Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Jun 26

#15: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

by kennithfreeman

It’s official…..I’m addicted to the adventures of Harry Potter! I intentionally grabbed a rather large stack of novels on my last trip to the library to ensure that I stretched out my experience with these books a little longer.

I loved the humor found in this second installment of the series. From flying cars to the adventures in Hagrid’s hut while hiding under the invisibility cloak, Harry and Ron certainly had a lot of fun in this book. I also enjoyed meeting Almost Headless Nick and Moaning Myrtle. I was quite upset to discover who had actually opened the Chamber of Secrets and how she had been manipulated by Voldemort.

What I think I most appreciated about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was the clarity of theme that Rowling wove throughout the book. I especially enjoyed the exchange between Dumbledore and Harry at the book’s conclusion as Harry was wrestling with the fear that he should have been in Slytherin hall. Reflect on the power of this statement for all of us as we face uncertainty:

‘Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue — resourcefulness — determination — a certain disregard for rules. . .Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think.’

‘It only put me in Gryffindor. . .because I asked not to go in Slytherin. . .’

‘Exactly. . .Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.’ (Chamber of Secrets, 333)

Our successes or failures are not determined by happenstance, fate, or magic. We have the right to choose….and those choices determine our character and the path of our life. That’s a lesson that I want to remember on a daily basis. (Who would have guessed that a simply story about a boy wizard could make such a profound statement to this 43-year-old man?) I’m already looking forward to The Prisoner of Azkaban, but have to do a little more reading on my other projects first.

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Jun 8

#12: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (J.K. Rowling)

by kennithfreeman

When Harry Potter made his way to American bookshelves in 1998, I was a graduate student who had just started working with the children’s ministry of a local church. In that position, I felt the need to read the controversial book in order to have an opinion to share with children and their parents. As I read, I was looking for problems…..and found some things that I thought parents should know before making their own decision about the book. In my search for information, however, I missed the story and excitement of Rowling’s characters. Almost 17 years have passed since the novel made its American debut and I have found myself wondering what all the hype was about, so I decided to read the series this summer. What I found was a charming book filled with moral dilemmas, images of pure love, and the challenges of finding your own identify during childhood. Additionally, I only found a few scenes that I found questionable for pre-teen readers (the target audience of the book). Instead, what I discovered is that I was enthralled by the story and simply could not put the book down. I have actually had to forbid myself from returning to the library to pick up the next installment before I finish a couple of other books that are on deck.

I realize that I am just beginning my journey with Harry, Hermione, and the rest of the cast at Hogwarts, but I am definitely excited to see how the story continues. I’m just glad I don’t have to wait as long as the original readers did to find out what happens in the next year of school.

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