(HS LRC) September Book of the Month - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is originally a two-part West End (a common term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of "Theatreland" in and near the West End of London) stage play written by Jack Thorne (best known for Skins, a British teen comedy drama) and based on an original new story by Thorne, J.K. Rowling, and John Tiffany. The play takes place mainly in the year 2021, but begins in 2017.

The official eighth book follows an older Harry's struggles in British magical society and his younger son as a dark chain of events unfolds nineteen years after the events in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

As the brand-new Wizarding World story in nearly a decade, the rehearsal script, which was not a novelization of the play, was released on July 31, a day after the stage play officially premiered at London's Palace Theatre and the birth date that Harry and J.K. share, as a first edition, entitled "Special Rehearsal Edition", in print and digital formats as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I & II.

The story has a different vibe and it ain't just because of the new text format. You've come to the right place though if you're looking for some great characterization, nostalgia, humor, and just something very unique. It's more mature, character-driven, and less magical story contributing to the disconnect between the new story and the past books that some fans feel but let's all pause for a moment and try to remember the London Premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 last July 2011 where J.K. and the golden trio basically gave or dedicated speeches to each other.

According to CNN, this was the most preordered book of 2016. The book has been nominated for the Holden-Crowther Book Award 2016. In the US and Canada, the book sold over 2 million copies in its first two days of release. Since revisions to the script continued after the book was printed, an edited version will be released in 2017 as the "Definitive Collector's Edition" so be sure to look out for that at the HS fREADom Hub!

(GS LRC) September Book of the Month - What We Wear

A smiling child from Papua New Guinea wears a feathered crown and necklace, while two children from Ethiopia are adorned with decorative beads and shells. Another spread shows children from Japan, the United Kingdom, the U.S., and Malawi dressed in sports uniforms. Captions suggest context for the images; “Dressing up means celebrating who we are... and what we believe,” reads one.

Everyone will be celebrating United Nations Day next month in honor of the namesake organization which promotes international cooperation. This month's feature can identify who we are: what team we play for or what team we root for, where we go to school, how we worship, or how we represent our heritage. What we wear expresses our individuality, and clothes can make us happy, confident, and proud.

Children everywhere wear clothes and accessories for different reasons whether it's a piper in a tartan plaid, a cowpoke in a cowboy hat, or a novice in ceremonial face paint but one thing they all have in common is that they are all unique and beautiful. Discover cultures in over 40 countries with double-page spreads full of uplifting photographs showcasing various kinds of clothes, costumes, masks, and more that children may be found wearing everywhere.

This nonfiction leaves plenty of room for questions since it doesn’t include any specific information about the apparel featured but end pages suggest ways for readers to discover more about clothing worn around the world both in the past and in the present. School Library Journal calls What We Wear a "resplendent homage to our common humanity".

This winner is a concise, well-written option for audiences as young as 4 years old but would also serve well for older children, perhaps coupled with more in depth discussions about diversity. What We Wear was developed by Global Fund for Children too, meaning a "portion of the proceeds will be donated to support innovative community-based organizations the serve the world's most vulnerable children and youth".