From: Robin Gibson <gibsonr_at_denison.edu>
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:19:31 -0400

I've been a fan of Harry from close to the beginning. I remember reading a review in /CCBC Choices/ in early 1999, and to check my memory, I looked it up! Under "Books of International Interest" it says "the delightful fantasy novel /Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/ by J.K. Rowling, is a runaway hit in that country and is already proving to be immensely popular here as well." (p.15 in the Observations about Publishing in 1998 chapter.) So naturally I went in search of it!

Over the next years I became a parent, and as the boys grew I read Harry Potter to them, beginning in first grade, or kindergarten with the youngest (who by then already knew Harry from the first movie). I've read the first three books aloud (more than once) and we've listened to the first three Harry Potter books on family trips (Jim Dale is a great narrator). I've enjoyed the movies more because of watching them with the children. Though I thought the first one was okay, watching it with them made me like it more (and they didn't mess anything up too much). We've had Harry Potter birthday parties and played Quidditch (muggle style, as we can't fly they always point out) in the backyard. The year Book #5 came out we were in Sweden, so I ordered my copy from Amazon UK and felt like an old friend had arrived when it came in the mail! While I liked Harry Potter when I first read it, I had no idea it would become such a part of our lives.

I finished re-reading /Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows/ a few days ago, and put a few more thoughts about it on my blog at:

if you're interested in reading more!

Robin
*************************

Robin Gibson Youth Services Librarian Westerville Public Library Westerville, OH
Received on Thu 14 Jul 2011 08:19:31 AM CDT