Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing up a Wizard
by Tom Felton (Grand Central Publishing, 2022)
audiobook read by Tom Felton (Hachette Audio, 2022)
Felton seems an affable type, especially reading his own memoir. He is serious where the subject matter demands it but mostly keeps things light, offering behind-the-scenes insights into a child actor’s life generally and the Harry Potter films and cast in particular.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
by Jack Thorne (Princess Theatre, 12 April 2023)
Frenetic at the outset but settles down into a well-constructed live sequel to the original books. The choreography is quite masterful (both within and between scenes), the effects slick and almost cinematically magical. The actors bring verve and truth to their characters.
The Little Broomstick
by Mary Stewart (Brockhampton, 1971)
Mary Stewart’s magical middle-grade adventure remains undiminished nearly fifty years after its first publication—less sweeping in scale than Harry Potter or the like, yet with tighter, more accomplished prose and a creeping story that stands independent of the need for sequels.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
by J K Rowling (Bloomsbury, 1997); audiobook read by Stephen Fry (ABC Audio, 1999)
Enid Blyton for the new millennium. After a slow start—and notwithstanding some exaggerated stock characters—Rowling unleashes her fearsome imagination to bring us Hogwarts and Hagrid, Quidditch and quiddities. Stephen Fry’s narration brings welcome verve whenever the text loses its magic.
Spellslinger
by Sebastien de Castell (Hot Key Books, 2017); audiobook read by Joe Jameson (Bolinda, 2017)
Sebastien de Castell delivers a fully realised magical world with perils and pitfalls aplenty, an unobtrusive moral, and a quick-thinking young protagonist. Joe Jameson’s audiobook reading gives excellent voice to the characters. With all due respect, this leaves Harry Potter for dead.