Howl's Moving Castle
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

*Starred Review* In a witty, rollicking fantasy, Sophie, the eldest of three daughters, knows that, according to fairy-tale convention, she's expected to fail first and worst when she sets out to seek her fortune, so she doesn't even try. She becomes increasingly fearful and withdrawn until a witch's curse turns her physically into the old woman she has psychologically become. In that disguise she does find the energy and courage to hobble out into the unknown. Feisty, curious, and determined, she moves into Wizard Howl's moving castle, a complex world that open onto four different dimensions, many quests and enchantments, and a wonderful host of interrelated characters human, animal, and inanimate. Splendidly handsome and powerful, Howl is reputed to suck the souls from young girls; but he doesn't intimidate the aged Sophie, who (even as she falls in love) sees that he's messy, fickle, hysterical, vain (two hours in the bathroom), and vulnerable. Slitherer-outer! she castigates him for evading responsibility. Bossy . . . nosy . . . snoop! he glares back. The fantasy is elaborate and clever, combining wild magic with cozy domesticity. The language ranges from the poetry of John Donne (Go and catch a falling star) to the most casual speech (the headless figure . . . was getting on her nerves). Jones' exuberant comedy and joy in her characters celebrate all the mixed, multiple, and echoing identities; and though the spells are eventually lifted and Howl and Sophie may live happily ever after, it will not be according to any predictable stereotype.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2017 Booklist

Gr 6-9-Jenny Sterlin is the perfect interpreter for this challenging, multifaceted fantasy. Sophie Hatter, turned into an old woman by the Witch of the Waste, takes refuge in the castle of the wizard Howl where, as they battle to free themselves from their respective curses, the pair falls in love. The later novels in the series, Castle in the Air and House of Many Ways, are also narrated by Sterlin. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

After young Sophie Hatter is turned into an aged crone by a peevish witch, she tries to aid the charming, wildly theatrical wizard Howl in vanquishing the witch, so that both of them can break the spells they're under. Another welcome reissue from Diana Wynne Jones. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Sophie is caught between a powerful witch and wizard who are terrorizing the magical land of Ingary. Living a humdrum life as a hatter till the malicious Witch of the Waste casts a spell turning her into an old woman, Sophie seeks refuge as cleaning woman to Wizard Howl (although he's rumored to eat the hearts of young girls) in his castle, which moves at will about the countryside. Actually, Howl is a brash young man whose only vice is womanizing. He is a gifted wizard but the despair of his inept apprentice and of Calcifer, a humorously petulant fire demon, because of such human faults as messiness and spending too long in the bath. As in her memorable Archer's Goon, Jones has a plethora of characters who are seldom what they seem and an intricate plot which may dazzle with its complexity or delight by the hilarious common-sense consequences of its preposterous premises. Sophie is a dauntless heroine; when she regains her youth and wins Howl, the odds are this is only the beginning of a tempestuous romance. Great fun. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 6 Up Sophie Hatter reads a great deal and soon realizes that as the eldest of three daughters she is doomed to an uninteresting future. She resigns herself to making a living as a hatter and helping her younger sisters prepare to make their fortunes. But adventure seeks her out in the shop where she sits alone, dreaming over her hats. The wicked Witch of the Waste, angered by ``competition'' in the area, turns her into a old woman, so she seeks refuge inside the strange moving castle of the wizard Howl. Howl, advertised by his apprentice as an eater of souls, lives a mad, frantic life trying to escape the curse the witch has placed on him, find the perfect girl of his dreams and end the contract he and his fire demon have entered. Sophie, against her best instincts and at first unaware of her own powers, falls in love. So goes this intricate, humorous and puzzling tale of fantasy and adventure which should both challenge and involve readers. Jones has created an engaging set of characters and found a new use for many of the appurtenances of fairy talesseven league boots and invisible cloaks, among others. At times, the action becomes so complex that readers may have to go back to see what actually happened, and at the end so many loose ends have to be tied up at once that it's dizzying. Yet Jones' inventiveness never fails, and her conclusion is infinitely satisfying. Sara Miller, White Plains Public Library, N.Y. Copyright 1986 Cahners Business Information.