How to Be a Boy and Do It Your Own Way

How to Be a Boy and Do It Your Own Way is an empowering and inclusive guide, helping readers discover the type of boy they want to be – with confidence, positivity and kindness. In a world where everyone seems to have an opinion about what it means to be a man, Dr Ranj will help readers navigate these confusing messages and reassure them that there isn’t one way to be a boy; what’s important is to be true to yourself, and kind to others.

Dr. Ranj says: “Boys and young men are bombarded with so many messages and expectations nowadays that it can be difficult for them to work out who they really are and be confident in being themselves. Alongside that, we see so many examples of negative behaviour and toxic masculinity on screen and on social media. All of this has an impact on young minds, and I want to change that. I want boys to be happy and confident in whoever they are and be able to be their best selves.” 

In How to Be a Boy and Do It Your Own Way, Dr Ranj–in his signature warm and conversational voice–equips boys with a toolkit to look after their mental health and body image, navigate peer pressure and bullying, and understand identity, gender stereotypes, leadership, male privilege, allyship and respect for women – reflecting upon what it takes to be kind, good and responsible in today’s world. In this book for children, Dr Ranj empowers all readers, celebrates confidently being *you*, and encourages young people to be the very best version of themselves they can be.

Alongside Dr Ranj’s insight as an NHS paediatrician, the book includes contributions from a wide range of voices and experts: actor, director, screenwriter and transgender rights activist Jake Graf on his experience as a trans man; award-winning mental health campaigner, producer and writer Jonny Benjamin on mental health; cook, stylist and DJ Gok Wan on loving your body; presenter and broadcaster Gethin Jones on leadership; TV personality, producer and fashion curator Ryan Lanji on being a queer man of colour–and many more, including Phyllis Akua Opoku-Gyimah, Suki Sandhu, Charlie Christensen, Michael Gunning, Emma Morris, Alexis Caught and Jordan Wylie.

Dr Ranj Singh is an NHS paediatrician and BAFTA-award-winning TV presenter. He co-created the hit CBeebies’ show Get Well Soon and has presented numerous other series including ITV’s prime-time Dr Ranj: On Call, Save Money Lose Weight, and Save Money: Good Health, and Extreme Food Phobics for the W Channel. He’s also a contributor for ITV This Morning and Tonight, as well as BBC1’s Morning Live, The One Show, and Inside Out. Off-air, his work can be found in numerous magazines and on websites where he gives expert opinion and advice on a range of physical and mental health matters. His guide to puberty for boys, How to Grow Up (and Feel Amazing!), was a Sunday Times bestseller. 

David O’Connell is a writer and illustrator living in London, UK. He works mostly in children’s books.