This time, the victim is a boy who disappeared the year before Charlie came to Bloor’s. Nosy Ollie Sparks didn’t really leave the school, as everyone had thought; he was still living in a cold attic, after a squeeze from an enchanted boa turned him invisible (except for one toe). Now it turns out that the young art teacher, Mr. Boldova, is actually Ollie’s older brother, come to try to rescue Ollie. But Mr. Boldova himself disappears, leaving the task up to Charlie and his friends.

Naturally, all this has to do with the ancient, evil (but, fortunately, not very talented) sorcerer, Mr. Elijah Bloor. Charlie’s wicked Grandma Bone and her three foul sisters also have their hand in it; but the most dangerous part of the conspiracy is a new student named Belle, who looks like a pretty little girl with golden curls, but is really a monstrous old hag with tremendous powers.

Just when Charlie needs the help of his reliable Uncle Paton the most, Paton disappears. When he finally turns up, he is at death’s door. In order to save Uncle Paton, Charlie takes a big risk in going “into” the portrait of a very nasty wizard, who then breaks out into the real world and makes things even more difficult for Charlie. In the end, it all comes down to whether Charlie and his friends have the talents – magic and otherwise – to balance the evil powers of the Bloors and their minions.

Sure, Charlie has had a busy year at Bloor’s. Three adventures in as many terms! Naturally, they aren’t as painstakingly structured or as full of colorful detail as the one-a-year adventures of Harry Potter. Yet as the series develops, you get a sense that the Charlie Bone books are really parts of one big, complex, almost epic adventure. And they are told in such a smooth, clean, clever way that you can’t help but giggle, gasp, and groan at all the right places. Bravo!

Robbie Fischer
USA

Recommended Age: 10+

9/2/05

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