`No,' says Andy Stanton, introducing his new schoolboy superhero, `Matthew Buzzington is not a
pop star . . . not a footballer . . . not a secret agent. - He is a normal 10-year-old boy with `a special
super power. Matthew can turn into a fly: at least, he is sure that he can, but he's never actually
done it. Whenever he tries, it all goes wrong and everyone laughs at him.
When his family move to the Big City, Matthew runs into trouble with the school bully, Pineapple
Johnson, who is growing an extra-spiky pineapple to throw at Matthew. If only his special super
power would work . .

The Story of Matthew Buzzington arrived almost fully formed in Andy's head as he was
walking to the station after a school visit. He felt that a story of an underdog taking on the
school bully fitted into Barrington Stoke's philosophy.
`Children who don't read well can be made to feel stupid and acquire an underdog status. There's also
a look in the story at how bullies are victims themselves, but with a light touch. It's like baking a cake:
you need a hint of danger and a pinch of comedy.

About the author
Growing up in north London in the 1970s, Andy was an eclectic reader. He loved Roald Dahl, Enid
Blyton, the Beano and Dandy. A special favourite was The Eighteenth Emergency by Betsy Byars.
`That's another story of an underdog. There's certainly a little of it in Matthew Buzzington.
To encourage children's reading, he says, `Don't be judgmental. Encourage them to read anything
that they show interest in: comics, books that might seem too young, anything as long as the content is
appropriate.