich. The Grubbs often bully Bob, and some kids make fun of him for being overweight. He is Raj's favorite customer.
Sapphire Stone
Sapphire is Mr. Spud's girlfriend for a while. She is a "gold digger," meaning she is only interested in his money. She is 19 years old with blonde hair and is not very smart. After Mr. Spud loses his money, she dates a whole football team.
Lauren
Lauren is an actress hired by Mr. Spud to be Joe's friend. She is 13 years old and appears in a Pot Noodle advert. She is very pretty and Joe likes her a lot. She already has a boyfriend, whose name is not mentioned.
The Grubbs
Dave and Sue Grubb are twin bullies at school. They look so much alike that even their parents can't tell them apart. They are sent to a special camp in America for young troublemakers.
Raj
Raj is a very kind shopkeeper. He sells newspapers and magazines. He can be a bit strange sometimes, but he is always friendly.
Miss Spite
Miss Spite is Joe's very strict teacher. When Joe gets litter duty, his dad, Len Spud, gets Miss Spite fired from her job.
Mrs Trafe
Mrs Trafe is the kind dinner lady at school. She likes Joe, Bob, and Lauren, but not other students. She deliberately cooks disgusting food, like deep-fried Blu-Tack. Joe lends her money, and she uses it for plastic surgery to look younger.
Television Adaptation
From Book to Screen
After two other books by David Walliams, Mr Stink and Gangsta Granny, were made into TV shows, Walliams announced more adaptations. The Boy in the Dress and Billionaire Boy were chosen next.
The TV movie of Billionaire Boy was shown on New Year's Day 2016. It aired at 7:00 p.m. on BBC One. About 6.34 million people watched it. This made it one of the most-watched shows on BBC1 that week.
The Cast
Many well-known actors starred in the TV adaptation:
- David Walliams played Mrs Trafe
- John Thomson played Len Spud
- James Fleet played Mr Darrow
- Rebecca Front played Mrs Sharpe
- Anthony O'Donnell played Mr Bruise
- Warwick Davis played himself
- Bryn Terfel played himself
- Elliot Sprakes played Joe Spud
- Nathan Waight played Bob
- Catherine Tate played Sapphire Diamond
- Harish Patel played Raj
- Tupele Dorgu played Julie
- Connie Campbell played Maddie
Stage Musical
A musical version of Billionaire Boy was also created for the stage. The songs were written by Miranda Cooper and her songwriting partner Nick Coler.
