Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones is a fantasy novel that is now a motion picture made by Studio Ghibli (which I absolutely love not only because it's an anime, but because the animation is amazing! However, the adaptation is kind of different then the book, even though it has a similar storyline). This story is filled with a mixture of humor, magic, and a bit of romance. The reader will take a journey with Sophie, one of the central characters, and constantly wonder when she will gain her freedom, and if her fortune is as bad as she thinks it is.

In the land of Ingary, it is known that the first born child has the worst fortune, in this case it's Sophie Hatter. One day, the evil Witch of the Waste casts a spell on Sophie making her look like an old woman. Scared of how others will react, Sophie leaves her home and finds her way to Howl’s castle. Inside the castle she meets Calcifer, a fire demon, who makes a deal with her that if she breaks his contract with Howl, he’ll break her spell in return. Sophie then goes through a magical adventure where she helps break more spells than she thought she would, falls for someone she was warned not to fall in love with, and finally finds her fortune.

I recommend Howl’s Moving Castle for kids in grades four through eight. Anyone who loves stories about wizards, witches, and magic spells will get hooked to the story right away. It will leave them wanting to read the remaining books in the series, and wishing that they either become a wizard or have a spell casted on them.