Read this when
Howl's Moving Castle
Sophie thought she was doomed because she was the eldest. Turns out being cursed into an old lady was the most confident she's ever been. 🧙♀️
Who it's for
Sophie Hatter believes that as the eldest of three she is destined to fail, and quietly accepts a small life in the family hat shop; many readers, especially eldest daughters, recognize that script.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Diana Wynne Jones's 1986 fantasy novel follows Sophie Hatter, the eldest of three sisters in the magical kingdom of Ingary, who works in her family's hat shop and believes the eldest is bound to fail. After the Witch of the Waste turns her into an old woman, she leaves home and talks her way into the moving castle of the wizard Howl as his cleaner.
Where to find it
In print (Greenwillow / HarperCollins); widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain. Adapted by Studio Ghibli (film, 2004).
Before you start
Heads up: Mild peril.
Age: Ages 9+
O Beauty, find thyself in love, not in the flattery of thy mirror.Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, no. 28
