As parents and carers, we all know that children can talk non-stop about a whole range of bizarre and wonderful things. Secondly, while on the face of it this is a split-your-sides-laughing kind of story, the humour has effectively been used as a mechanism for addressing childhood anxiety with the lightest of touches: a tricky issue to deal with at the best of times. I particularly like this because I think it makes sharing the book more enjoyable for both parties: there is no doubt that kids love to hear adults laugh just as much as we love to hear them. Firstly, the humour has been written with both children and adults in mind, so while there is plenty of toilet humour, there is also a subtle, dry thread that will make adults smile. While I agree with other reviewers that there’s a touch of Dahl about his work, there is no doubt that his writing is unique and I think this story has been quite cleverly-crafted. The first thing that hit me about the book is that Sam Copeland has a fab, intimate writing style, which draws you in rapidly during the opening pages. Charlie thus turns to his 3 best friends to help him find a way to deal with the problem…Ĭharlie hit the bottom of the hill faster than a cheetah running for an ice cream van on the hottest day of the year. The problem is, though, that it only seems to happen when he is worried about things, and life right at the minute – with a brother in hospital, worried parents and the school bully on his case – is one big worry-fest. However, I kept it on my blogging pile as I enjoyed it so much, and so today seems like the perfect time to introduce the story to the blog.Ĭharlie is a boy with a secret – he can change into animals of all shapes and sizes. I read Charlie Changes into a Chicken, the first in a new series by Sam Copeland, a couple of months ago and always meant to blog about it, but for some reason I just didn’t find the time. I seem to have focussed on adventure stories recently, and so it’s time for a bit more variety.

Charlie changes into a chicken series