Howl's Moving Castle

Title: Howl's Moving Castle
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 0688062334

Recommended for Grades 9-12
Genre: Fiction-Fantasy

Reader’s Annotation:
Teenage Sophie is cursed to look like she is in her 90's. The only person who can reverse the curse is the Wizard Howl, but he has a reputation of eating young girl's hearts. At least Sophie looks old.

Plot Summary:
Sophie Hatter has resigned herself to an uninteresting life. She works at her family's hat shop, and never expects to go on any adventures. One day the evil Witch of the Waste, disguised as a customer, comes into the shop. When Sophie insults her, she punishes her by making her look as though she is in her 90's. Sophie leaves home to seek a counter curse from the Wizard Howl in his moving castle. She strikes a bargain with the fire demon Calcifer, whom she meets in Howl's fireplace, that if she can break the contract between the demon and Howl, that he will break her curse. Sophie takes on the roll of Howl's cleaning lady in order to find out how to break the contract. Over time she finds that Howl is indeed stealing her heart; she is falling in love with him. She must now rush to break the spell and keep Howl from another woman before it is too late for her.

Evaluation:
Sophie suffers from low self-esteem and believes that her destiny of living a boring life can not be changed. Sophie serves as a role model for younger girls that destiny is not written in stone as she breaks free and changes her life for herself.

Notes:
There a two sequels to Howl's Moving Castle:
Castle in the Air
The House of Many Ways

In 2004 Howl's Moving Castle was adapted into a Japanese animated film by Hayao Miyazaki.