What do you think?
Rate this book
The Children of the Red King #2
Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
Time is running out for Charlie Bone . . .
Charlies hopes that the new term at Bloor's Academy will hold no nasty surprises. But then Henry Yewbeam appears, twisted through time from the icy winter of 1916.
With the scheming Yewbeam aunts on the prowl, and the Bloors out to catch him, Henry will need Charlie's help just to stay alive. Bloor's Academy can be a very dangerous place . . .
Book Two in The Children of the Red King series!
Charlies hopes that the new term at Bloor's Academy will hold no nasty surprises. But then Henry Yewbeam appears, twisted through time from the icy winter of 1916.
With the scheming Yewbeam aunts on the prowl, and the Bloors out to catch him, Henry will need Charlie's help just to stay alive. Bloor's Academy can be a very dangerous place . . .
Book Two in The Children of the Red King series!
Audio Cassette
First published April 1, 2003
About the author
Jenny Nimmo
151 books942 followersJenny Nimmo was born in Windsor, Berkshire, England and educated at boarding schools in Kent and Surrey from the age of six until the age of sixteen, when she ran away from school to become a drama student/assistant stage manager with Theater South East. She graduated and acted in repertory theater in various towns and cities: Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, Hastings, and Bexhill.
She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.
She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 697 reviews
May 31, 2015
As I've said, I *really* want to like this series. I love spec-fic set in a boarding school. But this one....this one had some major issues I struggled to forgive. My biggest beef is how absurd the character's reactions are to practically anything.
Oh, there's a
A beautiful little girl is
Charlie's uncle is made deathly ill by his evil grandmother, and their solution is to just let him lie in his room IN THE SAME HOUSE AS THE WOMAN WHO TRIED TO KILL HIM and hope he gets better?!?
The girlfriend of Charlie's uncle is scared away by one mean thing the grandmother says, never thinking to investigate the strange going-ons, never thinking to sneak past the grandma to check on things?
Charlie's own mother just puts up with the constant danger Charlie is in because she lets people who HATE HIM and want to CONTROL HIM or KILL HIM come in and out of the house as they please?!?
There's so much more. Teachers disappear. Kids disappear. Kids are attacked, bitten, tied up, and threatened at school yet never once do they call the police and never once do they refuse to go back to the school, NEVER MIND THEY ARE FREE TO LEAVE EVERY WEEKEND.
I smiled at a fair amount of dialogue and laughed a few times. It really is a cute concept. But the characterization and reaction of the characters make the whole thing feel like an absurdist farce rather than immersion into another world. Disappointing.
Oh, there's a
A beautiful little girl is
Charlie's uncle is made deathly ill by his evil grandmother, and their solution is to just let him lie in his room IN THE SAME HOUSE AS THE WOMAN WHO TRIED TO KILL HIM and hope he gets better?!?
The girlfriend of Charlie's uncle is scared away by one mean thing the grandmother says, never thinking to investigate the strange going-ons, never thinking to sneak past the grandma to check on things?
Charlie's own mother just puts up with the constant danger Charlie is in because she lets people who HATE HIM and want to CONTROL HIM or KILL HIM come in and out of the house as they please?!?
There's so much more. Teachers disappear. Kids disappear. Kids are attacked, bitten, tied up, and threatened at school yet never once do they call the police and never once do they refuse to go back to the school, NEVER MIND THEY ARE FREE TO LEAVE EVERY WEEKEND.
I smiled at a fair amount of dialogue and laughed a few times. It really is a cute concept. But the characterization and reaction of the characters make the whole thing feel like an absurdist farce rather than immersion into another world. Disappointing.
April 22, 2008
Good book. Unfortunately, not as good as the first book. It did
have a "very nice personal moment" with the strange piano teacher Mr.Pilgim, that I really enjoyed .
have a "very nice personal moment" with the strange piano teacher Mr.Pilgim, that I really enjoyed .
October 1, 2021
This one was not at all as good or exciting as the first one. It was kind of hard to get through. It didn't help that I had to read this on Kindle and not physically like the first one. I remember liking this one a lot more.
June 6, 2021
“Dad will come back', said Charlie quietly.
When Mrs Bone turned to him. She didn't look sad at all, in fact she was smiling.
'You know, Charlie, I'm beginning to believe you', she said. 'After what happened to Henry, I can believe almost anything.“
This one is book two of the Charlie Bone series and definitely one of the best!
A new term is starting at Bloor's Academy and Charlie just wishes to stay out of trouble, but when Henry, a boy twisted through time, appears, he can't help but getting involved to help his long-lost relative fight against the evil Bloor family, that want Henry gone and the time twister in their hands.
Ah, this is just such a feel good novel for me! I loved to read this series as a kid, and it's still one of my comfort reads. Nothing is better for the soul than rereading a middle grade childhood favorite, I swear.
While the nostalgia hit pretty hard, I could still see myself loving it, if I had never read it before. It has really great characters, and intriguing story and is surprisingly deep for a kids book.
I've seen a few reviews comparing it to Harry Potter, but I can't really see that. Yeah, both are book about magical boarding school, but that's about it. Both are great in their own way.
I would totally recommend this book, if you are looking for a quick, fun read that will guarantee you a good time. This book truly is magical, for pulling me out of yet another reading slump!
When Mrs Bone turned to him. She didn't look sad at all, in fact she was smiling.
'You know, Charlie, I'm beginning to believe you', she said. 'After what happened to Henry, I can believe almost anything.“
This one is book two of the Charlie Bone series and definitely one of the best!
A new term is starting at Bloor's Academy and Charlie just wishes to stay out of trouble, but when Henry, a boy twisted through time, appears, he can't help but getting involved to help his long-lost relative fight against the evil Bloor family, that want Henry gone and the time twister in their hands.
Ah, this is just such a feel good novel for me! I loved to read this series as a kid, and it's still one of my comfort reads. Nothing is better for the soul than rereading a middle grade childhood favorite, I swear.
While the nostalgia hit pretty hard, I could still see myself loving it, if I had never read it before. It has really great characters, and intriguing story and is surprisingly deep for a kids book.
I've seen a few reviews comparing it to Harry Potter, but I can't really see that. Yeah, both are book about magical boarding school, but that's about it. Both are great in their own way.
I would totally recommend this book, if you are looking for a quick, fun read that will guarantee you a good time. This book truly is magical, for pulling me out of yet another reading slump!
July 4, 2021
This felt like a filler plot, where character development was erased and it was just frustrating. Billy continued to be pathetic, someone should push Ezekiel into the fireplace, suddenly Emma doesn't exist or is ignoring them just for the sake of plot device, too many things are happening to Charlie, Benjamin is almost forgotten, Lysander seems to be the only one to save the day (albeit with weird references to his African ancestors, which made me feel wary), angsty stormy boy, random ghost woman (somehow Manfred cares?), Henry just being thrown in dark places and being forgotten, Paton falling into depression because his girlfriend is raising a kid (and reversing all his brave character development), hints of Amy just moving on, too many characters, not actually trying to find his father, and most of all, the annoying Yewbeam/Bloor characters: threatening to mangle Olivia with Asa, being continously stalked by a great beast, getting a child to get a weapon from a portrait, unashamedly committing a hit and run and trying to murder a relative, stalking and bombarding a cafe, questioning Charlie's every move, keeping them in a dangerous school and forcing them to do their bidding, being outright mean and power hungry, just makes me want to sock them in the face. I suppose if the characters make me feel that strongly it could be a sign of a good book, but the plot was rushed and none of it was quite worth it.
August 2, 2016
I enjoyed this episode in the Charlie Bone series more than the first book, but still feel this series is only okay. My seven year old son is really enjoying these books and we already have the third book out from the library, but I wouldn't continue the series if I were reading these by myself. The characters are pretty black and white and their emotions seem relatively uncontemplative and unreflective. The plot centers around a relative of Charlie's who accidentally uses the time twister of the title story to hurl himself about 70 or 80 years into the future. Now he's stuck in the future, but old grudges from his relatives remain (for reasons not explained, but simply taken as a given), so Charlie and pals have to rescue him from the evil intentions of the Bloors and Yewbeams. Passing reference is made to Charlie needing to teach modern stuff to the boy from the past, but there's not much consideration of the real details of the plot line.
Bottom line: adequate as a children's book -- probably not of tremendous interest to adult readers.
Bottom line: adequate as a children's book -- probably not of tremendous interest to adult readers.
August 3, 2018
U nastavku životne avanture Čarlija Bouna, u Blurovoj akademiji pojavljuje se njegov čukundeda, koji je nestao devedesetak godina ranije, kada je imao jedanaest godina. S tim što on i dalje ima jedanaest godina, a došao je u budućnost posredstvom vremenskog tvistera. Njegov zli rođak koji je učinio da nestane je i dalje živ i u Blurovoj akademiji.
Čarli i njegovi drugari pokušavaju da zaštite Henrija od starog Jezekilja i ostatka porodice Blur. On otkriva mnogo misterija u vezi sa akademijom i njenim stalnim stanovnicima, njegova sposobnost da sluša fotografije se unapređuje, a planove i dalje žele da mu poremete zle tetke.
Čarli i njegovi drugari pokušavaju da zaštite Henrija od starog Jezekilja i ostatka porodice Blur. On otkriva mnogo misterija u vezi sa akademijom i njenim stalnim stanovnicima, njegova sposobnost da sluša fotografije se unapređuje, a planove i dalje žele da mu poremete zle tetke.
October 12, 2009
Again a good series...a boy from the past gets "slung" into the future by a speicial magic "marble". Bummer huh? Since he can never go back...history has moved on without him and now he has to make his way in the present. Too bad the one who tricked him into using the Time Twister is still around (though an old, old man now...old Ezekiel Bloor, top dog at the school) and he'd still like to "do away" with his cousin Henry, and also of course Charlei who is also related and in the stew up to his own neck.
December 8, 2008
This was a great continuation to the series and more is starting to come out about Charlie's missing father, although, again, I think it's pretty obvious to adults reading it where he is. There's enough going on in the story that you don't think too much about his dad, though. This is a fun, fast-paced, fantasy series that's not quite as serious as Harry Potter but is a good place for younger kids to start before getting into the Harry Potter books, which I think are pretty heavy for them.
February 21, 2018
I’ve just read this book for the second time. I don’t think Jenny Nimmo’s books are very well known here in the states. The books are immersive and quite wonderful.
Very different from Harry Potter... and yet, if you love HP, you should give this series a try.
These books are perfect for a Netflix series... just sayin’.
Very different from Harry Potter... and yet, if you love HP, you should give this series a try.
These books are perfect for a Netflix series... just sayin’.
February 7, 2021
Great book love it =)
February 23, 2009
i liked this book out of the whole series. I don't know why but it was my type of book. yep.
May 18, 2021
my spoiler-free review: A great sequel to a good first book, they answered
some questions left in the first book while still leaving some loose ends for the books
to come, the characters got development which was something i'd seen a lot of people complain
about in the first book. Overall good book and am happy to add it to my library
-spoilers ahead-
So, quick overall thoughts: Billy deserves to rot in a hole but going
more in depth with the book, here's my review:
1) The take on time travel
i really liked how they addressed exactly what we were thinking,
Paton explained very well (with an air of sarcasm which i thoroughly enjoyed)
that simply placing him back in time would cause more trouble then it's worth
also time travel itself makes no sense because if it succeeded wouldn't you remember that someone
was in the past? either way it worked out mostly in the end except for when mrs bloor went back, it makes sense that no-one remembers her but didn't she create some rifts? if she marries someone, then that persons path is altered it's SUPER messy and the author kind of avoided it
2)is it just me who's a tad confused with the family tree?
so, uncle paton, the 3 sisters and grandma bone are all siblings with paton having a 20 year age gap, then Lyell is grandma bones' son, who's also charlie's father
Then uncle patons father is Jamie and his brother is henry who travels in time and their cousin is
zeke who owns bloor's academy and is also the headmaster there and an old man living in an attic and his son is dr bloor and dr bloors son is manfred bloor and his wife is mrs bloor and i'm already confused
there's ALOT going on here and it was hard to keep track of everything but you get used to it ig?
3)how old is manfred?
this seems pretty weird but like is he a student? is he a teacher? what's up with that?
4)Cook is a really good ally to have, not only does she know a lot about magic, she can
also be an ally for the kids in case they're found she can make an alibi, then again the art teacher did more of that but she also has that authority
5) imagine trying to kill your cousin for over a hundred years because he finished your puzzle
that you didn't want him to finish? like seriously this old man needs to chill
6)i hate billy like, can he rot in a pit? thx
7)HOW DARE THEY RUN OVER PATON LIKE SERIOUSLY, IMMA THROW HANDS
if he died, i would've been SO upset (still hate his sisters though)
8)Charlie's new ability to enter paintings is super cool but they should've practiced on a less violent painting because charlie was really close to straight up dying
9)do endowed children have any common sense? like seriously they do the stupidest things,
did they trade common sense for their powers? is that how it works?
10)Paton being able to go out in the day is going to be really helpful, hopefully he can get a realllly good book to keep him distracted for awhile
overall, good book now i have to wait for the third one to arrive (hopefully very soon)
some questions left in the first book while still leaving some loose ends for the books
to come, the characters got development which was something i'd seen a lot of people complain
about in the first book. Overall good book and am happy to add it to my library
-spoilers ahead-
So, quick overall thoughts: Billy deserves to rot in a hole but going
more in depth with the book, here's my review:
1) The take on time travel
i really liked how they addressed exactly what we were thinking,
Paton explained very well (with an air of sarcasm which i thoroughly enjoyed)
that simply placing him back in time would cause more trouble then it's worth
also time travel itself makes no sense because if it succeeded wouldn't you remember that someone
was in the past? either way it worked out mostly in the end except for when mrs bloor went back, it makes sense that no-one remembers her but didn't she create some rifts? if she marries someone, then that persons path is altered it's SUPER messy and the author kind of avoided it
2)is it just me who's a tad confused with the family tree?
so, uncle paton, the 3 sisters and grandma bone are all siblings with paton having a 20 year age gap, then Lyell is grandma bones' son, who's also charlie's father
Then uncle patons father is Jamie and his brother is henry who travels in time and their cousin is
zeke who owns bloor's academy and is also the headmaster there and an old man living in an attic and his son is dr bloor and dr bloors son is manfred bloor and his wife is mrs bloor and i'm already confused
there's ALOT going on here and it was hard to keep track of everything but you get used to it ig?
3)how old is manfred?
this seems pretty weird but like is he a student? is he a teacher? what's up with that?
4)Cook is a really good ally to have, not only does she know a lot about magic, she can
also be an ally for the kids in case they're found she can make an alibi, then again the art teacher did more of that but she also has that authority
5) imagine trying to kill your cousin for over a hundred years because he finished your puzzle
that you didn't want him to finish? like seriously this old man needs to chill
6)i hate billy like, can he rot in a pit? thx
7)HOW DARE THEY RUN OVER PATON LIKE SERIOUSLY, IMMA THROW HANDS
if he died, i would've been SO upset (still hate his sisters though)
8)Charlie's new ability to enter paintings is super cool but they should've practiced on a less violent painting because charlie was really close to straight up dying
9)do endowed children have any common sense? like seriously they do the stupidest things,
did they trade common sense for their powers? is that how it works?
10)Paton being able to go out in the day is going to be really helpful, hopefully he can get a realllly good book to keep him distracted for awhile
overall, good book now i have to wait for the third one to arrive (hopefully very soon)
August 21, 2017
This is the 2nd book in The Children of the Red King series!
Time is running out for Charlie Bone . . .
Charlies hopes that the new term at Bloor's Academy will hold no nasty surprises. But then Henry Yewbeam appears, twisted through time from the icy winter of 1916.
With the scheming Yewbeam aunts on the prowl, and the Bloors out to catch him, Henry will need Charlie's help just to stay alive. Bloor's Academy can be a very dangerous place . . .
I'm rereading this series for the (maybe) 5th time and still love it :)
Some people say it's similar to Harry Potter and i can see similarities.
The 2nd book isn't the best one in my opinion but not the worst(even though there is no bad one in this series), but i really like the ending of this one.
I really recommend this series to everyone. It's about a group of children with magical abilites and the fight between good and evil which started 1000 years ago... :)
Time is running out for Charlie Bone . . .
Charlies hopes that the new term at Bloor's Academy will hold no nasty surprises. But then Henry Yewbeam appears, twisted through time from the icy winter of 1916.
With the scheming Yewbeam aunts on the prowl, and the Bloors out to catch him, Henry will need Charlie's help just to stay alive. Bloor's Academy can be a very dangerous place . . .
I'm rereading this series for the (maybe) 5th time and still love it :)
Some people say it's similar to Harry Potter and i can see similarities.
The 2nd book isn't the best one in my opinion but not the worst(even though there is no bad one in this series), but i really like the ending of this one.
I really recommend this series to everyone. It's about a group of children with magical abilites and the fight between good and evil which started 1000 years ago... :)
September 11, 2014
In this installment of the Children of the Red King series, you get a little more hint of the history of the red king, but once again, the primary plot of the book is weak. The biggest problem with this book for me was the lack of motivation for all of the crimes/sins/evil doings of the evil doers. The author just doesn't bother.
April 20, 2021
These are very gloomy books. Perhaps that was a trend in the early 2000s (thinking of A Series of Unfortunate Events). Definitely not my favorite atmosphere, but the book picks up towards the middle/end and you get the ensemble cast of endowed and unendowed friends working together to help Charlie. Sometimes, the kids are stupid. I can't quite tell if it is realistic stupid or book stupid the way they get into unnecessary trouble. The main culprit this time was Henry. Unable to stay put or just wait. But I suppose it all works out in the end. Sometimes there are children's books that are so well written I'd recommend them to readers of any age. This isn't really one of those series. At least, not so far.
A bit of downer of a review, but that's the taste it leaves in my mouth. It was enjoyable enough to read though and had me coming back to find out what happens. There are aspects of it that I love, like Cook or the Sun room. And I do like how the friends finally start working together as a team.
A bit of downer of a review, but that's the taste it leaves in my mouth. It was enjoyable enough to read though and had me coming back to find out what happens. There are aspects of it that I love, like Cook or the Sun room. And I do like how the friends finally start working together as a team.
September 9, 2009
Charlie Bone and the Time Twister (The Children of the Red King, Book 2)
by Jenny Nimmo
402 pages
Listening Library
0807218987
This is the second book to The Charlie Bone series. In this book, Charlie's new term starts off at Bloor's Academy, and is hoping for no more surprises. Too bad for him though, he got into more than he could handle, and traveled back through time to the year 1916. In this time period he meats his Great-Great-uncle Henry, who needs his help to survive.
This was an okay book. I think it might haven been better if I had read the first book. It would have gave me a little bit more knowledge on Charlie's background, and the story setting. I liked the story line of Charlie going back to the past to help his uncle, since it reminded of "Back to the Future".
I would recommend this book if you have read the first Charlie Bone book, since it will help you understand it easier. However though, it is still a good book, and is interesting at points.
by Jenny Nimmo
402 pages
Listening Library
0807218987
This is the second book to The Charlie Bone series. In this book, Charlie's new term starts off at Bloor's Academy, and is hoping for no more surprises. Too bad for him though, he got into more than he could handle, and traveled back through time to the year 1916. In this time period he meats his Great-Great-uncle Henry, who needs his help to survive.
This was an okay book. I think it might haven been better if I had read the first book. It would have gave me a little bit more knowledge on Charlie's background, and the story setting. I liked the story line of Charlie going back to the past to help his uncle, since it reminded of "Back to the Future".
I would recommend this book if you have read the first Charlie Bone book, since it will help you understand it easier. However though, it is still a good book, and is interesting at points.
October 26, 2016
Why do I always forget to update my progress so whenever I go back on Goodreads I see that a book with 300 pages took me ten days to read?smhXD
Other than that I have always loved the originality and creativity of the plot and history and the Harry Potter/school of magic vibes!The characters are great(especially the names) and the powers are cool.I gave this book four and a half stars because I really enjoyed it but some things the characters said didn't really flow.I generally really liked this book and I think the covers are awesome!
I recommend this to Harry Potter and the Magisterium fans!:)
Other than that I have always loved the originality and creativity of the plot and history and the Harry Potter/school of magic vibes!The characters are great(especially the names) and the powers are cool.I gave this book four and a half stars because I really enjoyed it but some things the characters said didn't really flow.I generally really liked this book and I think the covers are awesome!
I recommend this to Harry Potter and the Magisterium fans!:)
March 11, 2016
Like I said, it's is childrens book and I'm not a child anymore. But still, it's a funny book, even though I'm too old for it. I know I've read this one before, in Dutch, but I actually couldn't remember anything from it. I'll probably read the next one too, but not right now.
Now I need a book that is actually written for my age haha.
Now I need a book that is actually written for my age haha.
August 13, 2021
i forgot how much i liked reading these books and am really glad that i have decided to read them again. although i have only read the first five of this series and am excited to read the ones that come after the fifth one after i have reread the first five so i can remember what happens before i finsish the series.
October 19, 2019
I read all of the books in this wonderful series a couple of years ago! And found out that I hadn't rated them so here it is!
December 29, 2021
this one was ok, characters were a little one dimensional
August 16, 2020
This book starts out where a boy named Henry is jolted through time by a time twister that is no bigger than a marble. This is how he meets Charlie bone who has returned to school following the events of the first book. Charlie sets out to save Henry from the people that even nearly a hundred years later still are out to get Henry. This is an interesting read that I really enjoyed even though it seems to move slower than the first book. It is full of suspense, as Charlie races against time to save his new friend.
October 5, 2020
3.5 stars
Love the additional background Henry brought to Charlie's journey. Liked it more than the first book as everything expanded and the story as a whole is progressing. It still feels like everything is being placed.
Love the additional background Henry brought to Charlie's journey. Liked it more than the first book as everything expanded and the story as a whole is progressing. It still feels like everything is being placed.
April 13, 2023
Not well written. Characters are not rounded out. I won’t finish the series.
June 17, 2023
I'm enjoying revisiting books from when I was in Middle/High School. I'm amazed these never got big attention, they're so fun and they have a pretty diverse cast of characters overall.
July 29, 2024
I enjoyed how this book took you into the past to better expand on the story in the present. Enjoyable overall with much more going on.
November 16, 2017
The book is fantastic.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 697 reviews