Charlie, the Brave Monkey is a delightful tale about a monkey who is terribly shy. He longs to play with the other young monkeys, but is too timid to talk to them. How he longs to be able to swing from the trees with them by his side Charlie's problem is that he just can't think of a thing to say to the other monkeys He would always think of something very clever once they had gone home. One day, he takes a walk all alone. After walking a long way, he decides to have a rest. He settles down under a tree and falls asleep. What happens next shows pure bravery on Charlie's part. Charlie becomes a hero and the other monkeys love him for it. If ever he feels shy, he reminds himself of the brave thing he did Now he plays with the monkeys all the time and is being accepted for who he is. When her daughter was struggling with her reading, Alison J Martin wrote this book to encourage her child to read more often. Born in Liverpool, the first-time author was a primary teacher before being felled by a stroke in 2006. She is now a stay-at-home mother of two in Telford, England. Publisher's website: http: //sbprabooks.com/AlisonJMartin