Book Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J. K. Rowling

Happy 20th anniversary HP!

Summary:

Harry is an orphan living in the cupboard under the stairs in his grumpy uncle and prickly aunts home. When a mysterious collection of letters arrives, Harry is amazed to learn that he is a wizard, and has been admitted into Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. There he learns about a dark wizard named Voldemort who was defeated when he tried to attack Harry as a baby. Whispers and clues begin to hint that perhaps Voldemort is returning to power, and Harry and his friends must work together to prevent him from getting what he wants.

Personal notes: 

I read this book when I was nine and was enchanted. I loved jumping into such a unique world and was thrilled that the protagonists were the same age as me. I feel like I hit this lucky jackpot, where Harry and his friends grew up at the same pace that I did. Every few years a new book was released and by the time I graduated high school, the last book came out. There were elaborate release parties where people would dress up and wait in lines for hours till midnight so they could be the first to get their hands on the stories. I have never seen anything like that since. JK Rowling genuinely brought magic into millions of people's lives.

Why this book is important: 

I asked my six year old (who is halfway through book 4) why these books are important for kids to read and he said "because these books are awesome!" These books have the power to introduce an entirely new world into their imagination. Face it, everyone wishes they could go to Hogwarts. It is said time and time again that HP got children reading again. I believe the reason is because it was purely exciting. I love that my six year old is thrilled to be reading a 720 page book (book 4) because the story is so engaging to him. That is truly magical.

Supplementary material: 

The supplemental material for Harry Potter is endless. Movies, theme parks, toys, board games, cosplay... I also love the pottermore website. There is a fantastic short story by JK Rowling on the history of magic in America that I would love to see expanded into a movie. If you can't get enough HP, go over and check it out.

Book Review: My Fathers Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

Summary:

Elmer meets a stray tabby cat who tells him of a mysterious island where a baby dragon is held captive by the forest animals. Elmer packs a small backpack of odds and ends and sets out to free the baby dragon. Can Elmer outsmart the animals and save the sweet little dragon using only 24 pink lollipops, some rubber bands and a hair comb?

My thoughts:

This book was darling. The bad guys aren't scary or bad as much as they are selfish or impatient, so if your child scares easily, this one is a good book for you. The heroes are absolutely sweet. It was really enjoyable to see how Elmer dealt with his problems in a clever and unexpected way. It reminded me of how my friends and I used to play make believe when we were little. The entire book is innocent and charming.

Why this book is important to read:

This was the first chapter book I read to my children. The chapters are short, the illustrations are sweet, and the plot holds them captive. It is a great way to transition your child to the world of novels. After this book, my son was genuinely interested when I asked if he wanted to read other, harder books (I think we read Wizard of Oz next).

Supplemental material:

There are three books that complete the story of Elmer, so this book will finish quickly, but your child will be held hungry to see how it all ends. I found a cute site that has a whole bunch of supplemental materials for your child to use while you read. You can make your own backpack with cut outs of Elmers supplies. There are coloring pages and other activities. Find them here:
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/my_fathers_dragon.php

Book Review: Redwall by Brian Jacques

Summary:

Young Matthias mouse wishes to be a great warrior like the legendary Martin. But living inside the peaceful Abby walls of Redwall, there's not much need for that sort of thing. Not until the vicious warlord rat named Cluny the Scourge arrives with his whip-like tail. Besieged by Cluny's hoard, Redwall residents must suddenly learn how to defend their beloved home and Matthias goes on a mission to discover Martin the Warriors long lost sword and enlist the woodland creatures to assist in driving off the horrible rats.

Personal Notes:

I read this book as a ten year old and just read it again to my six year old son. It is so exciting and well written. The world Brian Jacques created is such a beautiful one. His villains are immediately dark and ruthless and a bit scary. But it makes the hero all the more brave when he is willing to face up to such a menacing villain as Cluny. When I was little we had a rooster that we were all afraid of, and we named him Cluny the scourge because that was the worst possible thing we could have called him.

Why it's important to read to your child:

The puzzles and riddles and language of this story are so enriching. They will get your child thinking and learning without realizing. The plot progresses at such a wonderful pace that your child won't want you to stop. But the most important aspect is the bravery that so many of these character possess. (Some scenes may be a little scary for young ones) They could easily refuse to take on the challenges that face them. They are given more than one opportunity to surrender, but it is never discussed as an option. We talked about themes of bravery, villainy, defending loved ones, fighting, solving riddles.

Supplementary Material:

There is an entire series in the Redwall world and all of them that I have read are on the same level of quality. I tore through them as a young girl and now my son is eager to read them himself. There was a wonderful series on PBS while I was growing up that was an animated version of the books. There were tons of episodes and my brothers and I all worked hard to record each one on VHS so we would ultimately have the entire series. There was one episode that we always missed. It was a neat series because they took a moment after every episode to interview Brian Jacques. He would talk (very animatedly in a Scottish accent) about the world and characters of Redwall and it was one of the first stepping stones toward my interest in becoming a writer.

Book Review: The Spiderwick Chronicles by Toni DiTerlizzi and Holly Black.

Summary:

Jared's parents just divorced and now he has to go live in his aunts rotting old house. Odds and ends start mysteriously disappearing and the children begin to suspect they aren't the only ones who live there. Mischief and mystery fill the walls, making the siblings work together to figure out what could possibly be causing so much havoc.

My thoughts:

This book had beautiful illustrations, was funny and I enjoyed the plot right along with my kids. It only took an hour and a half to read the whole thing, so we were finished in three days. The setting was fun and I could see my kiddos imagination running the entire time I read. He was riveted.

Why this book is important to read to your child:

First off, I love that it introduces a whole different side of fairies. They are a little more like monsters than Tinkerbell. Boggarts, goblins, etc...

Second, the writing was great. I was genuinely impressed and happy to read it to my kids.

Third: These kids come from a turbulent family, one that I've seen far too often in real life. The parents are recently divorced and the children are struggling. There is a lot of name calling and anger going around, and yet they desperately cling to each other for support. They are good people in a stressful situation, so you like them even though you understand they could be nicer to each other. Jared gets in trouble at school, his twin brother Simon turns to the comfort of his pets, and Mallory obsessively trains with her fencing foil. But when they discover a mystery inside the house, they all work together to bravely figure out what is going on. I loved talking to My kids about this family dynamic. It was easy to recognize the anger in these children and discuss why they acted the way they did. We talked about compassion, self soothing, anger, bravery and teamwork.

Supplementary material:

This book is first in an entire series that we are currently tearing through. The books get a little more exciting and intense, but the writing stays up to par as far as quality goes. I will post reviews of these books as we go because my kiddos enjoy them so much.
There was a movie made of the series, but I haven't seen it, but if any of you have, I'd love to see your opinion in the comments!