Charlie Bone and the Time Twister

Charlie Bone returns for his second term at Bloor's Academy, a school for children with magical endowments. A mysterious boy appears in the school grounds, seemingly displaced from the past and pursued by sinister forces. Charlie must balance his regular schoolwork with both mastering his own supernatural abilities and helping the time-traveling boy. The halls of Bloor's Academy hold many secrets, and Charlie works with his gifted friends to uncover the truth while avoiding detection from those who would stop them. Through the mystery and magic, this story explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and the rippling consequences of choices made in both past and present. The connections between family histories and destiny create a foundation for Charlie's evolving understanding of his place in both the ordinary and extraordinary worlds.

Readers describe this as a faster-paced book compared to the first in the series, with more action and character development. Many note it works well as a standalone story while building on the established world. Liked: - The introduction of Henry Yewbeam adds historical depth - More focus on Charlie's special abilities - Clearer explanations of how the endowments work - Strong friendship themes Disliked: - Some found the time travel elements confusing - Less involvement of secondary characters - Plot resolution felt rushed to some readers - Several noted it's too similar to Harry Potter Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (22,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (200+ reviews) Common Sense Media: 4/5 Reader quote: "The historical elements and time travel mystery kept my kids engaged more than the first book" - Amazon reviewer "Good middle-grade fantasy but lacks the depth of other series in the genre" - Goodreads reviewer

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🕰️ The book is part of the "Children of the Red King" series, which draws inspiration from Welsh and Celtic mythology, reflecting author Jenny Nimmo's Welsh heritage. 📚 Jenny Nimmo wrote the first draft of Charlie Bone while recovering from a serious illness, finding that writing helped her through her recovery process. 🎨 The character Charlie Bone is "endowed" with the ability to hear people speaking in photographs, which was inspired by Nimmo's fascination with old Victorian photographs. ⚡ The Time Twister in the story shares similarities with other famous time travel devices in children's literature, but uniquely focuses on bringing people forward in time rather than traveling backward. 🏰 The setting, Bloor's Academy, was partly inspired by Christ College in Brecon, Wales, where Nimmo's children attended school.