Midnight for Charlie Bone

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Summary: Charlie Doesn't Want to Believe It...
Review: Charlie's aunts had given up all hope that he would show signs of having some of the mysterious and magical powers of the Red King, which are passed down through his descendants. Some of the gifts are evil and some are good. Some of them turn up unexpectedly...as in the case of Charlie Bone. After years of living life as a normal little boy, he begins to hear people talking in photographs. His horrible aunts are delighted to discover that he takes after their side of the family. They immediately enroll him in the gloomy Bloor's Academy for gifted children, forcing Charlie to leave his best friend behind. Still, Charlie tries to make the best of it and is able to make some new friends at his academy. But Charlie quickly becomes embroiled in the search for a stolen baby whom no one wants him to find. As Charlie struggles to master his magical gifts and to fit in with his fellow classmates, he begins to uncover old clues to more than one mystery...

Midnight for Charlie Bone was an absolutely delightful children's book following in the wake of Harry Potter's popularity. I am not saying that it is a Harry Potter copycat, no indeed. The plot is quite fresh and original and Charlie was a great character. Jenny Nimmo did such a wonderful job at capturing how a little boy thinks and it was really fun to see how Charlie felt about everything that was going on and how he puzzled through old clues. All of the characters were well developed and the plot was intriguing. If you are looking for a book that you will love almost as much as Harry Potter then this is the book for you! (If you don't want to pay extra for the library binding, look for it at your local school's book fair in paperback.)

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Summary: Similiar to Harry Potter, but more of a mystery....
Review: This book is definitely like Harry Potter in a lot of ways -- Charlie Bones discovers he has secret powers, so he is sent to a special school for "gifted" children. He befriends a girl, Olivia, and an Albino boy, Billy, and they wind up in places they shouldn't be. There are other similiarities too. But this book is totally good enough to stand on it's own. It's more of a mystery, where as the Harry Potter books are more fantasy. I wish the author would have gone in to more details, especially when describing the different characters, but over all I rate this book highly. It's perfect for any one waiting for the next Harry Potter to come out!

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Summary: Not the same as Harry Potter
Review: Most of the reviews on this site hinted that Midnight For Charlie Bone was just like Harry Potter. The truth is, Midnight For Charlie Bone has almost nothing in common with Harry Potter. Granted, he does go to a strange school, but even Bloor's Academy (Charlie's school) was totally different than Hogwarts. The characters and plotline are totally different. Oh, and JK Rowling did not make up the word PREFECTS. Look it up in a dictionary!

But which one would I prefer over the other?

Charlie Bone, without a doubt. Now, don't get me wrong, I like the Harry Potter books. I used to be crazy about them. But after a few years, the books have seemed to lose their appeal to me.
Midnight For Charlie Bone is a lot more lighthearted and fresh. For me, Harry Potter seems a bit too serious, even when they were joking in the books. Charlie Bone has a more appealing atmosphere to me that makes me want to read it again and again.
One of the things that I like about this book is that it's different than what you would normally read. Jenny Nimmo really wrote the book in a different perspective, which is something I really like.
Some people might say that she doesn't describe things enough, which I think is a bit unfair to her. I think that she wrote it that way in order for her to move on to other things quickly, without have to draw out and overexpose things (which I often found JK Rowling doing in her books).
What I also like is how flexible the storyline is in Midnight For Charlie Bone. In Harry Potter, since Harry was boarded up at Hogwarts for the whole year, the school was nearly always the setting for the stories. In Charlie Bone, since Charlie can come home on the weekends, we find the main character in a variety of places, which I never get tired of.
So, overall, Charlie Bone is a very exciting and mysterious book. Now, this book may not be for everyone, but what book is? For those of you who want to read something different and intriguing, than be sure to check out Midnight For Charlie Bone!

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Summary: AWSOME BOOK
Review: I read this book because one of my friends reccommended it to me. If you like Harry Potter, then you will LOVE this book. This AWSOME novel starts out with Charlie living a normal life. One day he looks at a photo and hears voices. His Grandma Bone decides to send him to Bloors Academy. There he finds out awful secrets. THIS BOOK KEPT ME READING AND ON THE EDGE OF MY CHAIR. READ IT!

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Summary: This is a great book!!
Review: I love HP, but I needed something to read while I waited for the next one to come out. This book is awesome! (and just as good as Harry Potter) I couldn't put it down. Many people say that it's a copy of HP, and there are some... similarities, but I'd say it goes in a different direction, especially in the magical sense. If you liked Harry Potter, you'd definitely like this book. Charlie Bone lives with his 2 grandmothers (one evil and one nice), his strange great uncle, and his mother. His father mysteriously died many years ago. Very weird talents run in his family, and he knows what people in pictures are thinking. When his evil grandmother finds out, she sends him to a strange new school with some very excentric characters.

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Summary: Review for Midnight for Charlie Bone
Review: If you love the Harry Potter series and are waiting for the next book you should try the exciting and mischevious book Midnight for Charlie Bone which is very much similar to Harry Potter but just not as long.This thrilling book starts out with the main character Charlie who has a normal life until he starts hearing strange vioces and then soon relizes that they are coming out of a picture.Once charlie figures out that he ha s a special talent his mean Grandma Bone sends him to a strange school called Bloors Acdemy a school for children with weird talents.What this will charlie find out from this school?Why is his Grandma Bone always asking where he is going? You will have to read to find out!

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Summary: enjoyable but....
Review: To start off, I definitely liked it. I purchased this book as a gift for my 9 year old son who was sucked into the whole HP mania and loves to read. I read it after he did and really wasn't disappointed. Yeah there are similarities to the HP books, but honestly who cares? The story stands on its own and I'm looking forward to reading the second book.

The one major flaw I think I had a problem with in the book is when Charlie finds out that his father is still alive. It seemed a little unbelievable to me that he would continue to search for the missing girl and not go after his father. I'm sure Nimmo had to save something for the future books, but come on. That seemed a little ludicrous to me.

Other than that I liked it and I definitely liked Uncle Paton. Would highly recommend this as a gift for any young adult reader who has even a remote interest in the Harry Potter books or who is just looking for a good book to read. And all you grown ups out there might like it too.

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Summary: Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
Review: Midnight for Charlie Bone is an exciting, magical adventure, similar to Harry Potter but not as long.

The book starts when the main character Charlie Bone hears voices and he soon learns these voices are coming from a photo which he mistakenly picked up in a switch up with a picture of his best friend's dog, Bean. In the picture the voices tell of a baby girl who was traded for a long silver case. Soon after his unique talent is discovered, his mean Grandma Bone sends him to a weird school called Bloors Academy. Bloors Academy is a school for very smart kids and those who are endowed with the red kings gifts who are his descendents. Charlie soon discoveres he is a descendent to the Red King and that is why he can hear pictures. The descendent of the Red King part comes from his father who is thought to be dead, but Charlie soon discoveres that may not be the whole truth, and his aunts try to see to it that Charlie will never see the whole truth.

This book is exciting and perfect if you enjoyed Harry Potter. But if you are looking for an exciting adventure to unfold before your eyes, this book may disapoint you. The book is very well written but lacks a closure so it makes you want to continue the adventure and read the second book.

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Summary: The best book in the world
Review: I think the book is great especially because of the sense of adventure she puts in this one and the rest of the series (I've read them all).
I believe in my motto which is "If there's adventure then there's a book", and let me tell you there sure is adventure in those books.
I think that the book is awsome especially the way she keeps changing from one person's part to another. It makes you fell that you half to keep reading so you can get back to your favorite person.
I thought the books were so good I decided to read them all again which is what I am doing this weekend.
I relly hope she comes out with a fourth one because I need to know what else is going to happen in his life.
I thought the third was pretty good with Emma finding out about her brother.
If I could choose any author to spend a day with it wold have to be Jenny.
Like I said before, my motto is "If there's Adventure there's a book."

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Summary: This is no Harry Potter
Review: I'm surprised at the high ratings this book has received from other reviewers. I thought it was a sad imitation of Harry Potter and I only got finished it because I try to finish every book I start. I didn't mind the lack of originality so much as the lack of a coherent plot. I honestly couldn't follow what happens in some of the chapters--and I don't care enough to go back and try to figure it out. I will not be reading the sequel or recommending it to my students. I am a middle school English teacher and enjoy reading Young Adult fiction.