I just finished the book in the wee hours this morning. My son (aged
9) asked me if I thought it was good and I gave a resounding "Yes!"
There haven't been a lot of series that have pulled me in so
thoroughly--Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series and Anne McCaffrey's
Dragonriders of Pern series being the only two I can think of at the
moment. Of course, I wasn't waiting on pins and needles for the next
installment of those series! I inadvertently went to a HP release
party at a local Barnes and Noble (hadn't planned to go, ended up
there--had pre-ordered the book from Amazon). I was thrilled to see
that many people of that many different ages all gathered in one
place, eagerly anticipating a book. I had to laugh though--in line
waiting for a HP themed balloon, I eavesdropped on a couple of early-
teen girls who were trying to figure out how long they were going to
need to wait--they assumed that we, a friend and I, were only in line
with our children--not to get balloons ourselves. I think they were
surprised when we got balloons--for ourselves--our children being
elsewhere. People can say what they want about the series and its
potential influences--but in MY book, any series that inspires this
kind of creativity and interest in people of so many different
backgrounds, interests, and ages--is a wonderful thing. I have a
niece who was a confirmed non-reader--didn't read well or easily,
didn't like to read--UNTIL she started to read the Harry Potter
series. She's now 20 and she'll tell anyone--Harry Potter is what
got her reading. My son, to whom I have read this series as bedtime
stories, and who tends to be a reluctant reader, is now reading the
first book in the series for himself. (In his case, I attribute some
of his move from "reluctant reader" to "reader" to graphic novels-but
HP and the Sorcerer's Stone is the first book of this size and nature
that he has willingly tackled.) Yay J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter!!!
Ronda Y. Foust
School Media Specialist
Karns High School
Knoxville, TN
readingdragon@comcast.net
http://thebookdragon.blogspot.com/
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