Blog Tour: From Sketch to Cover Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban‏

Welcome to my stop on the Harry Potter blog tour celebrating the new cover for The Prisoner of Azkaban! If you follow my blog you'll know by now what a massive Potterhead I am and so I'm thrilled to have some exciting Harry Potter goodness to share with you today. But for now, the reason that we're all here, can we all just take a moment to admire the absolute beauty that is the new cover...

and the artwork on the back cover is equally wonderful!

Blurb from the back of the book
When the Knight Bus crashes through the darkness and screeches to a halt in front of him, it’s the start of another far from ordinary year at Hogwarts for Harry Potter. Sirius Black, escaped mass-murderer and follower of Lord Voldemort, is on the run – and they say he is coming after Harry. In his first ever Divination class, Professor Trelawney sees an omen of death in Harry’s tea leaves ... but perhaps most terrifying of all are the Dementors patrolling the school grounds, with their soul-sucking kiss...

 From Sketch to Cover 

See Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban develop before your eyes in this amazing GIF!

Three exclusive facts from Jonny Duddle 
Jonny Duddle, jacket illustrator for the new Harry Potter children’s editions reveals three facts about the cover of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban:

·This was the only cover for which I had a clear vision in my head of how I wanted it to look, before I even started the rough. 

·To get good reference photos of the cape, Sammy’s little sister shook the cape continuously, whilst he stood in position. 

·Harry, Hermione and Sirius are all in the background, surrounded by dementors. 

I think that Jonny Duddle has done a fantastic job of capturing the magic of the Harry Potter books. I'd even go as far as to say that they are my favourite editions to date! I have no doubt that these stunning covers will convince a whole new generation to discover the magic for the very first time. In case you haven't read the series yet and need any more convincing to check out this beloved series multi award-winning British children's writer Annabel Pitcher is here today to talk about why the series means so much to her.

Annabel Pitcher and Harry

When I was a teacher browsing the Times Educational Supplement, a secret part of me was always disappointed that there was never a post advertised at Hogwarts. I would have grabbed the first available owl and applied for it in a shot, packing my bags faster than you can say Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore. That I believed it were possible is why I fell in love with Harry Potter in the first place. 

In the opening pages, we are not thrown into a fantasy universe. We are shown our world, with all its square-house, suburban drudgery. We see ourselves as muggles and recognise the worst parts of being human in the curtain-twitching, hosepipe-toting Dursleys. We feel Harry’s frustration because it is our frustration, and together we both long for there to be something – anything – more. And then the owls come, and with it the promise of adventure in a world skilfully interwoven with ours. This is magic, almost within our grasp. It is a wall in Kings Cross. An innocent-looking red phone box. An invisible house on an otherwise ordinary street. That is the charm of the series for me. Harry’s universe is so tantalisingly close and intimately recognisable that it feels as if it really does exist.

Bloomsbury Publishing has relaunched its Harry Potter website to support the new children’s editions. The new Harry Potter site uses the Jonny Duddle artwork from the new children’s editions and includes pages of information on the bestselling series as well as exciting new content from Magical Downloads to a Harry Potter Quote Generator. Check out the new site at: http://harrypotter.bloomsbury.com/uk/

Make sure you stop by Readaraptor tomorrow for the next stop on the blog tour!

August Round Up and Book of the Month

August's Book of the Month is Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

I was one of the few who thought that Throne of Glass was just an okay read and so I've been happily surprised that this series just keeps getting better and better. Heir of Fire is without doubt my new favourite of this series and one of my favourite reads of this year. I don't want to say too much about it in case anyone reading this hasn't started this series yet but if you'd like to know more of my thoughts on this book check out my review here. The only thing I will say for fans of this series is that Celaena Sardothien has never been more badass!

Read in August
63.) Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (5*)
64.) Written in the Stars by Ali Harris (4*)
65.) Rebel Heart by Moira Young (3.5*)
66.) Conversion by Katherine Howe (2*)
67.) Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (5*)
68.) Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead (4.5*)
69.) Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas (5*)
70.) Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan (4*)
71.) Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater (3.5*)

Monthly Book Awards
Best Plot: Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Best Writing: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
Best Cover: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Best Characters: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Best Ending: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Best Romance: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Most un-put-down-able: Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Most Memorable: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Best Moral: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: Heir of Fire, Little Lies, Isla and the Happily Ever After. 

Books I’m Looking Forward to Being Released in September 
The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
Magisterium: The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan
Get Even by Gretchen McNeil
Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
The Jewel by Amy Ewing
Falling into Place by Amy Zhang
The Witch of Salt and Storm by Kendall Kulper

 What was the best book you read in August? 

 And what are you looking forward to reading this month?