Stan has found himself a starring role as superhero in a popular TV show.
He’s absolutely terrified.
After surviving a holiday to Italy without his parents (which included jellyfish and giant watermelons), Stan reckons he deserves a bit of a break. Or at a least a break in between trying to act in his school play.
But when he’s offered the chance to take a tour around a TV studio, he thinks it can’t do any harm.
How wrong he is.
Before Stan can say ‘Boy of Steel’ he’s landed himself a part as a main character in one of the most well-known TV shows there is – as a brainy superhero.
Convinced he’s going to embarrass himself in front of millions of people – and worried about leaving his friends to face a school play on their own – can Stan find a way to use his new-found fame for good?
Or will he be the Worst. Superhero. Ever . . .
Who it is for
A funny children's novel that follows on from Charlie Higson's Worst. Holiday. Ever., for a class library or a reading-for-pleasure shelf in upper primary. Penguin does not give an age range on its page, and at 400 pages it suits confident independent readers; read a sample before choosing it as a class read.
About the book
- Author: Charlie Higson, who created and starred in The Fast Show and wrote the Young Bond books and The Enemy series.
- Series: Worst. Holiday. Ever.
- Publisher: Puffin (Penguin). Published 15 August 2024, 400 pages; paperback, ebook (ISBN 9780241588741) and audio editions.
Source: publisher's page at Penguin, checked 13 October 2026.