You Choose... Mayhem at Magic School by George Ivanoff

Random House Australia, 2014. ISBN 9780857983848.
Recommended 7-12 year olds. For youngsters who want to read, or to be seen to read a novel length book, this genre is a godsend. The You Choose format enables the reader to sample as many endings or as few as they like without needing the stamina to complete the book. Making a choice between two options on an average of every second page means the least committed reader will enjoy the fast pace of this story of mayhem and magic.
When a ball freezes in front of your nose you know something strange is going on. Choosing between ignoring the whole thing, or racing home to tell your parents, begins a roller coaster ride that leads to Magic school or a therapist, fame and fortune or meeting long lost great aunt Agnes.
The situations you can find yourself in vary from meeting the strange fringe boy to ending your days as a toad in a specimen jar in the science lab; joining the Enchanted Espionage Division as a spy or an encounter with the school bully; meeting students Reggie, Dougie and Hermione, despite magic school having no connection to Hogwarts, and creating a Random Spell that can destroy the world.
With sixteen separate endings the reader is spoilt for choice as they make their decisions and soon find out the consequences. This series is bound to be popular with modern students used to an interactive environment with the beauty of being able to change the outcome if you come to an abrupt end.
Sue Keane