The Secret Portal (The Secret Portal Series) [Kindle Edition]

Reno Charlton (Author)

Book Description

Room Thirteen might be the smallest bedroom at Earls Boarding School, but newcomers Jack and Simon soon discover that there's far more to their new room than meets the eye when they discover a hidden portal - a portal which leads to another school in the fifth dimension!

The boys quickly find themselves involved in a variety of wonderful and exciting adventures when they start using the portal and meet some of the other-worldly students who are studying there. They make many new and unusual friends including an inept witch, a student from Venus, two ghosts, a nutty gnome and even an angel.

However, things take an unexpected - and frightening - turn when a ruthless and bloodthirsty vampire from the alternative universe also discovers the portal and threatens to bring terror to the human race. It is left to Jack, Simon and their new friends to find a way of saving the world from the wrath of the vampire, the fearsome Gladstone Gore.

Yet how will they manage...when the invisibility potion is running dry, the apprentice Witch spells disaster by turning friends into mice, and trainee shape shifters just can't seem to master their skills? And on top of all this the two resident bullies at Earls are constantly prowling the corridors!

Reno Charlton casts a spell that will leave you breathless from suspense on one page and from laughter on the next.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Charmingly illustrated throughout, the book is fast moving and full or likeable characters. Children who love Harry Potter and the Witch & the Wardrobe will certainly enjoy reading 'The Secret Portal' - Jennifer Macaire, eBooks Reviews Weekly

Readers who enjoy the magic of the Harry Potter series will discover a new set of unusual friends witn magical abilites and unexpected happenings in THE SECRET PORTAL - Cindy Penn, Senior Editor Wordweaving.com, Amazon Top 50 Reviewer

Like Harry Potter's JK Rowling, the author, Reno Charlton, uses humor as well as imagination to captivate younger readers. I recommend the book to kids of all ages, especially those suffering from Harry Potter withdrawal - Cassie Masek, Scribes World Reviews

From the Publisher

Reno Charlton casts a spell that will leave you breathless from suspense on one page, from laughter on the next. And Sarah Langstone's stunning artwork adds...well...a new dimension.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 323 KB
• Print Length: 179 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1470053918
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007IWDCK8
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #520,644 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Magical October 16, 2003

By Johnny Nys

Format:Paperback

Sometimes I like to read a children's or young adults' book. It reminds me of the times when I trotted over to the local library without a worry on my mind, collecting a total of five books and being able to return them all read the following day. Vacation was a wonderful time for me. Nowadays, with all the busyness of work and everyday life filled with all kinds of responsibilities, it's a relief to be able to pick up some light reading and return to that time when you were young, small and still full of lively imagination.

The Secret Portal is one of those books that make you believe in magic again. The story is simple: several schoolboys discover a portal to another dimension. They make friends with the locals, are confronted with a nemesis and together try to vanquish the forces of evil.

Written in a very easy language, it's still intriguing enough to capture older readers. It's adventure in its purest form. Perspective jumps from the good guys to the bad guys, which might spoil the fun for experienced readers who like to discover the plot by means of little hints, but this technique elevates the humour, which is also waiting at every corner. Small and seemingly unimportant scenes turn out to be key events in the story.

Throughout the book, magic is the most important player. Not only the visible magic involving spells and potions, but also invisible magic. The way people cling to each other and do everything in their power to protect each other. It's a tale about friendship, working together, being unprejudiced against appearances and lineage. I certainly hope readers won't be prejudiced against the simple idea, because there is so much more behind this story worth discovering.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Secret Portal Review June 21, 2012

By Nic from Bookmark Reviews

Format:Paperback

Have you ever wondered if other dimensions existed, where magical creatures such as vampires, angels, and trolls would roam their own world similar to ours? Jack and his three friends discover the truth about the universe, well at least part of it. Jack, the protagonist, arrives at Earls on a Saturday afternoon and discovers that his friend Simon, and himself would share a room much smaller than the rest of the first years. That may be so, but to Jack's surprise a secret portal opens up in the corner of their room one night and that's where their adventure begins!

The novel The Secret Portal was quite enjoyable to read. It would flow from one adventure to the next bringing original conflicts to the table. I enjoyed their time at Earls and how the author explained the typical on goings of a regular school environment, such as the bullying and the schoolwork they had to do. I could relate easily since I am a student myself. Some parts struck me as quite hilarious and I couldn't stop thinking about how funny yet dim-witted their conflicts turned out to be. The description is flawless and everything fits perfectly in your mind. It's almost as if you can see the book play out in your mind like a movie. Sadly the characters are somewhat dull apart from Simon, who whines a lot and Clarissa who always seems to have high spirits. I just couldn't bond as well with the characters as I usually do. The conclusion was a bit slow paced and I hated the fact that our main characters were somewhat powerless against magical creatures. I'd say this is a must get if you or your child likes fantasy. It's a great book for adults or teens too. If you've read fantasy novels when you were young, then let me tell you, you'll fall in love with this one! You can't go wrong with this book; at least I loved it from the start until the end!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars MIDWEST REVIEW: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED October 21, 2002

By A Customer

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Great fun! Very highly recommended

Jack Gray and Simon Bentley quickly become friends when they both arrived at Earls Boarding School a bit late, calling unwanted attention to themselves. They also share the dubious honor of being assigned the smallest room in the boarding school - room 13 had previously been a storage closet, which might explain why no one had ever noticed the room's unusual qualities. Behind the chest of drawers lies a secret portal to another school.

The students in the fifth dimension are bit unusual, as Jack and Simon soon discover. Some live on other planets, are vampires or witches, and some are not even alive! But when a dangerous vampire discovers the open portal, he plans to use it for his own diabolical purposes. Now it is up to Jack, Simon and their new friends to thwart the evil plan.

Readers who enjoy the magic of the Harry Potter series will discover a new set of unusual friends with magical abilities and unexpected happenings in THE SECRET PORTAL. Invisibility potions, shape shifting, and magic spells gone awry do not even begin to describe this fabulous read. Readers will chill the overcoming of bullies, the antics in the classroom, and the humor that binds this unusual cast of characters. In addition, Author Reno Charlton writes with a clear, concise, and light-hearted style that makes for delightful reading. This marvelously entertaining tale will delight young readers and the young at heart. With wonderful illustrations and a fast paced story line certain to entertain, leaving readers hoping there will be many sequels. THE SECRET PORTAL comes very highly recommended.

Cindy Penn
Senior Editor, Amazon top 50 Reviewer
eBook Specialist, Midwest Book Review

More About the Author

Having been brought up on Enid Blyton, my love of children's magic and fantasy was developed at an early age, with my favourite childhood books being The Enchanted Wood series. As I got older, I continued to read my favourite children's books (which I still do) but also became a big fan of horror, particularly works by Stephen King. I believe that both of these legendary authors have helped to influence my writing and shape my career, enabling me to write in two distinct and different genres catering for both imaginative children and older readers who enjoy stories with a twist.

For the past eight years I have been working as a successful freelance copywriter, creating content for a global client base and in a variety of different genres. However, writing fiction for children is something that I love to do - and using words to give children the opportunity to explore new lands and different worlds using their imagination, as I did as a child, is something that I take pride in doing. I also love to create stories for older readers under my pen name of Emily Ho. These are stories that are created to provide thrills and chills, with each tale having a surprise twist at the end. Some are horror and supernatural, others are gritty urban dramas - but all have a dark undertone to them.

In my twenties, I won a short story competition judged by Curtis Brown Literary Agency, which helped me to become even more determined to pursue a career in writing - The Journey Home is now one of the short stories available on Amazon under my pen name of Emily Ho.

In my early thirties, I spent eight weeks on a reality TV show on prime time TV, but the less said about that the better!Since then, I have dedicated my time to creating content for clients, which is how I make my living, and creating books/stories that capture the imagination of kids and older readers, which is my passion!