Howl’s Moving Castle

Title: Howl’s Moving Castle

Author: Diana Wynne Jones

ISBN: 9780061478789

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Copyright: 2008 (1986)

Genre: Fantasy

Age Range: 13+

Reader’s Annotation: Turned into an old hag by the Witch of the Waste, Sophie helps Howl get back his heart in exchange for her returned youth.

Plot Summary: Sophie Hatter lives in Market Chipping in the magical kingdom of Ingary. She is the oldest of three sisters. Many fairytales ring true. It Is believed that the oldest of three will never be successful, but Sophie makes the most beautiful hats and dresses. She has a bit of magic in her that talks life into objects. Being the oldest, she accepts her fate of running the family millinery. One night, she is turned into an old hag by the powerful Witch of the Waste. The Witch thought Sophie to be Sophie's younger sister who offended the Witch. Sophie goes off and finds work as the cleaning lady for Howl, a notorious wizard famous for eating the hearts of beautiful young women. She and Calcifer make a deal. If Sophie can break the contract between Calcifer and Howl without disclosing the details of their deal, Calcifer will return her to her original form. Calcifer gives her many hints.

            Sophie learns that Howl is selfish and dishonest in general, but chooses what is right. He is also a very powerful wizard. He spreads horrible rumors about himself to avoid work and ensure his privacy. The front door to the house is a portal. Not only does it open up to the mobile castle but to the hills above Market Chipping, the seaside city Port-haven, the capital Kingsbury, and Howl's boyhood home in Wales. He was once known as Howell Jenkins. Howl realizes that Sophie is under some sort of spell. He secretly tries to remove it but fails resigning himself to think that Sophie must like the disguise. Michael Fisher, Howl's apprentice, runs Howl’s day to day business while Howl wastes time on frivolities. Howl and Michael court Sophie's two younger sisters Lettie and Martha. Martha studies magic. She switches places with Lettie at the bakery because their mother/stepmother didn’t take their likes into the equation when lining up their apprenticeships.

            Prince Justin, the King's younger brother, goes missing while searching for wizard Suliman. The King commands Howl to find Suliman and Justin and to kill the Witch of the Waste. Trying to avoid all of this work, Howl gets Sophie to argue against it. It backfires and Sophie gets him appointed the new Royal Wizard. It’s the job he’s been avoiding for years. Howl avoids the Witch of the Waste. She is a former lover that put an evil curse upon him. It isn’t until the Witch of the Waste traps Sophie by making her think that the Witch trapped Howl's current love interest, Lily Angorian. It turns out to just be her fire demon in disguise. Slowly over the years, the fire demon has taken control over the witch and seeks to steal Howl’s heart. Howl battles the Witch and wins. Howl is unable to stop the demon because the real Lily took Calcifer and started to try and squeeze Howl’s heart out of him. Howl passes out. Calcifer has been guarding his heart. Lily is struck down, but Calcifer is on death’s door. With Sophie’s ability to breathe life into  objects, will she be able to resuscitate Calcifer and Howl?

Critical Evaluation: In 1986, Howl's Moving Castle was one of two runners-up for the annual Boston Globe-Horn Book Award in Fiction. It was also a 1986 book that was named an ALA Notable Books for Children. It also won the Phoenix Award from the Children's Literature Association in 2006. That award recognizes books of merit that did not win a major award. While some might think this book to juvenile for a teen collection, it is a book that deals with a few things that teens often experience. Diana Wynne Jones has won numerous awards for her many books over the years. She has also been a huge influence on modern fantasy writers like Neil Gaiman who partially dedicated a book to her and her influence. One of the themes is image. The book deals a lot with the image of Sophie as an old lady when she has the heart of a young woman. It teaches the lesson that one has to look on the inside as well as the outside to see what true beauty is. The other is learning how to be less selfish. Howl is a selfish character. As the book progresses he is less selfish as he grows in love with who Sophie is. Even though he pursues lovely young women, he uses it as a mask for the wants of a real relationship that he can connect with someone.

Author Information: In a career spanning four decades, award-winning author Diana Wynne Jones (1934-2011) wrote more than forty books of fantasy for young readers. Characterized by magic, multiple universes, witches and wizards—and a charismatic nine-lived enchanter—her books were filled with unlimited imagination, dazzling plots, and an effervescent sense of humor that earned her legendary status in the world of fantasy. In addition to being translated into more than twenty languages, her books have earned a wide array of honors—including two Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honors and the Guardian Award—and appeared on countless best-of-the-year lists. Her best-selling Howl's Moving Castle was made into an animated film by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki and was nominated for an Academy Award. Diana Wynne Jones was also honored with many prestigious awards for the body of her work. She was given the British Fantasy Society's Karl Edward Wagner Award in 1999 for having made a significant impact on fantasy, and she won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the World Fantasy Convention in 2007. Source - http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/HarperChildrens/Kids/AuthorsAndIllustrators/ContributorDetail.aspx?CId=15433

Curriculum Ties: English

Challenge Issues: Magic

Booktalk Ideas: Form – One could start the talk making a description of a person but flipping it around by saying that is what was seen on the outside and explain Sophie’s story of becoming an old hag.