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The Luckiest Kid in the World: The brand-new comedy adventure from the author of The Day the Screens Went Blank
A Simon & Schuster eBook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.
- GenresChildrens
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 17, 2022
12 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Danny Wallace
61 books639 followersDaniel Frederick Wallace is a British filmmaker, comedian, writer, actor, and presenter of radio and television. His notable works include the books Join Me, Yes Man, and the TV series How to Start Your Own Country. As an author, Wallace's bestselling books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.
He began writing reviews for video game magazines at the age of 13 for school work experience: a reviewer had become ill and so Wallace was given the opportunity to review a game. At 18 he started writing comedy, mainly through the magazine Comedy Review. He specialised in radio production at the University of Westminster.
At 22, he became a BBC producer. He was part of the production team behind British Comedy Award-winning Dead Ringers, the original producer of the critically acclaimed cult hit The Mighty Boosh, and the creator and producer of Ross Noble Goes Global. As a journalist, Wallace has worked for The Scotsman, The Guardian, The Independent, Elle, Cosmo, The Times and other publications.
In 1999, Wallace challenged comedian Dave Gorman, who at the time was his flatmate, to find 54 other people called Dave Gorman ("one for every card in the deck, including the Jokers"). Wallace accompanied Gorman on his quest and the men created Are You Dave Gorman?, an award-winning comedy stage show about what happened during their journey. A BBC series, also co-written and co-produced by Wallace, followed, as did a book, written by both men.
In 2003, Wallace's book Join Me was published. The book explains how he "accidentally started a 'cult'" called Join Me. The movement would go global, with each member committing to undertaking one random act of kindness for a stranger every Friday ("Good Fridays"). Tens of thousands joined. Join Me celebrates "Karmageddon 10" in December 2011. Traditionally, hundreds of members travel to London for the meet-up and undertake good deeds for strangers, with Wallace present. The movement is now generally referred to as the "Karma Army", although members are still typically "Joinees". He became a minor celebrity in Belgium whilst on his quest for Joinees. While on a book tour through America, Wallace was dubbed a "Generation X legend" by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Wallace next wrote a short book called Random Acts of Kindness: 365 Ways To Make the World A Better Place, with the help of submissions from Joinees. It includes many humorous Random Acts of Kindness (RAoK) ideas, such as "Contradict Demeaning Graffiti", and "Make An Old Man Very Happy."
Wallace's second solo book, Yes Man was published in July 2005. In it, he describes how he spent six months "saying Yes where once I would have said No", to make his life more interesting and positive. In this book he shows the tribulations and mischief that he got up to while he said yes to any question or proposal. The book was described as "one of those rare books that actually has the potential to change your life" by the San Francisco Bay Guardian and as "a fascinating book and a fascinating experiment" by David Letterman. A film adaptation of Yes Man was developed with Warner Bros. and stars Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel. It was released in 2008 in the US and the UK. Wallace appeared on screen in a cameo in a bar scene in the last ten minutes of the film, holding a British pint glass.
Danny Wallace and the Centre of the Universe was published in 2006. It is linked with World Book Day which in 2006 was on Thursday 2 March. It tells the story of Wallace's trip to Idaho, to visit a manhole cover in a small town, whose residents have proclaimed it the centre of the universe. The cover identifies it as a "Quick Read"; the price and length of the book have been curbed in order to encourage people who may not often read books to purchase it.
Wallace's book, Friends Like These, was released on the 3 July 2008, and tells the story of how he spent a summer trying to track down his old school friends from his days in Dundee,
He began writing reviews for video game magazines at the age of 13 for school work experience: a reviewer had become ill and so Wallace was given the opportunity to review a game. At 18 he started writing comedy, mainly through the magazine Comedy Review. He specialised in radio production at the University of Westminster.
At 22, he became a BBC producer. He was part of the production team behind British Comedy Award-winning Dead Ringers, the original producer of the critically acclaimed cult hit The Mighty Boosh, and the creator and producer of Ross Noble Goes Global. As a journalist, Wallace has worked for The Scotsman, The Guardian, The Independent, Elle, Cosmo, The Times and other publications.
In 1999, Wallace challenged comedian Dave Gorman, who at the time was his flatmate, to find 54 other people called Dave Gorman ("one for every card in the deck, including the Jokers"). Wallace accompanied Gorman on his quest and the men created Are You Dave Gorman?, an award-winning comedy stage show about what happened during their journey. A BBC series, also co-written and co-produced by Wallace, followed, as did a book, written by both men.
In 2003, Wallace's book Join Me was published. The book explains how he "accidentally started a 'cult'" called Join Me. The movement would go global, with each member committing to undertaking one random act of kindness for a stranger every Friday ("Good Fridays"). Tens of thousands joined. Join Me celebrates "Karmageddon 10" in December 2011. Traditionally, hundreds of members travel to London for the meet-up and undertake good deeds for strangers, with Wallace present. The movement is now generally referred to as the "Karma Army", although members are still typically "Joinees". He became a minor celebrity in Belgium whilst on his quest for Joinees. While on a book tour through America, Wallace was dubbed a "Generation X legend" by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Wallace next wrote a short book called Random Acts of Kindness: 365 Ways To Make the World A Better Place, with the help of submissions from Joinees. It includes many humorous Random Acts of Kindness (RAoK) ideas, such as "Contradict Demeaning Graffiti", and "Make An Old Man Very Happy."
Wallace's second solo book, Yes Man was published in July 2005. In it, he describes how he spent six months "saying Yes where once I would have said No", to make his life more interesting and positive. In this book he shows the tribulations and mischief that he got up to while he said yes to any question or proposal. The book was described as "one of those rare books that actually has the potential to change your life" by the San Francisco Bay Guardian and as "a fascinating book and a fascinating experiment" by David Letterman. A film adaptation of Yes Man was developed with Warner Bros. and stars Jim Carrey and Zooey Deschanel. It was released in 2008 in the US and the UK. Wallace appeared on screen in a cameo in a bar scene in the last ten minutes of the film, holding a British pint glass.
Danny Wallace and the Centre of the Universe was published in 2006. It is linked with World Book Day which in 2006 was on Thursday 2 March. It tells the story of Wallace's trip to Idaho, to visit a manhole cover in a small town, whose residents have proclaimed it the centre of the universe. The cover identifies it as a "Quick Read"; the price and length of the book have been curbed in order to encourage people who may not often read books to purchase it.
Wallace's book, Friends Like These, was released on the 3 July 2008, and tells the story of how he spent a summer trying to track down his old school friends from his days in Dundee,
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 21, 2025
A funny book and the average boy would love it!
The book was about an average 10 year old that had to make the world more average so that the world was a happier place. But he made his best friends cafe get taken down.
I am 10 and I recommend reading this book.
The book was about an average 10 year old that had to make the world more average so that the world was a happier place. But he made his best friends cafe get taken down.
I am 10 and I recommend reading this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2022
Meet Joe Smith. You might think you know a kid like him, but really there is none quite like him. He's an average kid, averagely successful, born in an average family to a most average pair of parents. But things are about to change. When we start this adventure with him it is to wake up to the news – beamed to the nation on breakfast TV – that he has been declared the most perfectly average child in the land. Yes, he is superlative in how average he is. What does this mean? Well, it means the vaguely bullying kid at school calls him "Average Joe", and it means that his dad suddenly breaks from the average norm and has the hottest chilli imaginable on takeaway night. Oh, and that he is a perfect match for all the focus groups, consumer testers and suchlike, who need to know what the average Joe likes best, and hang the homogenisation.
What this means for Joe is a mahoosive amount of free stuff, parades through fast food development centres where everything is tuned to his average taste buds, and so on. What this means for his family is not so good – his younger sister feels neglected by it all, and his father is forever stuck with the tag of being average that he just hates. What it means for us is a really breezy and yet meaningful read, full of fine laughs and sarcasm (sorry, Milton Keynes), and a great story about how the dream-come-true can only sour. Having read David Baddiel's book about a kid thrust into fame, I spoke aloud about how great a book could be if it made the art of not going viral popular. This, that and my non-existent volume would make a fabulous trinity, I think, about how modern life is perceived – how we're led into thinking a particular way, to abide by the algorithms and to hit the right marks to make a success for someone else.
To me, then, this made for a really eye-opening, original concept, and a remarkable look at a specific factor of current times. To the target audience – and indeed to everyone, mind – it is a right dollop of fun, conveying its moral with clever ease, and being really, really entertaining with it. It's two from two when it comes to high-concept stand-alone novels from Mr Wallace. And that ain't the average.
What this means for Joe is a mahoosive amount of free stuff, parades through fast food development centres where everything is tuned to his average taste buds, and so on. What this means for his family is not so good – his younger sister feels neglected by it all, and his father is forever stuck with the tag of being average that he just hates. What it means for us is a really breezy and yet meaningful read, full of fine laughs and sarcasm (sorry, Milton Keynes), and a great story about how the dream-come-true can only sour. Having read David Baddiel's book about a kid thrust into fame, I spoke aloud about how great a book could be if it made the art of not going viral popular. This, that and my non-existent volume would make a fabulous trinity, I think, about how modern life is perceived – how we're led into thinking a particular way, to abide by the algorithms and to hit the right marks to make a success for someone else.
To me, then, this made for a really eye-opening, original concept, and a remarkable look at a specific factor of current times. To the target audience – and indeed to everyone, mind – it is a right dollop of fun, conveying its moral with clever ease, and being really, really entertaining with it. It's two from two when it comes to high-concept stand-alone novels from Mr Wallace. And that ain't the average.
March 4, 2022
Another great 'what if' from Wallace: being average... or being boring?
I read this aloud to my son after doing the same recently with The Day the Screens went Blank. Both are well suited to a read-aloud, with fairly short chapters, illustrations and chatty text. They are also ideal for readers who want something flowing and fairly easy to read.
My eldest loved the Hamish series so it was no trouble to get him interested in another Wallace. Talkative narrators who are easy to relate to seems to be a forte of the author's. As well as choosing quite didactic topics that manage to stay funny and accessible.
Last time it was 'what if' all the screens in the world stopped working. Now it's 'what if' you were judged as the most 'average' kid in the country, deemed SO average that every company in the world wants your thoughts to help them market their products.
As the title suggests, Joe Smith (already an average name) think it's pretty incredible really when he is deemed more average than any other child out there. His likes, his hobbies, his habits, even his family - totally average. His dad may seem a bit miffed, but Joe can't understand it - he's being sent free stuff to try out, and give his opinion on. Bikes that aren't even released yet! Hmm, his best friend isn't so happy either. Or his sister. But Joe's revelling in his popularity and new 'stuff'.
You can probably see where this may go, and yes, while it does go there, it does so in very funny ways. I was particularly tickled by Joe's enthusiasm for Milton Keynes in one chapter. And at the character's growth and eventual understanding of the position he's found himself in.
Enjoyed the family characters, especially Dad and his little sister with her panda preoccupation. Joe is the heart of this though, someone representing all of us really, possibly seduced by materialism, and later finding out that the average isn't quite as appealing as it seems.
Would make a good class read, and children aged 8-12 will have a lot to say about this.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
I read this aloud to my son after doing the same recently with The Day the Screens went Blank. Both are well suited to a read-aloud, with fairly short chapters, illustrations and chatty text. They are also ideal for readers who want something flowing and fairly easy to read.
My eldest loved the Hamish series so it was no trouble to get him interested in another Wallace. Talkative narrators who are easy to relate to seems to be a forte of the author's. As well as choosing quite didactic topics that manage to stay funny and accessible.
Last time it was 'what if' all the screens in the world stopped working. Now it's 'what if' you were judged as the most 'average' kid in the country, deemed SO average that every company in the world wants your thoughts to help them market their products.
As the title suggests, Joe Smith (already an average name) think it's pretty incredible really when he is deemed more average than any other child out there. His likes, his hobbies, his habits, even his family - totally average. His dad may seem a bit miffed, but Joe can't understand it - he's being sent free stuff to try out, and give his opinion on. Bikes that aren't even released yet! Hmm, his best friend isn't so happy either. Or his sister. But Joe's revelling in his popularity and new 'stuff'.
You can probably see where this may go, and yes, while it does go there, it does so in very funny ways. I was particularly tickled by Joe's enthusiasm for Milton Keynes in one chapter. And at the character's growth and eventual understanding of the position he's found himself in.
Enjoyed the family characters, especially Dad and his little sister with her panda preoccupation. Joe is the heart of this though, someone representing all of us really, possibly seduced by materialism, and later finding out that the average isn't quite as appealing as it seems.
Would make a good class read, and children aged 8-12 will have a lot to say about this.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
April 18, 2022
The Luckiest Kid in the World is about ten year old Joe Smith, who is surprised to find a camera crew at his house announcing that he is the most average boy, living on the most average street, in the most average town. The research has been funded by companies who want to find out what the average person likes so they can make their products very popular and successful without having to ask lots of people. Joe is allowed to choose whichever items he likes, whilst the business people take note of every detail about his choices and how he spends his time.
At first Joe is absolutely delighted to have so many state-of-the-art free gifts, but he soon starts to realise that being the same as everyone else isn't as fun as it sounds, especially when it takes him away from his friends. He soon decides he'd rather go back to his own life, but how to get the marketing people to leave him alone?
Told from Joe's point of view, who is a funny and relatable character along with his friends and family, and with excellent illustrations, this is a great story about how the grass is not always greener and to value what you have, not just in terms of possessions but friends and family too.
At first Joe is absolutely delighted to have so many state-of-the-art free gifts, but he soon starts to realise that being the same as everyone else isn't as fun as it sounds, especially when it takes him away from his friends. He soon decides he'd rather go back to his own life, but how to get the marketing people to leave him alone?
Told from Joe's point of view, who is a funny and relatable character along with his friends and family, and with excellent illustrations, this is a great story about how the grass is not always greener and to value what you have, not just in terms of possessions but friends and family too.
November 23, 2023
I've always liked Danny Wallace ever since the Dave Gorman stuff and the wonderful Join Me movement (which feels like a long time ago!) so, despite my usual dislike of 'malecelebritychildrensauthors' I thought I'd give this one a go with my 7 year old son.
So, it wasn't bad at all - it was a whole lot easier to read aloud than Baddiell's efforts. But, like a lot of these books, the story focused on the world of technology (algorithms mainly rather than social media, thank god) so it was all a bit too 'modern' for my taste. But the boy liked it even if some of the plot and pop culture references perhaps went over his head a bit.
I'm quite sure technology-savvy 9-12 year old boys would really love this book so my rating probably isn't really fair. I will most likely be reading more of Danny Wallace's books in the future (which is a far better prospect than reading any more Baddiell).
So, it wasn't bad at all - it was a whole lot easier to read aloud than Baddiell's efforts. But, like a lot of these books, the story focused on the world of technology (algorithms mainly rather than social media, thank god) so it was all a bit too 'modern' for my taste. But the boy liked it even if some of the plot and pop culture references perhaps went over his head a bit.
I'm quite sure technology-savvy 9-12 year old boys would really love this book so my rating probably isn't really fair. I will most likely be reading more of Danny Wallace's books in the future (which is a far better prospect than reading any more Baddiell).
January 25, 2022
This was a very funny and quick read and my second read from this author! The writing was hilarious and gripped me throughout. The plot felt a little cliche but it gave across a good message. The themes of friendship and siblinghood are executed well. Overall this was a great quick middle grade read that I enjoyed!
Thank you to netgalley snd the publisher for the free e-arc!
Thank you to netgalley snd the publisher for the free e-arc!
February 25, 2024
this book is about how Joe went from a poor family of being always average to be prized praised because he average which he did not deserve to try the best cheeseburgers, and always wanted his opinion He figured out it was the wrong thing to do and he made sure that no one else would be called the average child
September 15, 2022
Perfect read aloud for yrs 4-6. 26 funny chapters with some nice, clear illustrations and an appropriate moral at the end.
September 20, 2022
A simple story of you may have everything but dont forget those around you told in Danny's great style
March 23, 2023
Very good book an amazing turn towards the end
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2024
It was ok. It’s a children book so I didn’t expect much going into it but it was fun to read regardless.
October 19, 2025
I didnt like this quite as much as,The Day the Screens Went Blank, but the British voice and narration were just as good. This brief book is directed at kids,but is funny and entertaining.
December 1, 2025
exciting and interesting. Joe goes on quite an amazing adventure. Great rating from me
August 16, 2025
3.4/10
Quite honestly, my opinions on this book are very low. It’s a stupid concept and the style of Joe Smith’s narration will never cease to annoy me. There are so many better books that you could be reading but I suppose, if you were about to die of boredom then perhaps maybe possibly think about considering to read the book.
Quite honestly, my opinions on this book are very low. It’s a stupid concept and the style of Joe Smith’s narration will never cease to annoy me. There are so many better books that you could be reading but I suppose, if you were about to die of boredom then perhaps maybe possibly think about considering to read the book.
July 21, 2025
Very good tung tung tung sahur
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews