The Boy with Big Decisions

by Helen Rutter

 


'Funny, wise and warm.' Daily Mail



'A clever, thoughtful and totally original book.'
The Bookseller, Editor's Choice



'The enjoyable format has huge appeal and unexpected
value as it is thoughtful, empowering and wise as well as wryly
comic.' LoveReading



'Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson.' School
Reading List



'Inventive and thought-provoking, this clever 9+ take
on Choose Your Own Adventure books allows the reader to guide
Fred through thorny decisions about school, friendship and self-expression,
with eight different possible endings.' Guardian




'Fun, clever and interactive' The Week Junior,
Book of the Week



'Rollercoaster of a book' First News



Fred can't make a decision about anything -

his parents always tell him what to do, from what to eat every
day to which secondary school to choose.


that's how Fred has found himself a pupil at the high-pressure,
strict Gains School, when he'd much rather be going to Browtree,
with its brilliant art department and kind teachers.


As Fred waits for the bus to his new school, he sees the bus for
Browtree pull up - and a wild, thrilling, thought strikes him.
Should he jump on this bus and pretend he's a new student at Browtree?



Will he be brave enough to follow a different path for once?



You, the reader, will stand in Fred's shoes and make decisions
alongside him throughout this story. You'll help
him stand-up for what he believes in, learn what he truly loves
to do, make good friends and face choices about whether to swerve
or walk into drama.


YOU are in charge of The Boy With Big Decisions!




An interactive book with multiple pathways for kids to follow
- Sliding Doors for a younger audience!
A book to encourage empathy and kindness in young readers

Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson, Lisa Thompson and Jenny
Pearson.

 


Praise for The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh




'This incredible debut tugs at your heartstrings and makes
you laugh out loud in equal measure. I guarantee you'll be cheering
along in the final pages!' Lisa
Thompson


'It's Wonder with one-liners.' Scott Evans, The
Reader Teacher


'As warm and wise as it is funny.

Genres: Middle Grade

360 pages, Paperback

Published April 10, 2025

Reviews

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a quirky concept! Normally this plot (boy is having hard time at school and with his parents) would not inspire me to pick it up as it's very young teen drama. However when I saw it was a choose the ending book I just had to give it a try.
there's a little map in the back that shows you how many different endings there are and how you go about getting to them without giving away any spoilers so I tried all 8 combinations. I liked how each ending was slightly different and they hadn't rehashed the same thing on more than one ending. I also liked how the characters that were featured more heavily in the A route do pop up as a cameo in the B route and vice versa. A nice touch.

[Marit · Rating 3 out of 5]

In dit boek stonden meerdere levensveranderende keuzes centraal. Hier en daar was de uitwerking wat zwart/wit en nogal moralistisch, maar dat zorgde er wel voor dat ik alle keuzes wilde maken en alle paden wilde lezen!

3,5 ster

[Daisy Weetman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ended up on ending on story ending number 7, one of the best books ive read its so engaging I personally love this !

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the book, it was so nice I decided to try all the endings. They were all really fun, some showed more kindness than the others but they were all with a lot of adventure and were really exciting!

[Mariam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, first of all, loved the idea of making the decisions in the book. When I was younger, I used to do this too. I would give people two choices at the end that would result in two different endings so it's nice seeing someone doing something simular in this book.

I honestly really liked this book, at first I thought it was just random kids book but it turned out to be far more amazing than I ever expected. It hit HARD, like the way Fred's parents were treating him was seriously relatable and honestly made me feel more inspired to try and gain back more control in my life. The character growth at the end of all the eight endings was so good too, exactly how every book should be. A character makes a mistake and the character changes and learns from the mistake. It felt like every decision you made actually caused growth in the character which I really liked.

All the feelings Fred felt was SO REAL too, I could absolutely relate in wanting to do something your parents wouldn't approve of and not feeling in control of your own life. It really just hit so close to home 😭

So, I am pleasantly surprised by this book and would definitely recommend!

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun new style of book. Choose your own adventure style. Fred is never allowed to make decisions in his family. So when he starts a new school - he gets to the bus stop and then you choose which school he goes to - the rich strict school or the Steiner style school. And then you choose his journey. Lots of fun and good for reluctant readers. Upper primary recommended.

[Amelia Crane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was also one of the Short Listed books for the Oxfordshire book awards. The Year 3 children on my placement loved this book. They loved how they can make their own choices and descions and how it changes the book.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really entertaining book. Kept my son reading past his bedtime!

We had the very good fortune to meet Helen at Normanby Hall book festival and she inspired the boy with her interactive and fun session.

Highly recommend her work.

[Jack Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It is important to be true to yourself and follow your heart".

[Niamh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was really good and I loved it

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

So unique and so helpful at this juncture in life! 😄