The Fizzy Whiz Kid

Praise for The Fizzy Whiz Kid

"Seriously committed film industry wannabes as well as erstwhile daydreamers will find a lot of good information here about how Hollywood magic gets made.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“Williams breezy tale is as addictive and bubbly as a Fizzy Whiz itself, and her experience in the entertainment industry packs real value into her descriptions of auditions, movie sets, and agent negotiations.” —Booklist

"This effervescent comedy offers a behind-the-scenes peek at the entertainment industry through the eyes of a likable outsider, 12-year-old Mitch Mathis. Accustomed to being the new kid, Mitch violates his own cardinal rule — 'DON'T STAND OUT' — when he moves to Hollywood with his parents, attends a cattle-call audition for a soda commercial, and catapults to stardom with the signature line, 'You like bubbles?' Mitch, who never watches TV, hasn't seen Star Wars, and can 'juggle, ride a unicycle, play piano and guitar, and [knows] sign language,' gleans industry knowledge from new, larger-than-life friends who boast actor, agent, and screenwriter parents. Mitch's recurring lists keep the pace quick and offer insight into his character ('No cockroach costumes' is at the top of his list of 'Rules for Parent Presentations,' after his entomologist father makes a cringe-inducing appearance in his classroom) as well as information about the industry. Williams (The Hour of the Outlaw) spotlights the unglamorous side of show business, too, as Mitch becomes believably self-involved, comes to his senses, and directs an ingenious escape to normalcy. Ages 8 — 12." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Written by a Hollywood insider, this hilarious novel tells the story of an all-American boy who learns that fame is not all it's cracked up to be. "Action-packed and laden with good-natured humor, Williams's tale is a journey worth taking."--"Publishers Weekly."

Moving to Hollywood with his academic parents, eleven-year-old Mitch feels like an outsider in his school where everyone has connections to the powerful and famous in the entertainment industry, until he is cast in a soda commercial that launches a popular catchphrase.

Maiya Williams was born in Corvallis, Oregon, and grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, and Berkeley, California. She attended Harvard University, where she was an editor and vice president of the Harvard Lampoon. She is a writer and a producer of televisions shows and lives with her husband and their three children, a Labrador retriever, and a variety of fish in Pacific Palisades, California.