Stick to It, Charlie

These two stories about Charlie, an ordinary young lad who takes up learning the piano, plays football, gets into arguments and faces up to bullies, have a pleasant ordinariness about them which my children liked. The first and title story is funny and believable. Charlie begins to learn the piano, goes off the idea but is helped to 'stick to it' by his little sister, Josie. Amusing and interesting, especially to those of my children who are in the throes of five-finger exercises. The second story, 'Adventure for Charlie'^^^ deals with bullying and the plight of the odd child out. I thought this more self-conscious and less successful. It had an air of carrying a message that threatened to swamp the story. It was redeemed by an exciting passage in which Charlie and his friends are trapped in a shed; this part was very tense and exciting. Good as a read-aloud or for newly fluent readers.