From: Renee Hoxie <rhoxie>
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 14:52:12

Melody Allen wondered if fantasy fans are enjoying the Harry Potter books. I am a middle school librarian with a few LMC student "regulars" with whom I share any good read that comes my way. The group are 7th graders and each of them has a favorite genre, fantasy. They will read, however, just about anything I put before them. Each student absolutely loved Harry Potter and we have been tracking Amazon.com for months looking for the next books and when they would be published. My students loved the fast pace and adventure, and found Harry to be a very likeable character. I especially appreciated the humor. Sometimes fantasy is so dark. The quest and confrontation with evil can be chilling. I'm thinking of THE DARK IS RISING (Cooper) or SABRIEL (Nix), for example. Both are fabulous books, but I enjoyed the lighter fantasy elements in HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE. A sixth grade teacher read it to her class and her students are also clamoring for the next book. I completely agree with Susan Steffen, who wrote that the book "strikes a fundamental chord" with middle school aged children. The lighter touch makes it easier to recommend to all readers. Renee Hoxie Thomas Jefferson Middle School Madison, WI
Received on Fri 04 Jun 1999 02:52:12 PM CDT