Can't wait.

Harry Potter Theme Park

If there was ever a reason to have a kid, it's so I can finally get to Disney World (she says, being sarcastic and exaggerating, yet somewhat serious). The idea is even better now that the new Harry Potter Theme Park at Universal Studios will be open. This place looks awesome. Sure, it'll be several years before we get there; the boy has to be old enough to appreciate Disney and Harry. But I'm no less excited. Seriously, look at this place. You can walk by Hogwarts? Have a butter beer in Hogsmeade? Are you kidding? Truly magical.

How Young is Too Young? Plus, Half-Blood Prince.

I liked this story in our local Star Tribune (courtesy of Associated Press). It talks about how second-generation Harry Potter fans don’t get the chance to “grow up” alongside Harry. If you were 10 when Sorcerer’s Stone came out, then you were 20 when Deathly Hollows hit shelves. At 20, you’re prepared for the darkness of death and war that takes place in the seventh book.

However, if you’re a parent interested in starting your kids on Potter now, and if they really enjoy them, you could end up going from book one to book seven in as little as a year or two (or less). Would your 8-year-old be ready for Deathly Hollows? Your 10-year-old? And if not, how do you tell them, “I know you love Harry, but we have to wait until you’re older to keep going…”

But, as the article says, maybe that’s exactly what you have to do. I loved the story of the 9-year-old boy who was reading Half-Blood Prince before the movie came out this month. Before he gets to the end, he’s so upset he stops reading and tells his dad to sell his movie ticket; he’s not going.

I completely understand, kid. Half-Blood is brutal. I’m surprised he even got through Order of the Phoenix. That ending just about killed me. And I was 22 when I read it.

There are plenty of books like this out there, too—series that grow as their characters grow (Traveling Pants, Twilight). From innocent kisses to sex. From talking it through to major violence. So, if you’re lucky to be there at the beginning, the transition is usually seamless. But if you’re second-generation readers, or parents who can’t wait for your kids to love Harry or Carmen or Bella as much as you did, then you have some thinking to do.

What do you think? How do you rein in little readers if they’re diving into territory they shouldn’t be? What other books offer up this conundrum?

******

I saw Half-Blood Prince over the weekend and I really enjoyed it. Big surprise, huh? I did think it was a touch too long. I can imagine how hard it is to cut down one of those books to fit a movie, but I think even if it were just 20 minutes shorter, that would've made a difference, and maybe left a little more time to make the ending a bit more impactful. Overall, the movies have come a long way. They keep getting more exciting, more humorous and more mature. It's probably because the kids keep growing up, but I like the movies more and more as the series goes on.

Potter Mania

In honor of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in theaters today, here's a list of links to Harry Potter-related posts I've written, and anything else Harry I could find today:

Half-Blood Prince trailer.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.

J.K. Rowling podcast, parts I and II.

Tomorrow night my DVR will be set to ABC for the documentary that followed Rowling during the year leading up to the release of Deathly Hollows.

Last week's Entertainment Weekly's cover story was on Harry. I can't believe how grown up these kids are (and they so far seem very well adjusted). Also, here's EW's review of the movie.

Our local Star Tribune's review. It surprises me that the film is back to being rated PG. They're only getting more scary and more complex.

I'll leave it at that. I plan to see the movie soon, but unlike reading the books, I don't have to see this before everyone else. I've been trying to catch Order of the Phoenix on TV, but it was only playing on HBO. I did watch Goblet of Fire recently though. All the films are fabulous. I love that they're a who's who of English actors too - Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, this time Jim Broadbent who I've loved ever since Moulin Rouge, Emma Thompson, Helena Boham Carter and Robbie Coltrane. Seriously, all they're missing is Hugh Grant and Keira Knightly (though, that doesn't mean I'm suggesting they would be right for these movies... No.).

Anyway, Happy Harry Potter Day!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Now, this is a trailer! It shows all the intensity and scariness of the sixth book. I'm so excited for this movie to come out, but after watching this trailer, it makes me want to break out books six and seven again. I feel like I forgot what happened!

(The night we saw Harry Potter two summers ago, this happened, and I left the theater with a cell phone filled with messages. Let's hope for a much calmer day this summer; it's hard for me not to associate the two experiences.)

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Last December, I mentioned J.K. Rowling's latest creation: the handwritten, personally illustrated, very limited edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which she gave out to six special someones and auctioned off the seventh for some $4 million (for charity).

Well, Harry fans rejoice! The compilation of fairy tales will be available on Amazon come Dec. 4, 2008, in both a collector's edition and a standard edition. The perfect holiday gift for any Harry fan.

[Side note: There are several The Half-Blood Prince trailers out there now. Check YouTube. Movie hits theaters this November. Looks like the creepiest and most emotional movie so far!]

Top 5 Books I read in 2007, No.1: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows

I know I've been a little heavy on the Harry already this month. However, when it comes to naming my top book of the year - no contest. My mom started me on Harry Potter during Christmas 1999 when she gave me the first three books. I’d heard a bit about this Harry Potter character, but I had no idea what I was in for. I think I read all three books during that semester break. The next 8 years were spent waiting. Waiting for Goblet of Fire – which wasn’t too long of a wait, waiting an excruciating three years for Order of the Phoenix, waiting for Half-Blood Prince, and then, this past July, the wait was over. The mailman delivered Deathly Hollows at 4 p.m. Saturday and I finished reading Sunday at 5 p.m. (Unlike other readers, I did take a break to sleep, eat, etc.)

When you’ve been reading a series you find so magical for nearly 10 years, and you know it’s going to come to end, you have high expectations. My high expectations were met – surpassed even. The story of Harry Potter came full circle (an Epilogue even!) and I was happy with it. The magic world is at war, and Harry, Ron and Hermione are on special assignment from Professor Dumbledore to slowly kill Lord Voldermort by destroying the Horcruxes that contain pieces of his soul. It was odd not to be in the halls of Hogwarts with the students, instead traveling to the ends of the continent with the three wizards. The death toll increased exponentially in this book, each bringing tears to my eyes and gasps to my lips. But I had to remember that these wizards were fighting, and dying, for freedom.

And that’s the thing with the Harry Potter series, especially the last three books. The parallels to our real world are hard to miss: death, oppression, hatred, discrimination, dirty politicians, war, and denial, but also love, strength, truth and hope. There are so many wonderful things about the series - getting millions of kids to learn the “magic” of reading, a struggling writer discovering her dream and never losing her integrity - that I could go on and on. But, either I’m preaching to the choir, or those are discoveries a new reader has to make on his or her own. These books will be around for generations though, and I’m anxious to see the stories be enjoyed all over again by those close to me.

[Fun Fact: J.K. Rowling recently hand-wrote and illustrated seven copies of one final Harry book, The Tales of Beetle the Bard. Six of those she gave as gifts to those close to the series, and one was auctioned off this month for nearly $4 million (all of which goes to a children’s charity). See stories here and here.]

Happy New Year!

Podcast with J.K. Rowling, Part II

I listened to the second part of The Leaky Cauldron's Jo Rowling podcast today (what an awesome job those Leaky creators have!). It was a good way to start the morning - listening to her voice makes me happy. Her love for these books shines through. She really believes in them, which I find so special in an author. I know many probably feel the same way about their own books, but I'm sure there are plenty who don't, too.

In this edition of PotterCast, Rowling talked about the secrets she had to share with Alan Rickman before they started filming any of the movies, so he could indeed nail Snape the way he does.

She makes mention of the new Harry Potter theme park that's in the works. Warner Bros., which owns the rights to the movies, actually asked her permission first, and she's had a huge amount to do with the creation and the look of the amusement park. (It's nice to hear about movie studios being respectful of writers...) "It's as close as you'll ever get to actually walking into Hogsmeade, "she says. While I'm not huge into amusement parks, I can only imagine how cool it would be for kids. (Who am I kidding? I'd have to go if I had the chance.)

They discussed the evolution of wands in the books, especially in Deathly Hallows when the elder wand becomes so important. Rowling says that while most wands have a sense of loyalty to its owner, the elder wand only knows strength, thus falling under the power of anyone who rightfully wins it - and usually into the wrong hands. Mistaking the desire to murder as power is Voldermort's biggest problem.

They also talked about the documentary that was made during the last year of Rowling writing the Deathly Hallows, on tour, at the book's launch, her traveling back to the haunts where she used to write and much more. It airs in the U.K. on Sunday, Dec. 30. When it'll be available here is still unknown.

Definitely worth a listen, but listen to Part I, first.

Podcast with J.K. Rowling

Yesterday I downloaded the first of two podcasts with Jo Rowling from The Leaky Cauldron. Part II will be available next week sometime. If you're a Harry fan, this is definitely worth a listen. Besides just loving Rowling's voice and her humor, which makes her a joy to listen to, I loved the podcast with her for the back story she provided and the light she shed on some of the mysteries of the series. If you love the books as much as I do, you want to believe the story of Harry as "real." Rowling talks as if it is, and you can really tell that she has all the answers in her head.

How could Harry (sort of) be a horcrux? Why does Harry's scar burn when Voldermort gets close? What about Dumbledore's sexuality? Is she really going to write a Harry Potter Encyclopedia?!?

I can't wait for Part II. More about Harry Potter to come next week.