Charlie Bone Books in Order

Jenny Nimmo is a British author of children's books, best known for the Charlie Bone novels and The Snow Spider. She was born in Windsor, Berkshire, on January 15, 1944. Her books range from stories for younger readers to longer fantasy adventures. Wales, where she has lived for many years, is an important setting and source of inspiration in her writing, particularly in stories that draw on Welsh myth.

Reading led her toward storytelling early in life.

Nimmo was an enthusiastic reader as a child. At nine, she had worked through her school's junior library and wanted access to the books for older pupils. She also began writing stories to entertain her friends, discovering that making up a tale could be as enjoyable as reading one. Her childhood included the loss of her father when she was five and years at boarding school. Acting became another interest, and after leaving school she trained in drama.

Before becoming a full-time writer, Nimmo worked in theatre and taught English in Italy. She later joined the BBC, where her roles included photographic research, floor management, and directing and adapting children's programs. Turning other writers' work into television gave her experience in shaping stories for an audience. Her first novel, The Bronze Trumpeter, grew from an idea for a television script. It appeared in 1975, beginning a publishing career that would include several different kinds of children's fiction.

The Snow Spider, published in 1986, brought particular recognition. It begins a trilogy rooted in Welsh mythology and follows a boy discovering magic within his family history. The book won the Smarties Prize and the Tir na n-Og Award. Its sequels continue the combination of supernatural events and family conflict. Nimmo's fantasy is closely tied to the feelings of her characters, so magical discoveries carry consequences for their ordinary relationships as well as their adventures.

Other books broadened her audience before Charlie Bone arrived. Griffin's Castle was shortlisted for several children's literature awards, while her shorter fiction also received recognition. Her range matters because she has not written only one continuing fantasy story. She has created books suited to different stages of reading, from brief tales to substantial novels. The supernatural is a recurring interest, but the shape and scale of each story can change with its characters and audience.

Charlie Bone gave her a new world to explore.

Midnight for Charlie Bone appeared in 2002. Charlie discovers that he can hear people in photographs and is sent to Bloor's Academy, where other pupils have mysterious abilities. The school, his difficult relatives, and the inherited powers of the Red King create the setting for a continuing series of mysteries. The books reached readers internationally and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Nimmo later explored the history behind that world in The Secret Kingdom and the other Chronicles of the Red King novels.

Nimmo lives in Wales with her husband, the painter and illustrator David Wynn Millward, in a converted mill. They have three children. Publisher accounts describe a writing routine that has included drafting by hand and helping with a summer school at home. Her backlist continues to offer both individual stories and connected adventures. Readers who begin with Charlie Bone can also discover the earlier Welsh fantasies that helped establish her career.