CHARLIE BONE AND THE INVISIBLE BOY

How can Charlie cope? Between his nasty grandmother and great-aunts, his deathly ill great-uncle, and the invisible boy living on jam in the attics of Bloor's Academy he hardly knows whether he's coming or going. Charlie wants to solve so many problems, but he gets snagged by a tricky sorcerer and an ancient shape-shifter posing as a pretty girl at school. With persistence, plucky friends, and some supernatural help, Charlie gets things worked out in the end. Simon Russell Beale keeps this good-hearted fantasy going with a smooth delivery, subtle vocalizations, and high energy. Poor Charlie has fallen under the shadow of Harry Potter, but here he comes into his own with help from Beale. J.M.S. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE/JULY 05]