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Midnight for Charlie Bone (The Children of the Red King, Book 1)
 
 
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Midnight for Charlie Bone (The Children of the Red King, Book 1) (Hardcover)

by Jenny Nimmo (Author) "On a Thursday afternoon, just after tea, Charlie Bone saw smoke..." (more)
Key Phrases: xylophone case, music tower, orange envelope, Grandma Bone, Runner Bean, Uncle Paton (more...)
4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (195 customer reviews)
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Frequently Bought Together

Midnight for Charlie Bone (The Children of the Red King, Book 1) + Charlie Bone and the Time Twister (The Children of the Red King, Book 2) + Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy (The Children of the Red King, Book 3)
Price For All Three: $30.54

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-When he is 10 years old, Charlie discovers that he is able to look at photographs and hear conversations and even thoughts that were taking place at the time the photo was taken, a legacy of his ancestor the Red King, whose descendants all have different magical abilities. Charlie hears one conversation that sets him on a search for a girl who has been missing for years, and when he begins attending Bloor's Academy, an elite boarding school for the rich and the endowed (as the Red King's descendants are called), his life becomes full of intrigue and danger. Charlie, his friend Benjamin, and other allies try to unlock the secrets of a mysterious case that could get the girl back, while the sinister Bloors and Charlie's ghastly relatives who are endowed try to thwart them. While the parallels with Harry Potter are obvious, this fantasy has its own charms, chief among them being the endoweds' often-odd magical abilities. The writing is deft, most of the characters are intriguing, and Charlie Bone is an appealing boy. The story is marred by some predictability, and the role of the endowed in this otherwise contemporary, unmagical society is not clear. Many aspects of the book are not fully thought out, making it less compelling than it might be. However, this is the first of a projected series, so it will be interesting to see if some of these vague points are resolved. A flawed but worthwhile offering for avid fantasy fans.
Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-6. These days stories about schools for budding magicians are inevitably compared to the Harry Potter books. Indeed, British author Nimmo's creation, Bloor's Academy "for gifted children," bears some resemblance to Hogwart's School, but the story itself is quite different. Seemingly ordinary Charlie Bone suddenly discovers that he can hear the thoughts of people in photographs, a talent that dour Grandma Bone and her three baleful sisters work to bend to their own ends by sending him to Bloor's and to its sinister headmaster. It's not an easy year for Charlie despite the friends he makes. Too many people have it in for him as he's swept into an age-old battle being waged by descendants of a powerful king of long ago. A mysterious box, a missing girl, a strange man who flits in and out in the company of three brightly colored cats, and various villains all figure into Charlie's exciting, fast-paced adventure tale, which happily is the first book in planned quintet called Children of the Red King. Harry Potter's myriad fans will be well pleased. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Orchard (March 1, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0439474299
  • ISBN-13: 978-0439474290
  • Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (195 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #15,890 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #3 in  Books > Children's Books > Series > Fantasy & Adventure > Charlie Bone
    #3 in  Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( N ) > Nimmo, Jenny

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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
On a Thursday afternoon, just after tea, Charlie Bone saw smoke. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
xylophone case, music tower, orange envelope
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Grandma Bone, Runner Bean, Uncle Paton, Miss Ingledew, Bloor's Academy, Aunt Eustacia, Aunt Venetia, Billy Raven, Aunt Lucretia, Emma Tolly, Emilia Moon, Gunn House, Gabriel Silk, Filbert Street, Manfred Bloor, Julia Ingledew, Olivia Vertigo, Amy Bone, Miss Chrystal, Asa Pike, Miss Yewbeam, Tolly Twelve Bells, Paton Yewbeam, Fidelio Gunn, Charles Bone
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Midnight for Charlie Bone (The Children of the Red King, Book 1)
86% buy the item featured on this page:
Midnight for Charlie Bone (The Children of the Red King, Book 1) 4.0 out of 5 stars (195)
$10.18
Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy (The Children of the Red King, Book 3)
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Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy (The Children of the Red King, Book 3) 4.6 out of 5 stars (61)
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Charlie Bone and the Time Twister (The Children of the Red King, Book 2)
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Charlie Bone and the Time Twister (The Children of the Red King, Book 2) 4.3 out of 5 stars (67)
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Customer Reviews

195 Reviews
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 (50)
3 star:
 (18)
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 (19)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (195 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Magical Book, February 8, 2005
Midnight for Charlie Bone is a great read. I enjoyed reading about the school for musical geniuses, The Bloor Academy, and it is interesting that only a few of the students are "endowed" with some sort of magical powers--the rest of the students are just geniuses in the area of art or music.

Charlie Bone's family is dysunctional, yet stuck on who deserves to be endowed and who does not. They do not see their own faults, which always makes for an interesting situation.

Of course there are similarities to Harry Potter, but I was intrigued with this book for different reasons. Harry Potter is similar to many books before it too, but Potter just happened to hit the popularity jackpot.

Midnight for Charlie Bone stands out on its own, and is a very worthy read. Sometimes I think readers forget that we are all critics, but it is okay to enjoy what you are reading, even if it is a kids' book. I don't think there is an age limit for good literature, and what makes a book good is the desire for a reader to want to finish what is being read because the book presents elements of intrigue that keep that book in your hands up until completion.

Charlie Bone has the potential to be a great series. The first in the series is excellent and the background story of "The Children of The Red King" can add more surprises as the series continues.

The coolest part is that all "endowed" children have powers, but they aren't taught spells and the like, they just have to discover what their powers are. The vast array of already presented characters and their very different powers sets this book apart from the Potter series and in my next review I will not even mention Mr. Potter.

This is a wonderful book.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Fairly good, May 13, 2003
Budding-wizard-goes-to-school books are becoming increasingly common now that the initial buzz over the Harry Potter series has passed. But more of these are good than you'd think. "Midnight for Charlie Bone," while not the best, is certainly entertaining.

Charlie Bone and his widowed mother live more or less under the thumbs of his horrible grandmother -- until the day he starts hearing photographs speaking. His horrible great-aunts are elated. It turns out that Charlie is one of the "children of the Red King," and so has a specific magical talent. Because his mother was not magical and his father was, they weren't sure if he would be, and now they know.

Though Charlie doesn't want to go, he is quickly enrolled in Bloor's Academy for gifted children. A man with three unusually intelligent cats is lurking around the place, his uncle Paton is stirred from his lethargy, and Charlie begins to learn about a missing child from many years before. A child that, for some reason, someone doesn't want him to find...

Jenny Nimmo's book isn't outstanding, but it is quite nice. While the ending wraps up this particular story, it's clear that there are sequels in mind. With a combination of ordinary and "endowed" people, and a sprinkling of unique talents (one boy can sense the previous owners of clothing), this can stand on its own with no comparisons to Harry Potter. This one is a little darker, a little weirder.

The concept of the Red King is an interesting one, especially the slightly dark tone of the good and bad "endowed" people's responses to one another. The particular quirks, like the intelligent cats, the flashbacks, and the material about Charlie's may-not-be-dead father are also quite good. Her writing style is a little too spare, not giving much detail, and the handling of the "endowed" school is rather unassuming.

Charlie himself is a likable character, as is his timid pal Benjamin. The sinister grandmother and great-aunts aren't quite as well-fleshed out, and his schoolmates have potential but aren't quite there yet. (I guess we'll have to wait for the sequels) Uncle Paton is one of the standouts, a moody and introverted guy who causes lightbulbs and windows to explode.

"Midnight for Charlie Bone" isn't quite as good as the Magickers or Chrestomanci series, but it is a solid read that kids may enjoy. Not bad at all.

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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is so much fun..., August 27, 2004
The mysterious powers of the legendary Red King have been passed down through his descendants. No one has been born with all of the Red King's powers; however, one or two of the powers (A.K.A. "gifts" and "endowments") turn up unexpectedly in someone who has no idea where they came from. Some of the people who receive a gift use it for good, some for evil. When a child is found who shows signs of having a power, they are sent to attend the Bloor's Academy.

Charlie Bone was a normal ten-year-old boy. His father has been dead most of his life, or so he and his mother thought. Living with them are both his grandmothers and Uncle Paton. Grandma Bone is snobby and loves to remind everyone that before she married Mr. Bone, she had been a Yewbeam. The Yewbeams were an ancient family, their history littered with artistic people who had more unusual talents. Charlie's family tolerates her only because the Bone family is so poor and Grandma Bone purchased everything for them, including the house. But Grandma Bone stayed close because Charlie's father had been one of those with powerful magic. Even though Charlie never showed signs of having a gift, it did not mean that one would not show up later. This is exactly what happened.

One morning Charlie looked at a photograph and could hear the thoughts of the people in it! Charlie is horrified, but Grandma Bone and his terrible aunts are delighted. This meant Charlie had to attend the Bloor's Academy during the week and only spend the weekends and holidays at home! Once there, Charlie makes a few friends and learns that some of his classmates have equally mysterious powers.

With his new talent, Charlie learns of a baby that had been adopted by mean people. The biological aunt had been searching for the baby girl for years. When Charlie and his friends find out that the girl is someone at the academy, the search is on! But the girl has no idea of her past, so the small team must figure out which student it is, how to bring back her memory, and help her escape her cruel guardians who want to use her powers for evil.

***** Think of this book as a type of Harry Potter for the younger kids. The book is broken down into titled chapters, a chapter book. The students do not learn spells and magic. They learn the same thing normal school kids are taught, but also how to hone their special talent(s). As in real life, good verses evil. Charlie and his friends have to decide what the right thing to do is, and then how to go about doing it, without the bad guys finding out and stopping them.

This seems to be the first of a series. The author, Jenny Nimmo, has written this book so that the story can stand alone, however, the reader is left with a few questions that may be addressed in future adventures with Charlie and his friends. I found this tale to be well written, with very good morals, and extremely entertaining. Highly recommended reading! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars love this series
I bought this series for my nephew, I read before I gave it to him, to make sure it was OK. I ended up drawn into the books so much that I purchased another set of this series... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Brandon K. Davis

5.0 out of 5 stars My book review of Midnight for Charlie Bone
This is a great book for people that like suspense and mystery. It is about a young boy named "Charlie Bone" who is one of the descendants of the Red King. Read more
Published 4 months ago

4.0 out of 5 stars Mysterious gifts and a boarding school.
Review by Jill Williamson

Charlie bone had a special picture blown up for his best friend's birthday present. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Jill Williamson

1.0 out of 5 stars I kept thinking it would get better...
But it didn't. I even read the next 2 in the series, hoping things would look up. All in vain. The characters were flat, the plot was uninteresting, and Charlie was one of the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Caro the Bibliophiliac

5.0 out of 5 stars You're In for Charlie Bone!
Midnight For Charlie Bone is full of fantasy and wonder! Charlie Bone finds out he can hear people talking in photographs. Read more
Published 8 months ago

1.0 out of 5 stars Harry Potter Facsimile
I truly, truly believe that this series was an 1000 times worse copy of Harry Potter. I was reading and I kept thinking, "I know this plot. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Melanie Pickle

5.0 out of 5 stars got here quickly
this product was mailed to me quickly and I'm very happy with the service I recieved
Published 14 months ago by D. C. Wendell

2.0 out of 5 stars Not a horrible book; just not a very good one
(I read the first 3 Charlie Bone books, so this review is probably more of an indictment of the entire series in general rather than any one book in particular. Read more
Published 16 months ago by scaramouche

3.0 out of 5 stars Familiar Territory, That Charms Without Much Depth.
I don't think I'd recommend this as a substitute or alternative to the Harry Potter books, but instead as a primer for some younger teens who aren't quite ready for Potter's... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Brett Benner

3.0 out of 5 stars No conflicts in book.
This book has a good storyline but the book does not have any action. When that action does come, it is over in like a page. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Mr. Jason R. Gauthier

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