Editor’s Note: The following is part of a four-part series by Madeline McKeon, in which she compiles a list of books reflective of each of the four houses in the “Harry Potter” series.
“What’s your Hogwarts House?” was one of the first questions that an admissions counselor asked during my first college interview. I thought it was an odd question at the time—do they immediately throw out Slytherins? What happens if you’ve never read Harry Potter? It is, in retrospect, a pretty insightful question though. Your Hogwarts House—self-chosen or determined by the Internet Gods—is supposed to correlate with your most significant traits. Gryffindors are bold and courageous, Hufflepuffs are loyal and kind, Ravenclaws are wise and thoughtful, and Slytherins are ambitious and cunning. People’s (sometimes terrifyingly aggressive) pride in their house has finally bled into people’s reading habits outside of the Harry Potter series. The Sorting Hat Challenge is simple. What books have you read that echo the essence of each house?
Gryffindor: “Where dwell the brave of Heart.”
I often wish I was a Gryffindor because I am, at my core, deeply afraid of most things. Gryffindors are typically bold, brave, and have a strong sense of justice. I hope we all have a little Gryffindor in us.
1. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber
Reading this book is what I would imagine driving full-speed through Michael Bay’s mind is like. Perry is a normal high school student who has been forced by his parents to take his odd, unlikeable foreign exchange student, Gobi, to prom. Turns out Gobi is a scary assassin on a mission for revenge. I guess first impressions don’t count for much.
2. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy
This is a classic swashbuckler, full of dashing and daring and banter-laden fights. It’s the height of France’s Reign of Terror and Marguerite St. Just, a French actress celebrated for her intelligence, has married Sir Percy Blakeney, a notoriously idiotic fop, to everyone’s surprise. In her home country, a mysterious man called the Scarlet Pimpernel is wreaking havoc across France by stopping unjust executions. Marguerite is blackmailed into discovering the identity of the Pimpernel even though it may threaten her marriage and her life.
3. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
The memoir of the girls’ education activist, Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for insisting girls should have the right to go to school. Malala traces her story, family history, and what propelled her to become the powerful person she is today.
4. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
A lovely retelling of A Thousand and One Arabian Nights. This is a remarkable book mostly because it manages to make the generally terrible and abusive relationship between the Caliph and Scheherazade really supportive and healthy. Shazi’s bravery is the bedrock of the narrative
and her willingness and capability to stand up for what’s right make her stand out as Young Adult heroine.
5. Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America by Nathan McCall
Nathan McCall is a respected journalist for the Washington Post but he has also been imprisoned for gang-related offenses and in his youth engaged in robberies and gun violence. McCall examines the disenfranchisement that leads to crime in impoverished, African-American neighborhoods and the toll that institutionalized racism has on an individual. His bravery lies not only in his ability to survive the daily degradations he experiences as a teenager but also in admitting his crimes and his honesty about himself.