There are a few books that are like old and dear friends… we cant wait to spend time with them again. This book – as well as the 6 that followed… are such a friend to me. ~ Sheila
You dont need me to tell you the story… I would think if you have not read it (oh! Banish the thought!) or have not seen the movie (horrors at the level of a bad Ear Wax flavored Bertie Bott’s Jelly Bean!) then you have at least heard about Harry Potter.
Yes, my name is Sheila. I am 42 years old and I am a Harry Potter fan.
This book… is book one. The begining. And even reading it now, like I did all those years ago it truly was like hanging out with an old friend. I had forgotten how richly detailed, and dare I say brilliant J K Rowling was from the very first! It was interesting to read those first pages and know now where these seeds that were innocently planted in the first book… would come to fruit books later – into a story that became way more amazing then even she could have realized.
I chuckled knowingly through moments like the first mail trying to get through to Harry while he was living ay the Dursley’s. Remember the address?
“To Harry Potter, In the cupboard under the stairs” and soon after…. “To Harry Potter, in the smallest bedroom”
The Hogwart’s characters all come to life and spring off the pages…. you can feel Dumbledore’s power through the pages… and sense that Snape is someone not to be forgotten…. even now…. so early on…
I marvel at how lucky we as readers are – those of us who were there as the books came out, as we waited in lines at
midnight to get our copies, or anxiously at doors to have them delivered…. some of us (no names mentioned) planning our day around the books release…. think about it. How lucky we were to be there to experience first hand as the story came to life. The next generations will read as the classics they will become… and as that generation reads these books – those of us – in the know – will have a distant twinkle in our eye…. a memory, of our first steps into the world created by J K Rowling.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, along with the rest of the Harry Potter series, has been attacked by several religious groups and banned in some countries because of accusations that the novels promote witchcraft. However, some Christian commentators have written that the book exemplifies important Christian viewpoints, including the power of self-sacrifice and the ways in which people’s decisions shape their personalities. Educators regard Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and its sequels as an important aid in improving literacy because of the books’ popularity.
What did I learn by reading this book? That Quidich would be a wonderful sport to watch! Of course, this book deals with great friendships too and I think it teaches kids to really embrace differences in others.
(I started reading this book a couple weeks ago in a mood that nothing I read was filling me…. this book did the trick and I intentionally stopped reading it so I could finish it today and make it my first completed read of 2010)
This book fits into the following challenges:
The Gilmore Girls reading Challenge
Harry Potter Reading Challenge
This book is from my own personal collection – my original copy that I read in 1998.
Book Journey 
LOVE Harry Potter. We got the 6th movie for Christmas and I think we’ve seen it 3 times already. My daughter and I plan on reading the 7th book together (I’ve already read it, of course)
Helen my son (19) and I watched #6 and #7 back to back on Christmas Eve. I love these movies and books! I started reading them to see what my kids were reading so I get that about sharing a read together!
I am one of those as well! I am even a bigger HP fan than my 10 year old daughter! I love living in her world reading those~! :0)
LOL Lisa – by the time we got to the last book – we have purchased three… one for me and one for each of my boys. We no longer could share at this point…LOL
I finished before both of them and stuck post it notes in their copies on the pages after something big happened so I could say – “Can you believe that just happened?” 🙂
Okay, I am one of those who hasn’t read a Harry Potter book, although I’ve seen most of the movies (with grandkids) and even have several of the DVDs.
I imagine that I will get around to it at some point, but I must admit that these books (and the Twilight series) are not my cup of tea. Just judging from the movies, of course!
Hi Laurel….. oh…. we can no longer talk now…. ha ha….. just kidding!
I think I was first so impressed with J K’s story that I had to read the books.
I only read or rather listened to the whole series once ut loved it from the first chapter to the last (of course it might also be an absolutely amazing job that Mr. Daly did narrating). I do own all seven and one of the things I want to do this year is read them.
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones Sheila!
I want to listen to them Lily – I have heard they are amazing on audio. That will be the next thing I want to do! 🙂
Happy New Year!
I love this series and plan on reading it again this year as well. So much fun! and now my nephew is getting involved in reading them as well and will be fun to discuss them with him.
Lydia that is so great…. I cant wait to experience them some day through the eyes of the next generation. I think that would be so cool to be able to discuss what it was like to actually be there as the books were being created. 🙂
I too have not read any Potter books but have seen a couple of the movies. Like Laurel, just not my cup of tea but I’m hoping to get my son interested in reading them. I think he would enjoy the adventure.
Natalie I never would have thought they would be my thing either…. but the story line sucked me right in! 🙂
This series of books is responsible for reigniting an interest in reading in our youngsters. When they finished Harry Potter, they started looking for other books with similar plot lines and “value” structure (not meant in the religious context). There have been many good series come out since. It is nice to see young teens coming into the library and READING something other than those books required for school.
We have had Book-To-Movie parties for all the Harry Potter and Twilight movies and will continue to do so for other appropriate books. It is nice to have a wide variety of books to recommend to young readers.
Oh exactly Patricia! I fully agree with that! My sons were not readers until the Potter series. I am so thankful for books like these that get kids reading! My oldest son went away from reading books (he is 22) but our 19 year old has been reading ever since and I love to recommend books to him.
I love the Potter parties too…. that is so awesome. I have never been to one, but hey… you never know! 🙂
I finally read this book for the first time just a couple of months ago. I had no idea that my “name” was associated with such an unpleasant person as Aunt Petunia. But I am glad I read it. It was much better than I thought it would be. I tend to think of best sellers in a negative light but I was so happy to be proved wrong in this case. I’ll be reading the rest of the series soon.
Oh good Petunia – and honestly I didnt think about the name comparison! I think each book just gets better and better. Enjoy them!
Harry Potter is awesome! I read this book 10 years ago, because I was “previewing” it to see if it was appropriate for my daughter, and I got hooked!
Thats pretty much how I got hooked to Stephanie. I wanted to know what my boys were reading and I fell right in to the series, in most cases reading the books father than they were! 🙂
I need to read these again this year, too, for the Harry Potter Reading Challenge, but I haven’t started yet. I’m looking forward to it, though!
This was my start wordlilly….. I signed up all that time ago and then have been so busy that I never got to them. Now that I am in them I am so thrilled to be reading them again!
Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me at all (that once you started, you’re thrilled). I expect my reaction to be about the same.
Sheila, Oh my! Would you believe me if I told you I have only read one and a half of the Potter books?
I read mostly at night and these darn books entered my dreams and I would wake up in the middle of the night being chased down a hallway or flying on a broom in a quiditch match! I had to stop reading them.
Funny ha? You can see why I can’t read thriller’s anymore 🙂
Mari! Oh my gosh! I am laughing here…. and seriously trying not to! 🙂 I think you should try again…. these books are such a wonderful part of my reading journey….I am so thankful to have read them. (Still not trying to laugh…. really) 🙂
You are awesome Mari – thank you for sharing that!
I love all of the books in this series and Harry has become a real friend to me. When I was reading #7 in bed one night, I started to cry because of the character dying and my husband was like, “what’s the deal they’re not real” and I told him in no uncertain terms that they were real and dear to me!! He thinks I’m a fruitcake!!
LOL Staci – when I first read about a certain character dieing in book #6 I remember I was at the YMCA on the elliptical (yes, while reading!) tears were running down my face and my poor friend Heidi was working out next to me thinking I had lost my mind….LOL They just dont understand us Staci!
Love this book and the series. What a way to start off the new year.
Thats what I was thinking Ryan…. I wanted to bring in the new year with a book I knew I could gush about! 🙂
I recently listened to this audio book with my children and was surprised about all the details I had forgotten since the lat time I reread it. I remember being so excited about the first movie and rereading the book right beforehand and then i was so disappointed by it because it wasn’t the same. I like it now but I recall being in the theater and feeling sad rather than excited because the changes distracted me so much.
Jill, what changes did you find between the movie and the book? I remember being thrilled how close they were alike but I could have missed something… Harry Potter is just exciting to me. 🙂
I have never read HP and REALLY want to… most of my students have read it, so I am waiting for some discharges and new admissions so that I can con them into a mini book club with me!!
Oh Jenna – they are must reads! I am excited for you to expereience them for the first time! 🙂
I thought of you today at the bookstore-I bought this adorable book A Christmas Almanac-complete with the words to carols, recipes, things to do, ice rinks and ski hills in the US and other fun acitivities.
I am 46 buying a book this book not in the age group of 4-6 year olds.
The illustrations are adorable very Victorian
LOL Esme…. when it come to books – age does not matter! 🙂 It sounds like a wonderful book!
This was definitely one of my favorites and you could tell that JK poured her heart and soul into it. Some of the books in the middle of the series weren’t as good, but this one is a classic!
It has been a few years since I have read these earlier ones Alexia… I plan to read and review them all again so that will help me remember and hopefully give detailed memories on each read. (Some memories I cant wait to share of my first experience with these books! 🙂
I LOVE Harry Potter–I was just telling my grandmother today that I should re-read the series this year. 🙂
Hi Katy – I think you should! 🙂 But I may be bias! LOL
I completely agree with you about the HP series! I joined the HP challenge in part just to have an excuse to re-read the series (like I needed an excuse). 🙂
That right Alyce! I remember when I fist signed up you were saying you were a big fan too! Heres to reading them again! 🙂
Ah, you gotta love a book you can use for four challenges!
LIsa – LOL – exactly my plan 🙂
I just love anything Harry Potter! My daughter and I fought over the books so much that we both have our own complete sets!! I have not ever re-read these but it sounds like a great idea! I do enjoy the books much better than the movies, but only because my imagination is never satisfied in the movies!
Enjoy!
Julie J I get that! The last three books we had to have 3 copies of each in the house because my sons and I would not share a book! LOL
I love the Harry Potter books. I will be reading the last one before the 1st part of the movie comes out. I know I will re-read them again someday. I have two sons so I know I will either read the books to them or read along with them when they pick them up.
Must reads Michelle! I cant believe you havent read the last book yet! I couldnt wait for that one to come out and read it in two days!
I really hate to admit this… I have these books, or well – my son has these books. I have tried to read the first one a few times. Once with my son and then again on my own. I had a really hard time getting into it. I think it may be in part that I have reread the beginning of the book about 3 or 4 times and never got to finish it. I have seen all the movies out thus far and we are such fans here in our house.
I am going to have to pick up the books again and get them read. I know the books have to be sooooo much better than the movies, and the movies were amazing!
Melissa – I hope you try again…. I found the book (first one) easier to understand once I had seen the movie. I needed to picture Quidich I think 🙂
Yes book are way better than the movies although I do give a lot of credit to the movies being wonderful as well!
Awww. The Harry Potter books are my very favourite. They hold a very special place in my heart. I’m kinda jealous of your brilliant plan to have the first one be your first read of the decade!
I did get an official Gryffindor scarf for Christmas which I cherish!
Jody – A Gryffindor scarf? That is so completely awesome and now I am jealous of you! 🙂
Oh, Harry Potter. I grew up with him and I am very glad that I had that experience. It won’t be the same for my kids but they’ll definitely be read these books. 🙂