Adventures in Harry Potter

[przed]

In the wake of Ros' Harry Potter obsession, I picked up the first book this week. We're now three chapters in, and I have to say I'm enjoying reading it aloud far more than I did reading it to myself back when it first came out.

Having an appreciative audience probably helps. Ros giggled through the entire chapter of Harry getting all those Hogwarts letters. And she let out a long dismayed "nooooo" when the chapter was over.

Comments

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

My brother used to read them aloud to my mother as part of his reading improvement. That was how we all learnt that 'Hermione' is not pronounced Her-moyn *g*

The books do age with Harry - the first few are really great for younger children, the latter ones get longer and darker, as you probably know. I was 11 when the first one came out, and read the last one on the day of its release when I was about 21. I do wonder what it would be like to read them all close together, and at the same age...

[przed.livejournal.com]

That was how we all learnt that 'Hermione' is not pronounced Her-moyn *g*

Hee! I knew Hermione from The Winter's Tale long before HP came out, but the computer science major Sweetie thought it was pronounced Herm-Me-Own until he saw the first movie. Which of course, I cannot let him forget because I'm evil that way.

I've been wondering about what we're going to do if Ros keeps with the books and wants to read the later ones. This is the kid who made me stop reading The Wizard of Oz because she was convinced the lion died in the poppy field and wouldn't be convinced otherwise. It will be interesting.

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

In terms of reading the later ones, whether an 8 year old can put up with 300+ pages is another aspect, I suppose? You could try a lateral move to similar books more firmly in the 'children' genre like 'The Worst Witch' books by Jill Murphy (which were sort of the Harry Potter of my earlier childhood) or the wonderful Eva Ibbotson, whose 'Secret of Platform 13' reminds that there's been a long pre-Rowling tradition of mystery magic platforms at Kings Cross *g* (Ibbotson is INCREDIBLE, in my view. Her YA novels are fun, but her stuff for children is the best, especially 'Which Witch')