22. Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo

This book is the first in the Charlie Bone series. It is a great series. If you like Harry Potter you will probably like these. In some ways I like these better. The basic premise is that there are a group of descendants of a long lost king that have magical powers. On Charlie's tenth birthday, he finds out that he is one of the "Endowed" (one with powers) and must go to a special school. He can hear people talking in pictures (what they were saying when the picture was taken). At the creepy school he meets a few new friends and is pulled into a mystery about a missing baby and one about his own missing father (who he thought had died in an accident when he was little). Charlie gets caught between the good and the evil factions of his family and later at the school. They are really quick, fun books and the characters and powers are really creative. One boy can feel the feelings of anyone by touching their clothes. (He tells Charlie that he has to have new clothes because if they're used, it drives him crazy, feeling all those unconnected feelings.) They're kind of like a cross between Harry Potter and the X-men. I listened to this one and the production is amazing. I would highly recommend it.