Eleven-year-old Billy Barnes lives with his parents and elder sister, Julia. He is usually a happy boy and spends most of his time with one of his best friends, Ali Patel.
However, Billy has a problem. A big problem! He was stopped by some older boys as he was on his way home from school. One of them demanded protection money from Billy and made it quite clear that it was pay up, or suffer the consequences!
Just how are Billy and Ali going to solve this problem, without involving Billy's parents? If he does that, he runs a considerable risk of becoming a laughingstock in his class. He can almost hear some of the other boys shouting, "Billy Barnes has to ask his mum and dad for help, just like in reception class!"
The solution is as clever as it is simple and is the start of a number of exciting adventures for Billy and Ali.