Helen Rutter – författare

With help from his grandma, Josh finds a way to quieten his overactive ‘Brian’ in this gently humorous and empathetic tale about family and mental health by bestseller Helen Rutter. Josh has always called his brain Brian, and Brian can sometimes be his best friend, helping Josh with tests and giving him brilliant moneymaking ideas. But he can also be Josh’s worst enemy, keeping him awake at night worrying, and telling him that his family’s problems are all Josh’s fault.When the arguments at home get really bad, Josh is sent to live with his grandma, who lives in a weird shack in the middle of nowhere. At first Brian’s voice gets louder and louder, and Josh feels out of control. But as he helps his grandma in the garden, growing their own food, and with all the jobs that need to be done around the shack, Josh starts to realise that she understands him and Brian better than anyone. Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Vinny needs support from his agony-aunt mum, but she’s too busy helping other people to notice in this empathetic tale about family and mental health by bestseller Helen Rutter. Vinny’s got problems – lots of them. His family's falling apart, and his best mates have dumped him for some really annoying girls.He should be able to turn to his mum for help – she’s an online life coach who answers other people’s problems for a living. But she’s too busy to see that Vinny is really struggling.Unable to solve his own issues, Vinny starts replying to unanswered posts on an old blog of his mum’s. At first the solutions seem easy, and he can be as hilariously honest as any 12-year-old boy would be, but what will happen when Vinny realises he’s out of his depth? Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.

'Very funny, very touching, very truthful - a total delightto read.' Jacqueline Wilson'Amazing' Noel FieldingA laugh-out-loud, against-all-odds triumph of a story:the funniest debut of 2021 WINNER OF THE LOLLIES AWARD 2023SELECTED FOR THE 2022 READ FOR EMPATHY COLLECTION   Billy Plimpton is an eleven-year-old boy with a bigdream.He wants to be a stand-up comedian when he grows up: deliveringpinpoint punch-lines and having audiences hang on his every hilariousword.A tough career for anyone, but surely impossible for Billy, whohas a stammer. How will he find his voice, if his voice won't lethim speak?The idea for this story came from Helen Rutter's son,who has a stammer: she wanted to write the book that he wouldlove to read, starring a child like him.  Don't miss the second book in Billy's adventures: TheFunniest Boy in the World  More praise for The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh: SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 COSTA CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD  'This incredibly debut tugs at your heartstringsand makes you laugh out loud in equal measure. I guarantee you'llbe cheering along in the final pages!' Lisa Thompson,author of Goldfish Boy'It's Wonder with one-liners.' Scott Evans, TheReader Teacher'As warm and wise as it is funny.' Shappi Khorsandi'A laugh out loud story, the like of which I've never readbefore.' Kerry Godliman'This book is a great way of showing children how to be confidentand winners by having a sense of humour and making otherslaugh.' Baroness Floella Benjamin'This book is brilliant. It is funny, wise, kind and exciting.'Marcus Brigstocke'So funny and joyful.'Rachel Parris

'A delight... This book is wise, suspensefuland witty'SUNDAY TIMES, Children's Book of the WeekA brilliantly funny wish-fulfilment story with a hugeheart, from the author of one of 2021's most loved children's debuts,The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh.Archie Crumb is having a tough time. Picked-on at school, pickedlast for any team; his home has been sad and quiet since Dad leftand his luck feels like its run out.But things start looking up when Archie bumps his head and literallysees stars: his favourite famous football player standingin front of him, granting him nine wishes.This is INCREDIBLE! Unlimited ice cream, a whole day of eatingpizza and playing on the X-Box, revenge on the bullies, becomingthe star player in a televised football tournament: finally, allhis dreams can come true! Will Archie wish his way to happiness?Or will he realise that magic wishes may be wonderful, but onlyhe has the true power to change his life? Perfect for fans of Lisa Thompson, David Baddiel and JacquelineWilsonHelen Rutter's debut novel The Boy Who Made Everyone Laughwas chosen as a Waterstones Children's Book of the MonthFunny, moving, inventive, uplifting children's fiction at itsfinest.  Praise for The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh'Very funny, very touching, very truthful – a total delightto read.' Jacqueline Wilson'Amazing' Noel Fielding'This incredibly debut tugs at your heartstrings and makes youlaugh out loud in equal measure. I guarantee you'll be cheeringalong 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.' Shappi Khorsandi'A laugh out loud story, the like of which I've never read before.'Kerry Godliman'This book is a great way of showing children how to be confidentand winners by having a sense of humour and making others laugh.'Baroness Floella Benjamin'This book is brilliant. It is funny, wise, kind and exciting.'Marcus Brigstocke'So funny and joyful.' Rachel Parris

'Very funny, very touching, very truthful - a totaldelight to read.' Jacqueline Wilson'Light-hearted and warm.' Booktrust'A funny, sensitive story featuring a hilariouslylikeable protagonist and a sympathetic, well-informed portrayal ofADHD.' The Guardian This is the story of how hypnosis saved a boy.Reggie Houser has ADHD and struggles to make friends at school,plus his mum and teachers seem constantly weary about his erratic,high-energy ways.But when he sees a hypnotist perform on stageat the holiday park he visits, Reggie becomes obsessedwith learning the skills of mind control - and hediscovers he has an incredible talent for it!First of all he hypnotises the dog to think he's a frog, thenmakes his headmaster cluck like a chicken in assembly in front ofthe whole schoolBut then a group of mean kids supposedly take him under theirwing and make him use his hypnosis talents for bad: stealing a chocolatebar from a shop and escalating to a bigger theft.Reggie must decide to use his skills for good only and come totrust his own brain to make decisions. Packed with brilliant jokes and one-liners to make kidsroar with laughterA book to encourage empathy and kindness in young readersPerfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson, Lisa Thompsonand Jenny Pearson.  Praise for The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh:'Amazing' Noel Fielding'This incredible debut tugs at your heartstrings and makesyou laugh out loud in equal measure. I guarantee you'll be cheeringalong in the final pages!' Lisa Thompson'It's Wonder with one-liners.' Scott Evans, TheReader Teacher'As warm and wise as it is funny.' Shappi Khorsandi'A laugh out loud story, the like of which I've never readbefore.' Kerry Godliman'This book is a great way of showing children how to be confidentand winners by having a sense of humour and making otherslaugh.' Baroness Floella Benjamin'This book is brilliant. It is funny, wise, kind and exciting.'Marcus Brigstocke'So funny and joyful.'Rachel Parris

'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 unexpectedvalue as it is thoughtful, empowering and wise as well as wrylycomic.' LoveReading 'Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson.' SchoolReading List 'Inventive and thought-provoking, this clever 9+ takeon Choose Your Own Adventure books allows the reader to guideFred 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 NewsFred can't make a decision about anything -his parents always tell him what to do, from what to eat everyday 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 forBrowtree 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 decisionsalongside him throughout this story. You'll helphim stand-up for what he believes in, learn what he truly lovesto do, make good friends and face choices about whether to swerveor 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 readersPerfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson, Lisa Thompson and JennyPearson.  Praise for The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh'This incredible debut tugs at your heartstrings and makesyou laugh out loud in equal measure. I guarantee you'll be cheeringalong in the final pages!' LisaThompson'It's Wonder with one-liners.' Scott Evans, TheReader Teacher'As warm and wise as it is funny.' Shappi Khorsandi'A laugh out loud story, the like of which I've never readbefore.' Kerry Godliman'This book is a great way of showing children how to be confidentand winners by having a sense of humour and making otherslaugh.' Baroness Floella Benjamin'This book is brilliant. It is funny, wise, kind and exciting.'Marcus Brigstocke'So funny and joyful.' Rachel Parris

'Fun, unstuffy and wise' Sunday Times Children's Bookof the Week'It will have your children in stitches!' BBC RadioManchesterThe laugh-out-loud, against-all-odds triumph of a sequelto one of the bestselling children's debuts of 2021.Billy Plimpton took to the stage and captivated the crowd at thetriumphant ending to The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh,and in the sequel, he's going to go viral.Celebrity comedian Leo Leggett takes Billy under his wing, ashis new sidekick: when Leo tweets a clip of his stand-up act, Billysuddenly becomes the most famous boy in the country. At first,this is GREAT - all the kids at school think he's cool and he getsto appear on his favourite morning TV show. But Leo's motivesturn out to be shady and Billy must turn the tables in a very publicway...The idea for this story came from Helen Rutter's son,who has a stammer: she wanted to write the book that he wouldlove to read, starring a child like him. packed with brilliant jokes and one-liners to make kids roarwith laughtera book to encourage empathy and kindness in young readersPerfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson, Lisa Thompson and JennyPearson.  Praise for The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh Winner of the Lollies Children's Book Prize 2023Shortlisted for the 2022 Blue Peter Book AwardShortlisted for the 2022 Costa Children's Book AwardSelected for the 2022 Read For Empathy Collection  'Very funny, very touching, very truthful - a total delightto read.'Jacqueline Wilson'Amazing' Noel Fielding'This incredible debut tugs at your heartstrings and makesyou laugh out loud in equal measure. I guarantee you'll be cheeringalong in the final pages!' Lisa Thompson'It's Wonder with one-liners.' Scott Evans, TheReader Teacher'As warm and wise as it is funny.' Shappi Khorsandi'A laugh out loud story, the like of which I've never readbefore.' Kerry Godliman'This book is a great way of showing children how to be confidentand winners by having a sense of humour and making otherslaugh.' Baroness Floella Benjamin'This book is brilliant. It is funny, wise, kind and exciting.'Marcus Brigstocke'So funny and joyful.'Rachel Parris

Welcome to The Game - an exciting summer campwhere you will make new friends, build resilience and test yourlimits! You will be put into a team of five with strangers, no screens,no shortcuts. Everyone starts from scratch and has to makefriends and find a way to the finish line together.Tig has been packed off to Game Camp to gain confidence, but isimmediately wary of the other team members: bossy and ultra-competitiveMaya, intense Joni, grumpy screen-addicted Frank and quiet,sporty Jake. They are all so different: but must find a way towork together. They embark on a series of physical and mental challenges,with Tig (and therefore the reader) choosing the path.When the team start noticing strange things happening around themin the woods - ghostly noises, wild weather and suspicious-lookingGame Camp staff - they uncover a mystery to solve. Will you leadthe team to victory, or into chaos? And will they all find outa lot about their true selves during the process...? You,the reader, will make choices for the team throughout this story.YOU are in charge of the Game! An interactive book with multiple pathways for kids to follow- Sliding Doors for a younger audience!An empowering, highly engaging format and a cracking mysterystory all in one.think THE CRYSTAL MAZE meets the challenges section of an episodeof THE TRAITORS!  Praise for The Boy with Big Decisions'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 unexpectedvalue as it is thoughtful, empowering and wise as well as wrylycomic.' LoveReading 'Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Wilson.' SchoolReading List 'Inventive and thought-provoking, this clever 9+ takeon Choose Your Own Adventure books allows the reader to guideFred 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  Praise for The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh'This incredible debut tugs at your heartstrings and makesyou laugh out loud in equal measure. I guarantee you'll be cheeringalong in the final pages!' LisaThompson'It's Wonder with one-liners.' Scott Evans, TheReader Teacher'As warm and wise as it is funny.' Shappi Khorsandi'A laugh out loud story, the like of which I've never readbefore.' Kerry Godliman'This book is a great way of showing children how to be confidentand winners by having a sense of humour and making otherslaugh.' Baroness Floella Benjamin'This book is brilliant. It is funny, wise, kind and exciting.'Marcus Brigstocke'So funny and joyful.' Rachel Parris

Constantly in trouble at school with little encouragement at home, Lacey’s future looks bleak until she discovers a love of music in this compelling tale by bestseller Helen Rutter. Lacey's smart tongue and quick temper are constantly getting her confined to isolation at school. But there’s a lot more to her that most people never see, and when Lacey gets sent to lunch-time music lessons to keep her out of trouble, she discovers a love and talent for the piano that opens up a whole new world for her.Just as she’s really beginning to make progress, her music teacher has to leave, which throws Lacey back into turmoil. Will she go back to her self-destructive ways or will music offer her a way to save her from herself? Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.