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Book Reviews
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Charlie Bone and the Wilderness Wolf (Children of the Red King)
Jamie Hogarth28 November 2011
Charlie Bone and the Wilderness Wolf is the sixth book in Jenny Nimmo's brilliant Charlie Bone magic/adventure series.
It is difficult to write reviews of a whole series of books without giving some information that might be spoilers for people who are only just beginning the series. So I would say that unless you have already read Charlie Bone and the Hidden King then you shouldnt read this review just yet!
In Charlie Bone and the Wilderness Wolf Charlie is very pleased to have finally found his missing father. He is also a little sad that his father has almost disappeared again since he and Charlie's mother have gone away together for a second honeymoon. However, there is soon a mystery to keep Charlie occupied as there is a strange howling noise in the forest at night. It sounds like a creature howling in pain. Also someone has been searching through Charlie's house and he doesn't know if they found what they were looking for. One thing Charlie does know though is that there is something very suspicious about Dagbert Endless, a new pupil at Bloor's Academy.
This is quite different from the other Charlie Bone books as it is not really clear who is the bad guy and who is the good guy. It seems that people can easily switch sides and that although some people can be seen as bad they are not actually evil and so will actually end up helping the side of good. In the previous book there wasn't much explanation of why Asa Pike chose to help Charlie and so I was pleased to see that this was explained in Charlie Bone and the Wilderness Wolf.
Even though it is still a great adventure story with plenty of magic, Charlie Bone and the Wilderness Wolf is probably also the saddest book in the series so far and so people might not like it quite so much. However you do need to read it in order to understand and continue with the rest of the series. -
Charlie Bone and the Hidden King (Children of the Red King)
Jamie Hogarth28 November 2011
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. -
Noisy Train Book (Farmyard Tales)
Chris Fryer24 November 2011
My son has loved this book from age 1 until 2 now and still reads it all the time. he loves copying the noises and looking for the duck hidden on each page.
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A Living Nightmare (Cirque Du Freak: Saga of Darren Shan)
caleb cupp 22 November 2011
there is meaning behind the book of friendship and betrayal it has a good storyline but also has meaning
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Nariece solostinstereo.tumblr.com19 November 2011
A great, easy reading book. I like the little hints of magic, and the simplicity of the characters. I also thought the whole concept of the book was really interesting - I also liked the setting. It's nice to read a book like this every so often- and it was one of my favourites this year. This book is great for Philip Reeve fans, and I believe it will please adults and children alike. (Awesome reading for bedtime!!!)I will have to pick up 'The Eyeball Collector' very soon.
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Jon Freeman19 November 2011
Mouseguard Autumn 1152.
This fantasy tale is one of the most exciting, dramatic and beautiful graphic novels I have come across in the last ten years.
I say that as neither an unreservedly enthusiastic fan of the fantasy genre, nor of graphic novels.
For me, fantasy all too often follows the "ho-hum there is this dark lord, and if he gets the *dingus*, all will become not-very-nice. Luckily our farmboy/small person/ragamuffin turn out to be a hero of unlikely but stern stuff and is "the chosen one" (who is taught much by a mentor) and by great fortitude defeats Evil." Many of the works held up as classics of the genre follow this pattern rather too closely and unsurprisingly end up as (most often terribly executed) rewrites of Lord of The Rings. It almost seems that the genre itself bsets an extraordinarily low benchmark that only a few authors bother to rise above.
On the other hand; many Graphic novels seem to rely on the fact they are a visual medium to provide their cool-kudos, (in the way that action movies also do), as if just by being a comic book, they must be cool. Unfortunately many of them are neither good story telling, OR good art. That said, some go far beyond the low average standard, and Mouseguard is one which excels.
Mousegaurd tells a tale of high adventure in which the heroes are mice, heroic mice, the sort of heroic mice who wear cloaks and wield swords or quarterstaffs. This might sound cute, or funny, but Mouseguard is neither. Our heroes have to fight for survival against predators, and enemies from outside and within their own society. The book is complex, rich and rewarding. The main characters are interesting, and diverse, the story is not straightforward, but is full of mystery and reversals of fortune. The full colour artwork is stunning.
What an exceptional piece of sequential narrative art this collection is. It is only the first volume in what one will surely hope, is going to be a long series. -
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors (Children of the Red King)
Jamie Hogarth08 November 2011
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors is the fourth book in Jenny Nimmo's exciting Charlie Bone series.
Charlie Bone had almost grown used to being able to hear people in photographs, but his endowment is now developing so that he is also able to travel into the photographs himself. As if his life at Bloor's Academy wasn't complicated enough, this term Charlie must also cope with terrifying new teacher Tantalus Ebony, as well as the new endowed children who have joined the Academy. Fortunately Charlie's new power will come in handy when he must help his friend Billy Raven, who has been adopted by the O'Gres, child hating couple, and imprisoned in The Passing House.
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors is another excellent book by Jenny Nimmo. Charlie Bone is a great character and it is interesting to see how his powers are developing and how he can fight the Bloors in new ways. Charlie also discovers more clues about the fate of his missing father. Billy Raven needs rescuing again in this book but he does get to use his power of talking to animals and he is actually braver than he has been in the other books so far. It is interesting to see who the new characters are and whether they will join forces with Charlie or with the evil Bloors. -
Charlie Bone and the Blue Boa (Children of the Red King)
Jamie Hogarth06 November 2011
Charlie Bone and the Blue Boa is the third book in Jenny Nimmo's Charlie Bone series.
There is a rumour going round that a ghost is living in the attic of Bloor Academy. Charlie and his friends decide to investigate when they are stuck in the Academy one weekend due to detention. They discover that there is no ghost but there is an invisible boy. The boy had irritated the Bloors and they had then used him in an experiment to find out whether the mythical Blue Boa could actually turn people invisible. Charlie decides that he must help the invisible boy and also the Blue Boa.
The blue boa actually turns out to be a really interesting character here. It was originally the protector of the Red King since people were frightened of it even though the snake was actually very friendly with its master and other friends. One day the Red King's son Borlath caught the Blue Boa and tortured it until it became a dangerous killing machine. But that is not the end of the story as Charlie takes pity on the Blue Boa and tries to help it at the same time as he is trying to stop Olly from being invisible. -
Charlie Bone and the Time Twister (Children of the Red King)
Jamie Hogarth06 November 2011
Charlie Bone and the Time Twister is the second book in Jenny Nimmo's Charlie Bone series.
The Time Twister is a shiny blue marble transports anyone who looks closely at it somewhere into the future. Charlie's great-great-uncle Henry Yewbeam was tricked into looking at the marble by evil Ezekiel Bloor and so Henry vanished from his own time and suddenly (for him anyway) appeared in Charlie's time. Charlie must then keep Henry safe from the Bloors while he tries to find a way to send him back through time.
Charlie Bone and the Time Twister is another exciting Charlie Bone adventure. This is a brilliant adventure with lots of cliffhangers. The idea of a marble that causes time travel is great and it's also great to see Charlie finally stand up to his awful Yewbeam aunts. -
Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd
Kevin Dicker03 November 2011
This is an invaluable resource not only for costume designers but also for historical record. Lavishly illustrated it has to be the most complete documentation of Queen Elizabeth's clothes and fashion. Don't hesitate if you are interested in the Elizabethan period, it is fascinating.
