Since his father died Charlie Bone has lived with his mother & her mother in the house of his other grandmother Grandma Bone. Looking at a picture of a couple with a baby & a cat he suddenly discovers he can hear their voices. Although he tries to hide his new gift Grandma Bone & her scary sisters soon find out & send him to Bloors Academy. Charlie quickly finds life at Bloors pretty tough with its strict rules & the malevolent head boy Manfred set against him. When Charlie discovers that the child in the photograph is being held hypnotised against her will he & his new friends with gifts try to awaken her. But can they overcome Manfreds sinister hypnotic gifts?