The Xtreme World of Billy Kool, Books 1 & 2, by Phil Kettle

Roberta was sitting behind the desk. I looked at her and said, ‘My name is Billy Kool. I’m Kool by name and cool by nature. I think the television show should be called The Xtreme World of Billy Kool. I know that my friends and I are the right people to host the show and we really want the job.’

When Billy Kool sees a competition to win the chance to host a television show, he is determined to win. The prize involves hosting an extreme sports show with two of his friends. Choosing the friends is easy – his best mates Nathan and Sally are perfect. Winning the competition is more of a challenge. They have to abseil off a building!

The Xtreme World of Billy Kool is a brand new chapter book series from Scholastic Education. Each book in the series involves preparing for and shooting one episode of the television show which Billy and his mates host. Book 1 – All or Nothing shows how the three manage to win the competition and the shooting of an introductory episode. Book 2 – Whitewater Rafting shows the trio shooting the second episode, which involves going whitewater rafting for the first time.

This is a fun, fast-paced series. Part of each book is presented in television script format, which is both a novelty and also a useful classroom tool. There are also nonfiction elements including a glossary, details about the hisory of the sports, and illustrations of the equipment used.

As well as being fun for private reading, these would be great for classroom media studies or for reluctant readers.

The Xtreme World of Billy Cool. Book 1: All or Nothing and Book 2: Whitewater Rafting, by Phil Kettle
Scholastic Education, 2004