I’ve seen posters at Barnes and Noble and excited updates on social media – new Harry Potter stories are coming out soon!! J.K. Rowling’s name is floating around on many upcoming releases, and the kids and I had to figure out what is going on in the world of magic. Here are some Word Nerd updates on everything Rowling.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Currently in previews, this play by Jack Thorne will open officially at the Palace Theater London on July 30, 2016. Based on a story written by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series, where we find Harry as an adult, struggling with his past while he juggles fatherhood and his job at the Ministry of Magic. Find more information about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the official play website. Here’s a snippet about the premise:
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.
The official script book (official rehearsal edition) of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will go on sale July 31, 2016; according to Amazon, a “Definitive Edition” of the script will go on sale in early 2017.
Barnes and Noble will host release parties nationwide to celebrate this new story in the Harry Potter series.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
This movie about Newt Scamander, author of the Hogwarts text Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, follows his adventures in New York’s secret community of wizards and witches seven decades before Harry reads his text at school. Release date: November 18, 2016. See more about Fantastic Beasts on IMDB.
The screenplay for Fantastic Beasts, written by J.K. Rowling, will be available November 19, 2016.
Die hard Potter fans can also buy their own copy of the textbook, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Hogwarts Classics
In June of 2016, publishers released a box set of two classic texts any Hogwarts student (or fan) should read: Quiddich Through the Ages and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Available at Amazon.
Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination
I stumbled across this book by J.K. Rowling on one of those “must read” tables in the middle of Barnes and Noble. In 2008, Rowling gave the commencement speech at Harvard University. Very Good Lives is the transcript of that speech, which many reviewers on Goodreads found inspiring. Profits from the sales of Very Good Lives benefit Lumos, a non-profit international children’s organization founded by J.K. Rowling, which works to end the institutionalization of children around the world.
Goodreads fans say it takes 15 minutes to read and is worth every second. I could use a short but inspiring speech right now…
Do you have any news to add on these releases or others from J.K. Rowling? Do you plan on getting the books, or seeing the play and/or movie?
I’m leaving on vacation next week and will return with more Word Nerd tips, and hopefully some fabulous photos, in August. Watch for a guest post on kids, books and technology soon.
Thanks for getting fangirl with me!
These all sound intriguing~ thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome. Sorry I haven’t been to your blog lately. I’m running crazy trying to get ready for our vacation. I will be back in August, I promise! 🙂