Charlie Bone Series

8 Titles: Midnight; Time Twister; Invisible Boy; Castle of Mirrors; Hidden King; Beast; Shadow; Red Knight

Author: Jenny Nimmo

Rating: Not Recommended

(no stars out of 3 possible, "D/F")

Audience: Third graders and up

I can't find anything to recommend in this series. I usually read more than one of a series to get as balanced a view as possible, but after 400 pages of Charlie Bone and the Time Twister (#2) I can't imagine reading another 400 pages. From this experience, the series appears to be Scholastic's dumbed-down version of Harry Potter: a boy with magical abilities (Charlie Bone) stuck in a private academy and surrounded by numerous friends and foes.

There is the lengthy list of assorted characters with odd names, few of which become major players in storyline. Then there is the weak, random plot centered around a time travel bauble, the Time Twister. There are no real puzzles to solve, no real vocabulary/literary challenges, and no apparent logical solutions to get readers from point A to point B.

What I mean by this is that too many series employ magical solutions to advance and shortcut their storylines. Apparently, there is no problem, puzzle or crisis that can't be solved by a random act of magic, and this eliminates any necessary suspense, anticipation, or critical thinking for the reader. Further, the reader loses faith in the writer and characters, knowing that any conflicts encountered will not be resolved using personal character traits or wisdom or real teamwork. By extrapolation, what hope could we gain to resolve conflict in our own lives? Perhaps these books could be read for mindless entertainment, but readers could never apply in their own lives any lessons learned or modeled by the characters in the book.

One day we must have that necessary discussion of "how much magic" and "what type of magic" is appropriate in quality literature. I'm certainly not opposed to imagination or "magical" characters. What I oppose is pure magic for the sake of magic, as well as magic alone driving the entire plot line. That is not creative writing; that is drivel.

I also avoid overt witchcraft and sorcery. And any time characters re-visit the dead or employ spirit-guides I become wary. When Charlie is rescued from danger in this second book he says "It was your hands....You saved me." "Not me," said Lysander. "I had to call on my spirit ancestors." How convenient. Not to mention occult.

We need to direct our children toward purity and light. Yes, good will battle evil, but good should not employ evil's tactics.

For those reasons, it is rare for me to recommend Harry Potter. But compared to this series, families would be better off reading and discussing Harry Potter out loud than allowing their kids to bother with Charlie Bone at all!