A physiotherapist is celebrating the release of his first children's book.

Having written 14 non-fiction books on physiotherapy and exercise, last year Chris Norris decided to branch out into the world of fiction.

Now, he is expanding his horizons even further with the release of Barnie and the Spider: Quest for the Great Wall, a novel aimed at eight to 14-year-olds.

"When I sold my two physiotherapy clinics I decided to focus on teaching and writing, while still maintaining a clinical caseload," Chris said.

"Each of my fiction books contains subtle use of physiotherapy values strung throughout - self empowerment, recovery, aspects of physical and mental health - all wrapped up in light-hearted writing to give a few smiles, laughs, and tears along the way.

"Using stories is an important feature of physiotherapy - metaphors and analogies often pepper any treatment session. With fiction writing I aim to extend this – a sort of 'healing through story' approach."

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Over the past 40 years, chartered physiotherapist Chris has lectured at universities and hospitals across Europe.

Alongside this, he has written 14 non-fiction books covering everything from sports injuries and acupuncture to back rehabilitation and exercise therapy, with his Sports Injuries textbook now in its 5th edition.

Last year he published his debut novel Fractured Healer, a contemporary story which explores themes of trauma and redemption.

Asked how it was adapting his writing for a younger audience, Chris said: "Practically, pages, sentences and chapters are shorter as is the whole book.

"There are line drawings to keep young readers engaged and the story has to move on quite quickly to maintain interest.

"The book deals with 'life lessons' which are initially taught to Barnie by the Spider, and later Barnie learns through experiences in several situations and with other animals.

"This is to avoid too much 'teaching' which can make children lose interest. There are funny parts and cute parts throughout the novel!"

In Chris' latest novel, Barnie the mouse sets out towards the distant Great Wall in the hope of finding more of his kind and a place he can truly belong.

Guiding him along the way is Solomon, a seven-legged spider who shows him that courage is not the absence of fear, but choosing to act despite it.

Alongside the book, Chris has prepared a worksheet for primary school teachers to use.

He added: "The novel is really on two levels. At face value it is a fun filled fast moving adventure, with lots of heart.

"At a deeper level it introduces themes such as self-belief, empathy, resilience, friendship, and teamwork all of which supports PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) education through an accessible engaging Key Stage 2/3 friendly story."

To find out more and purchase a copy of the book, visit Chris' website here.