Book recommendation October 2026: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
This is a classic fantasy book for children (even those aged 38). Wicked witch? Check. Alleged dark wizard? Check. Fire demon? Check. Moving castle? Check. Young girl turned into an old granny (who kind of loves it because of the freedom to speak and act how she likes that it grants her)? Check. It’s got it all.
What it’s about: Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three girls and, as such, expects nothing from her life. So, when she catches the attention of the Witch of the Waste, who promptly turns her into an old granny, she figures she has nothing to lose. She leaves her home behind and heads to the one place where someone may be able to help break the curse: the strange moving castle that belongs to the dark wizard Howl, who reportedly sustains himself by eating the hearts of young girls.
Why I love it: It’s a story about defying expectations, both those you set for yourself (or limitations, in Sophie’s case), and also not believing what negative gossip you hear about others (spoiler, Howl). It’s also funny and I really enjoyed the magic system / ideas. The moving castle, in particular, is great, and its empowered by a fire demon called Calcifer who, among other things, sings a “funny saucepan song” (which is, in fact, Sosban Fach, a traditional Welsh song that translates as “little saucepan”). The interaction between Sophie and Howl is funny and (gradually) quite sweet, and so is Sophie’s realisation she may have misjudged him. There’s also a load of other Welsh references chucked in that I was not expecting and made me smile. It’s just a wholesome, fun story, which is sometimes the kind you need to fill you with warmth and take your mind off the state of the world.
Beyond the book: I had not heard of this book until I went to Hollywood for the Writers of the Future workshops last April. Several of my Vol. 42 writers recommended both the book and the anime adaptation of it, so I thought I’d give it a go when I got back to Wales. And I loved it. But not only that, my two eldest children wanted me to read them a chapter before bed this month and last, and we finished it this week. And they loved it too. My son even drew a picture of the moving castle (complete with Calcifer) for the front cover of his ‘school reading record’. It’s the first “chapter book” I’ve read them that hasn’t been influenced by what their friends read, which feels pretty special to me, and we can’t wait to watch the film adaptation together soon.
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