Hurrah for Harry Potter:
This summer Jason and I started rereading "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (book six), and enjoyed it so much we summarily moved onto rereading the last one in the series as well. Maybe it's the fact that the last few books in this series came out in the summer that makes me peruse their pages again each summer. I know there are some who love to lampoon J.K. Rowling's stories, but frankly, I adore them. Here's a few reasons why:
-the whole world of witches and wizards is so finely created that I love revisiting it, and can't help wish each time that it were real.
-superb characterization. The characters are well-written, believable, and have their flaws as well as strengths. Even minor characters have believability. Harry, Dumbledore, Snape, Voldemort, Mrs. Weasley, Mad-Eye Moody, etc. they're characters you can cheer for, relate to, or despise. But they seem so real. They make mistakes, they mess up and have moments of truth which make me cheer or cry. And there's always a few suprises.
-exciting plot. Nothing new about good vs. evil, but the heroics of the good guys, plus the sheer creepiness of the villains makes this so compelling to read. It's never easy for the heroes, and you can't help feeling anxious about them as they stumble through the adventures.
-the humour which is always there. From little asides to characters jokes, the books make you chuckle.
Say what you want about these books, but J.K. Rowling created something that has young children to adults avidly devouring +400 pg. novels in an age where some say that reading is a dying pastime- I don't care what you say, that's talent. They're books that can stand to be read again, and ones I alook forward to reading with my own kids.
The Pigeon is Here!
"Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!" by Mo Willems is hilarious for parents and kids alike. Eager to postpone the inevitable, the pigeon resorts to some wild and creative strategies to not go to bed. The format and style of this book was so different, that at first I was a bit taken aback, then thrilled. It's like a comicbook for young kids, but a quality read. As the pigeon addresses the reader he gets more and more goofy in his attempts to not be sent to bed. Read it and laugh.
Happy Reading all!
2 comments:
Harry Potter always seemed to be a summer read for me. I really enjoyed them. Ivy lost interest though partway through book 4. I'm just going to wait and let her pick them up again when she is so inclined, since they do get really long, and quite a bit darker at this point.
I'd say that after book three, you need to be a little older to enjoy them. Older than eight that is!
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