THE MAGICIAN TRILOGY by Jenny Nimmo
The Magician Trilogy by Jenny Nimmo are some of the best children's fantasy novels out there — and so inevitably they are virtually unknown. Set in the mountains of Wales, the books chronicle the experiences of Gwyn Griffith, a young boy magician dealing with the gift and burden of inheriting magical powers from his legendary ancestors. Before immediate comparisons are made with that other boy-wizard, rest assured that The Snow Spider was published several years before Harry Potter hit the scene.
In the The Snow Spider, Gwyn becomes aware of his abilities as a magician, using his gift to summon several magical artifacts from another world, including Arianwen, a tiny silver spider who helped him uncover the mystery of his sister Be... Read More
Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo
Any book nowadays that has its main character be a young boy who suddenly discovers he has magical talent is, fair or not, going to be compared to the Harry Potter series. Add in a school for geniuses and those "endowed" with magical talents, a small cadre of mixed (talented and not-talented) friends to aid the main character, suspicious professors, and a missing presumed dead father and you're almost asking for it. It might not be right, but at least so many people have read Harry Potter that it gives us all a solid baseline standard. So let's get to the inevitable, fair or not — how does Charlie Bone stack up against Harry Potter? The answer... Read More
Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo
The first Charlie Bone book had lots of basic flaws in it: lack of story or character development, a sense of arbitrariness, an overly familiar feel to it, etc., but the premise was just interesting enough, and the characters' magical “endowments” just quirky enough that one hoped Jenny Nimmo could improve in book two and start putting together a worthwhile series. Sadly, based on this second effort, that hope isn't borne out.
First, Charlie Bone and the Time Twister simply has a careless feel to it. There are far too many places where the author either contradicts herself or tosses in an out-of-the-blue plot moment or arbitrarily assigns an endowment or task to a character. It's almost as if Nimmo herself doesn't care much about the story or its characters. As two quick e... Read More
More books by Jenny Nimmo
Rainbow and Mr. Zed — (1992) Ages 9-12. Publisher: On an island owned by the wealthy, eccentric Mr. Zed, Nell learns more about herself and her connection to the sea, meets the ghost of her grandfather, and deals with Zed’s unusual powers.
Griffin’s Castle — (1994) Ages 9-12. Publisher: After years of having moved around, eleven-year-old Dinah determines to make a huge, dilapidated old mansion into a home for her mother and herself, but the wild beasts she summons from a stone wall to protect her may also imprison her.
The Rinaldi Ring — (1999) Ages 9-12. Publisher: Elliot, grieving for his dead mother, is sent to stay with his cousins. There he is haunted by Mary-Ellen, who was once kept prisoner in his room. The loss of her fiance, Orlando Rinaldi, killed in World War I, threatened her sanity – or so everyone thought.
Milo’s Wolves — (2001) Ages 9-12. Publisher: An Utterly Compelling, Thought-provoking And Multi-layered Novel With Two Main Themes: The Implications Of Cloning And The Nature Of Blood Ties, The Importance Of Identity And A Sense Of Belonging; The Family And How Children Face Up To A Parent’s Flaws And Insecurities, And How They Help That Parent Come Through.
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(1944- )
