Being Billy

Story

Fifteen year old Billy is angry. Abused by his stepfather and abandoned by his mother when he was six, he lives in a residential care home with his younger siblings. He does his best to provide them with the stability and affection his own childhood lacks - but when it seems like he might lose them too, Billy’s world starts to fall apart.

Why we chose it

The story of a boy in care. Philip Earl writes about the damage done to young lives with compassion and understanding. An unflinching, gritty and moving novel.

Where it came from

Philip Earle (1974-) grew up in Hull. After university, he worked as a care-worker in a children’s home. He was affected by the young people who, like Billy, had been living there long-term without being adopted or fostered, or whose foster placements had broken down. Being Billy was his debut novel.

Where it went next

Being Billy won the 2012 WeRead Book Award, and was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award and Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.

Associated stories

Prequel Saving Daisy (2012) tells the story of Billy’s school friend Daisy, and her struggle to cope after she loses first her mum, then her dad.