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Children's Fiction Science & Technology

Billy Sure Kid Entrepreneur

by (author) Luke Sharpe

illustrated by Graham Ross

Publisher
Simon Spotlight
Initial publish date
May 2015
Category
Science & Technology, Humorous Stories, School & Education
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781481439497
    Publish Date
    May 2015
    List Price
    $7.99 USD
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781481439480
    Publish Date
    May 2015
    List Price
    $22.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781481439473
    Publish Date
    May 2015
    List Price
    $10.99

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Where to buy it

Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 8 to 12
  • Grade: 3 to 7
  • Reading age: 8 to 12

Description

Meet Billy Sure, twelve-year-old inventor and CEO of Sure Things, Inc., and discover all of his wild and wacky inventions in this start to a hilarious middle grade series!

Everyone is talking about Billy Sure, the twelve-year-old CEO of Sure Things, Inc. and genius inventor of the All Ball, a ball that turns into different sports balls with the push of a button. Now Billy wants to help other kids achieve their inventing dreams just like he has!

So Billy is hosting an online contest for other kid-inventors to share their inventions, and the winning submission will be produced by his company. Ideas like the Sibling Silencer, No-Wash Socks, and a pencil that does all your work start pouring in. With so many great ideas, how is Billy supposed to pick a winner?

And that’s not all. Billy also has to keep the secret that could take him from hero to zero in a flash if anyone found out. Can Billy Sure find a way to stay on top of the world and help other kids achieve their dreams at the same time?

Each book in this series includes Billy’s drawings and doodles of inventions and more!

About the authors

Luke Sharpe is not a millionaire, but he has been trying to invent a machine that can teleport people anywhere in the world since he was eight years old. He has so far been unsuccessful but he has vowed never to give up. When he isn’t working, Luke enjoys Hawaiian pizza and skateboarding. He lives near Chicago with his wife and son (named Billy, of course), their gecko, Eddie, and their aquarium full of exotic fish.

Luke Sharpe's profile page

Look! Look what I've done!! The words of an eight year old as he holds up the drawing of a vibrant red fire engine. Oh Graham, that's wonderful.

Really? Oh this is good. You draw a picture and you get a reaction. I could get into this! And so it began. The seed was planted, further watered by bedtime rituals of propping pillows up against his bedroom wall getting into bed to get lost in a family member's reading of The Wind in the Willows.

An unintended lesson learned through those readings that our intrepid illustrator still calls upon in his illustration work is that the viewer will take different things from the illustration and he will add elements to the illustration that may go over some heads, but others will catch them and smile. There's always something to look at.

A graduate of the illustration program at Sheridan College in Ontario, Graham thought he would stick around the big smoke and in addition to his work as a designer at Canadian publisher McClelland & Stewart, he would also cultivate his Flock of Seagulls hair style and work on his dance floor moves. But alas soon follicles started to recede and shoulder pads deflated, so Graham moved back to his hometown of Ottawa, Ontario to contemplate his next career move.

It was in Ottawa that Graham began his freelance illustration and graphic design career. A career that has spawned illustrations for such publishers as Orca Book Publishers, Scholastic Canada, and Meadowside Books of the United Kingdom, as well as numerous Canadian government agencies and private design firms.

He lives in Merrickville, Ontario with a circus star family: his juggling wife, a helldriver daughter, a canine cannonball, and a fire breathing cat.

Graham Ross' profile page

Editorial Reviews

"Sharpe creates characters with high child appeal . . . Ross adds comic details with his spot art that takes its cue from student sketches and doodles . . . Put this page-turner in the hands of those who appreciate a light read with a touch of mystery and humor."

Kirkus Reviews

"The All Ball is an incredible new invention that can change from a basketball to a soccer ball (or baseball, hockey puck, or bowling ball) with just the click of a remote. Who wouldn’t want one? . . . This is a lightweight mystery featuring good kids, kooky inventions, and a little sibling rivalry, with black-and-white doodles throughout. VERDICT: A general purchase for libraries looking for light mysteries for younger middle grade readers."

School Library Journal

“This funny debut features likable Billy Sure, 12, entrepreneur and CEO of Sure Things, Inc. … Sprinkled with Ross’ kidlike black-and-white illustrations, this fast-paced, wacky series opener will appeal to fans of Tommy Greenwald’s Charlie Joe Jackson series.”

Booklist

"This delightful and whimsical story will resonate with Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Amulet Books) and Big Nate (HarperCollins) fans. . . . Media specialists and teachers will appreciate its appeal for reluctant readers."

School Library Connection

"In this peppy series launch … fun banter among Billy, his peers, and his acerbic older sister, Emily, keep this brisk story rolling,while Ross’s scribbled marginalia and spot illustrations are in keeping with the kid-founded, garage-based entrepreneurism of Sure Things Inc."

Publisher's Weekly

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