The Luckiest Kid in the World

This is a hilarious family drama about Joe Smith, who is – officially – the world’s most average child.

Joe finds out about this rather sad claim to fame when a TV crew shows up early one morning and begins rifling through all the distinctly average things in his house. It is brilliant news for Joe. It means that, over night, he has become the world’s most valuable market research asset. Everyone wants to know what the ‘average child’ thinks, so that they can target their merchandise and maximise profit. Joe doesn’t understand any of this, of course. All he knows is that a big multinational needs someone to test out roller coasters, and water slides, and supercars, and cheeseburgers, and games, and bikes, and chocolate and countless other unbelievably cool things.

Joe is brilliant company. He is adorably naive and his uncomplicated view of the world is endearing. Meaty pasta for tea each night? Why not? He is more than happy with his one close friend (Joe 2) and isn’t worried that his bike is a bit older than some other kids’ or that he never gets picked first for football (he never gets picked last, either… he’s average!). As he revels in all his awesome new stuff, Joe feels like the luckiest child in the world and, to begin with, he can’t understand why his parents, sister and friend are rather less enamoured by the label of ‘average’.

After a while, the responsibility of espousing views about absolutely everything begins to weigh heavily on Joe, and starts to harm the people who are most important to him. He begins to question what is valuable and, simultaneously, other characters reconsider their own lives: was Mum too quick to abandon her dream of owning a fast-food van selling meaty pasta?. Should Dad ditch his usual Friday night curry for something more spicy (no… he really shouldn’t!)?

Wallace describes family relationships very effectively, sharing with readers the little details that keep families close. He is also adept at gently poking fun at everyday life, and witty observations will keep readers chuckling all the way through; especially Joe’s take on ‘street humour’, where neighbours find it hilarious to say things like, ‘You can wash my car when you’ve finished,’ or, ‘You can mow my lawn next!’.

The Luckiest Kid in the World is a funny and charming exploration of what we value in our lives, and what it means to be average, to be special, or to just be yourself!