Charlie Bone and the Hidden King (Children of the Red King) Book

Charlie Bone and the Hidden King is the fifth book in Jenny Nimmo's excellent Charlie Bone series.

In this adventure Charlie Bone wakes up one morning to discover that the city is covered in snow and that all of the animals have disappeared during the night. Fortunately for Charlie, Blessed the dog did not run away like the rest of the animals and so tells him (via Billy Raven) that there was a terrible shudder in the earth during the night and that there was a witch with two shadows walking the corridors of Bloor's Academy. That is not the only shadow problem that Charlie must face since he also notices that the shadow that normally blocks the Red King's portrait from him has moved. Perhaps a new friend who advises Charlie to follow the animals can help him unravel the mystery.

These Charlie Bone adventures are one of my favourite book series. I love all of the magic and imagination that Jenny Nimmo has put into the story. There are lots of twists and turns that Charlie must unravel as he searches for the mysterious shadow and there are a number of surprises hidden in the story. Also, since this book features lots of snow and cold I think it makes a good book to read at Christmas.