What’s The Nine-Year-Old reading this week?
Our mostly-weekly survey of the tidbits that cross The Nine-Year-Old’s desk. This week, The Nine-Year-Old reads all kinds of books related to Harry Potter, but doesn’t actually read Harry Potter. (She’s stuck on Book 3. I get the sense she’d like to continue, but she’s too freaked out by Sirius Black. You can see the problem this poses for me. I want to help her get over it, but can’t figure out how without spoiling the storyline. So I continue to wait and watch her seek out Potter-aligned stories. It will work out eventually, right?)
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
What the book’s about: Hearing the Nine-Year-Old describe how Castle Glower magically reinvents itself every Tuesday — shifting around its rooms and even getting rid of some to make way for new ones, I couldn’t help but think of Hogwarts with its moving staircases and the ever-changing Room of Requirement. Princess Celie faithfully maps out Castle Glower’s new configuration every Tuesday. When the castle is ambushed and her parents and older brother kidnapped, it’s up to Princess Celie to use her knowledge of Castle Glower to save them.
Why The Nine-Year-Old likes it: “I like how the Castle moves everything around when it gets bored.”
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
What the book’s about: A compendium of 75 magical creatures from the world of Harry Potter. Originally written to raise money for Comic Relief between Books Four and Five, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is presented as if it were an actual textbook from Hogwarts, complete with marginalia from Harry and Ron. It’s required reading for all first years and the Muggle parents who love them, but keep in mind, it’s a reference text, not a story.
The Nine-Year-Old’s favorite fantastic beastie: “I liked reading about the kneazles the best. They’re a sort of cat with outsized ears and a lion-brush tail.”
Potterwookiee: The Creature from My Closet by Obert Skye
What the book’s about: Something has gone terribly wrong with the pile of books in Rob’s closet again. Another creature has come shambling out of it — this one a cross between Harry Potter and Chewbacca. The Potterwookiee, which Rob affectionately refers to as “Hairy”, dresses, acts, talks, and casts spells like Harry Potter, but looks like Chewbacca. Will Rob ever be able to read enough books to keep this guy out of trouble?
Why The Nine-Year-Old read it: “One of these days, something like this is going to come out of my closet. It is almost Halloween.”
Have you or your Caterpickle read any of these books? What did you think of them?
Related Links:
- What’s The Seven-Year-Old reading this week? (Caterpickles)
- What’s The Eight-Year-Old reading this week? (Caterpickles)
- What’s The Nine-Year-Old reading this week? (Caterpickles)
- More Book Reviews on Caterpickles
CATERPICKLES 
2 Responses to “What’s The Nine-Year-Old reading this week?”
The Beasts movie is supposed to be pretty good.
LikeLike
Yeah, I’m looking forward to seeing it. Curious to see how this reference text like book translates into a story. The 9YO assures me it will be no problem, and I suppose she’s the expert in the family, having read the book in question the most times. 😉
LikeLike