The Boy With Big Decisions

About this book

Fred Timple’s parents control every aspect of his life. They tell him what to wear, eat, think, and feel so that now he doesn’t know how to make a decision of his own. 

Having just moved house, Fred must go to a new school and his parents have chosen the Gains: a pressurised, academic school he hates the thought of. Fred would really like to go to Browtree, which has an amazing art department and where he thinks he could flourish. But no one cares what he wants. 

Then, waiting at the bus stop on his first day, Fred is suddenly faced with a choice. Two buses arrive at once: one is going to the Gains, the other to Browtree. Dare he take his destiny into his own hands and go to the school he wants, or does he follow his parents’ wishes yet again? 

With multiple permutations and eight possible endings, readers are invited to select Fred’s path as he is faced with choices that often terrify him. 

Touching on dysfunctional parenting, bullying and honesty, Fred’s ultimate life lesson is that getting things wrong is OK; it’s how we learn to make better decisions next time round.