Helen Rutter Books

A choose-your-own-adventure style story with important, contemporary themes.

Fred is due to start secondary school, and his parents have a controlling nature that doesn’t allow him to be himself – he is often incapable of making even small decisions about his life. They all visit two prospective secondary schools. On his first day, two different school buses pull up to the stop. This becomes the first point at which the reader influences the story as Fred asks which bus he should catch; the two decisions lead to different pages in the story.

Depending on the choices made, there are alternative routes through the book, and various characters are introduced at the two locations. There are eight possible endings, and the length of the whole story depends on the decisions made. It is perfect for year 6 and transitions in general. It emphasises the importance of making good choices and taking responsibility for your actions.

A hilarious book that will have Upper Key Stage 2 readers gripped.

Reggie Houser has ADHD and finds it hard to make friends, and it doesn’t feel very good to be him – the popular kids think he is strange, and he thinks the answer is to change himself to be more like them. He thinks that he has found the answer to all of his problems when he discovers that he can influence the minds of others (cue some rather amusing antics!), but in doing so, he forgets the importance of knowing his own mind.

This is a sensitive story about the difficulties of dealing with neurodiversity, the importance of remaining true to yourself and the value of real friendship. There are also a few mind-controlling tricks to try at home, thrown in for good measure!

This is a cracker of a book that really is difficult to put down.