Charlie is shy and fearful about a number of things, and in this story we see him face up to five situations that are scary and difficult for him. In these situations, we are given three possibilities as to what choice he should make, and we must make the choices too - thereby providing areas for discussion. The five situations are: feeling shy in a new school and trying to decide if he wants to play football with a boy who has asked him to play, being afraid of the dark and not wanting to accept an invitation for a sleepover, going to the dentist, being jealous of a new sister, and facing up to being picked on on his way home from school. The ultimate answer is that if we face up to fears squarely, we will be happier and that adults can often be of help. An index, a glossary, and two pages of advice for adults using the book with a child add to the production - as do bright and funny pictures.