How to Explore the World of Harry Potter Books

J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books have become instant classics ' in part because of the extensive world she has created for her characters. It is the universe we live in ' but there are some major differences, too! Here are some hints to help you and your children get the most out of your journey to Harry Potter's world.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Children's Books

1. Suspend your disbelief. You and your children will have to believe in magic, at least for a while, to get the most out of the Harry Potter series. You will also have to accept that, in Harry Potter's world, owls bring the mail, students are issued magic wands and cauldrons, and friendly, mischievous ghosts stalk the halls of the school ' without scaring anyone!

2. Figure out where you and your kids fit in to the Hogwarts "sorting" system. As described in the first book of the series, all students at Hogwarts are sorted into four "houses," according to their strongest personality traits. It can be lots of fun for kids to figure out where they belong, and it's a great way to organize a fan club or discussion group.

3. Learn about Quidditch. This is the favorite sport of young wizards and witches at Hogwarts school. Since it's played on flying broomsticks, there is no danger of it becoming popular in our world.

4. Help your kids join a fan club, or form one of their own. There are Harry Potter fan clubs online, and there may even be one at your child's school.

5. Encourage your children to write letters to J. K. Rowling about her books. This is a great way to teach your children about the value of sharing their opinions and making their voices heard, whether or not they ever get a reply.

6. Suggest that your children draw pictures of their favorite scenes from the books, or that they write their own stories about their favorite characters. This is a great way to keep kids involved with reading, and to promote creativity and imagination.

Tips & Warnings

• Brush up on your Briticisms. The Harry Potter books are written in a decidedly British style, with some bits of dialect involved, so you may need to explain some of the terms and pronunciations to your child.
• "Hermione" is pronounced "Her-MY-oh-nee" ' not "Her-mee-own." This question comes up often on the online Harry Potter discussion boards.
• Make sure the Harry Potter books are appropriate for your child's age, temperament and taste before you begin. Some young children may be disturbed by the loss of Harry's parents, and some children just aren't interested in fantasy books.

[Joshua]

on 2/5/2007 why?

on 3/13/2006 If you have iTunes on your computer, go to Podcasts and download MuggleCast. If you have an iPod/MP3 player you can download it onto there as well. These hour and a bit segments are excellent. They discuss one character each week, do a "Dueling Club" with different characters and talk about the latest in Harry Potter!

on 11/22/2005 The Harry Potter book series isn't just for children. It has fantasy along with mature plot lines as well. They're fun for all ages. Adults and teens need some fantasy too!

on 11/22/2005 Make sure you read the books before you see the movies. So much goes on in the books that never make it to the screen. Also, the surprises are so much sweeter on the page.

Don't be a spoiler! Once you have read the books, don't give away any secrets. Some HP fans go to great lengths to keep from getting spoilers before they have the chance to read it themselves.

Lastly, Harry Potter isn't just for children. It can be appreciated by people of all ages. So don't be embarrassed to read them yourself, and take pride in the fact that you're part of a literary trend that hasn't happened in nearly 30 years!

on 11/22/2005 Remember that as Harry grows up, so do the style and content of the books. The fifth and sixth books are far from being children's books, they are aimed much more at adults.