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Midnight for Charlie Bone  By  cover art

Midnight for Charlie Bone

By: Jenny Nimmo
Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale
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Publisher's summary

Charlie doesn't want to believe it when he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking. But his horrible aunts are delighted: it means that he is one of the chosen and must attend Bloor's Academy for gifted children. Once there, Charlie realizes that some of his classmates have equally mysterious powers, and soon Charlie is involved in uncovering the mysterious past of one of them.
©2002 Jenny Nimmo (P)2003 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, An Imprint Of Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"The writing is deft, most of the characters are intriguing, and Charlie Bone is an appealing boy." (School Library Journal)
"[An] exciting, fast-paced adventure tale...Harry Potter's myriad fans will be well pleased." (Booklist)

What listeners say about Midnight for Charlie Bone

Average customer ratings
Overall
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Adults Take on Charlie Bone

I read a lot of this genre, having a seven year old son who loves mystical, fantastical tales (Harry Potter, Dragon Rider, Eragorn) and I have to say that I enjoyed book better then most. It has the right amount of suspense and magic for the age group but also has one thing that I am partial to; hope.

I have been yearning to find a children's novel of this calibre that provides it's readers with something to look forward to in the next book, not dark forbodings but enthusiastic hope for the future.

Charlie also has the support of a family unit which also seems to be missing from other books. This helps my son associate with the character in a more substantial way.

All in all one of the best finds on Audible, the narration is superb and easily followed by children.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The Children of the Red King #1

I hope that audible takes a notion to tell us the order of these books, and to link them together. Just so you know, this is book #1 and a great begining to this authorverse.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

if you get tired of waiting for HP...

This story of a boy coming into his magical powers, surrounded by mostly unsupportive or mean family members, and being sent off to a special school to learn to use his magic may remind you of another young wizarding book. This is not as vivid or engaging as that, but until you can get HP on Audible I think this is worth a listen. My ten year old enjoyed it, and I was engaged in it too. We would read more in the series!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Does this series get better?

I couldn't help but notice the Harry Potter similarities, but maybe it's unavoidable to write a story about a child with magical powers that doesnt' center on the school where he goes (although Fablehaven managed to do it.) I thought it had some really interesting ideas, but I thought there were too many characters and they were never really well developped. All in all I felt like it was lacking depth and I wonder if the rest of the series does a better job taking the characters in this book and going deeper with them.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

harry potter reinvented

This is a very fun listen for both kids and adults, and I can't wait for Audible to get the next books! However, while these books are indeed somewhat like Harry Potter in spirit, don't expect them to be exactly like Harry Potter - the plot here is a little slower, while the writing and characters are more complex. So in some ways, they are more enjoyable, while in other ways, they are a bit less of a "page turner" :). All in all, if you liked Harry, you are likely to very much enjoy this book.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

i love it!

This book is full of fascination and mystery. Everytime i stop reading i just can't wait to continue. Midnight for Charlie Bone is really a Cliffhangar at the end. All my friends who have read it think it's also rated 5 stars!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

It was fascinating!

I really loved this story. It was fast passed and fascinating. I liked that author's imagination and reader was very good. I can't wait to introduce my neices and nephews to Charlie Bone!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Charlie inherits psychic abilities...

Midnight for Charlie Bone is the first book in the Children of the Red King series.
This series is meant for very young readers, ages around 7 to 9 are probably best. The main story is about Charlie, a 10 year old boy who lives with his mom and grandma. When Charlie inherits the family gift (psychic abilities), Charlie is sent off to a Hogwarts-like school for training. This school is called Bloors, all very English as the author is from Wales. At Bloor's, Charlie is thrust into the neverendling battle of good vs evil. He meets new friends and faces new foes. For this type of story done much better for all ages, try Arianna Kelt and the Wizards of Skyhall.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

midnight for charlie bone

The narrator is great. The book was an easy listen. Very descripitve, it was like I was watching it play out. Never dull and easy to follow, can't wait for the next one.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

If you're a Harry Potter fan....

I was a big fan of the Harry Potter series and I had read other reviews suggesting that it was similar, so I gave it a try. My husband and I both listened to this book and enjoyed it. I don't think this was strictly intended for children. I really enjoyed it and plan to listen tot he next book in the series.

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2 people found this helpful