Raz Beri
Matt Stephens
Firefly Press

Billy has cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user. His time at primary school was reasonably okay but now he’s in secondary school, his fellow pupils are much more unkind, including his erstwhile friend Rio and buddies. I felt my blood boiling as I read some of the things he was called. However on line, Billy is able to escape from the bullying and inhumane name calling and feels part of a community.

Then a new girl, Mia, also a wheelchair user, joins the class and everyone is excited to discover that her uncle is a famous soccer player. They’re even more excited when she announces that said uncle – Danny Cash – and some fellow soccer stars are coming to visit the class. Billy, a soccer lover, can’t wait to meet them but he almost misses the opportunity. However an enormous effort on his part means he arrives in class just in time; but it turns out that Billy’s hero isn’t quite what he’d hoped; indeed his behaviour is similar to that of his prejudiced classmates.

Nevertheless during the visit, Billy pulls off something amazing and surprises everyone but infuriates many of his classmates. Things get worse for a while but eventually, with the help and support of online friends, he makes a terrific stand while at a soccer match. This gives lots of people, (including Danny Cash,) cause to rethink their attitudes to Billy and to disabilities. By this time though Billy has come to realise that a sense of self-worth comes from within. 


Matt Stephens’ hard hitting and empowering story needs to be read widely by those of eleven onwards, including adults; it will one hopes make them examine their own attitudes towards, and treatment of , anyone who has a disability. As a class reader, it could provoke extremely valuable discussions.