Book Thirty: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

As much as it pains me to say this, I've under appreciated this volume of J.K. Rowling's much beloved series.  It's never been a favorite of mine mainly because of the incessant whining that our dear Harry seems to do.  The child whines about everything from losing Quidditch privileges to being ignored by Dumbledore to Occulmency lessons by Professor Snape.  Sure, Harry, I get it.... it's tough to be you.  But damn, boy!  Don't you know we're at war here?!

I've always thought Rowling tried too hard with this tome.  Developing too many characters and not well enough.  Professor and High Inquisitor Dolorous Umbrage is the clear winner here.  Firenze was a solid contender.  Grawp, however, was not.  He felt forced as if Hagrid just needed to be out of the way for a bit.

What I fell in love with more this read around is Dumbledore's Army.  Neville Longbottom, the long suffering herbologist.  Luna Lovegood, the loveable oddball.  Seamus and Lee Jordan, I love them all a little bit more this time around--particularly Neville.  He is clumsy and introverted when we first meet him.  Here, Neville, becomes an integral part of D.A. and parlays those skills into legend.

My Sweet Niece admitted today that the book can be scary at parts.  It's interesting to hear those comments.  I, too, think the Order of the Phoenix takes on a much more serious tone.  Young readers examine love and loss here.  Rowling is straightforward.  And when Harry confronts Professor Dumbledore, Rowling allows us to rail in anger and frustration alongside Harry.  Dumbledore's ability to humbly accept his punishment, if you will, is all the more frustrating.  This time, though, I was struck by how Rowling allows Dumbledore to mirror Harry's feelings and to address them without trivializing them.  Don't we all wish for validation of our hopes, dreams, and fears?


As I see it, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is, at it's core, a beautiful tale of life and maturation. Hidden among this fantasy of good and evil, are honest life lessons that wizards and Muggles alike can take to heart.

Book Twenty-Five: The Mysterious Benedict Society

I judged this book by it's beautifully illustrated cover and it was awesome!  This little gem was picked up as a result of trip to the bookshop with my Sweet Niece.  She is building her collection of Harry Potter books where the spines of the new paperbacks build a silhouette of Hogwarts.  She makes me so proud to be her Kuhkuh.  I should digress.

The Mysterious Benedict Society is made up of four children, each who have been orphaned or abandoned as some point in their short lives.  Sticky, Constance, Reynie, and Kate all answers an unusual newspaper ad to become members of the society.  The team have been recruited to undertake a dangerous mission that requires an unusual set of skills only they possess.

Author Trenton Lee Stewart writes an adventurous yarn.  I had trepidations about a book that paints parents as bad; however,Stewart modestly plots a reconciliation that is befitting our heroes.  Our protagonists are well developed making them interesting.  Stewart doesn't forget his target audience and throws in hilarity in the form of a narcoleptic genius and a wheelchair crazed twin brother.  As an older reader, er, let's say not the target audience, I enjoyed that Stewart also provided clues, riddles, and other conundrums to ponder.  The use of Morse code creates an opening for further discovery.  Also of note, the book is beautifully illustrated.

As I see it, The Mysterious Benedict Society could be very-well under appreciated in the day of ilk such as Ever After High.  (Yes, I died a little inside when Sweet Niece chose Ever After High over the latest Clarice Bean.  But how can I judge?!  Every reader must find their own way.) With characters that example critical thinking and healthy traits, this is a series I could endorse.  Funny enough, I haven't successfully convinced my niece this is a must-read.

Book Twenty-Three: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I had forgotten how the story of young Harry Potter shifts in year four. The Triwizard Tournament is the forum for isolating existence.  If it can happen to Harry, it does in this year and exhaustively so.  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire tries to hard to grow our favorite wizard  It is an unfavorable opinion, no doubt, and one that my Sweet Niece disagrees with.

She is enjoying Harry's adventures and the Triwizard Tournament hasn't begun.  It troubles her that Ron and Harry aren't talking.  She's fascinated by Mad-Eye Moody, intrigued by the Beauxbatons and entertained at the thought of Hagrid and Madam Maxime.  We both refer to her as 'Maxine'.

She takes Rowling's story as it is meant to be--fantastical.  Whereas, I've been eye-rolling behind every hardship. Harry can't catch a break in this book--unrealistically, so--to which Sweet Niece rebuffs me with her 'it's so obvious, kuku' reply of  "Well, of course not.  That would make the book boring."

As she see it, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is another fabulous year at Hogwarts.  And as I see it, she's probably right.

Book Nineteen: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Book three of Potter's adventures remains my favorite of the series.  This is the book that sees the most growth for Harry as he jumps from child to teen.  His world expands outside of the Dursley's and Hogwarts.  His adventures take on a solemnity here that continues throughout the remainder of the books.

It's been interesting to see this book through the eyes of my niece.  I was surprised that the dementors or the idea of Azakaban didn't create more of a reaction.  I think they would have for me at nine years old.  Serious conversations centered around the Whomping Willow, Peter Pettigrew, Professor Snape or whether Professor Lupin really should have resigned his position are unending.  We both agree that the Maurader's Map would be seriously helpful for a Muggle and we continue to wonder what house we might be sorted to.

As I see it, books are meant to be shared.  Sharing Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with my sweet niece further adds to my love and nostalgia for the series.  Seeing her carry that dog-eared paperback warms the soul in more ways than one.

Book Fifteen: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

I hate Dobby.  The cursed little house-elf plays on my nerves much like Rita Skeeter does on Hermione's.  Alas, the second in J.K. Rowling's now classic series has too much of Dobby.  As I re-read this books alongside my nine-year-old niece, it's fun to pepper our conversations with questions.  Her insights are familiar.  And while her little sister can't quite get out of Diagon Alley, Sweet Mia is clearly enjoying the magic world of Hogwarts.

Rowling continues to build a world of intriguing places and unique characters.  I had forgotten about Nearly Headless Nick's dead day party.  Her descriptions of 'maggoty haggis' and silver platters of cakes, burned charcoal-black turn the dear reader's stomach as much as Harry's.  The Chamber of Secrets seems heavy in annoying characters now that I think of it.  Between Colin Creevy, Gilderoy Lockhart and Dobby, the reader sees no peace and quickly sympathizes with Harry. 

As I see it, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to be the weakest of the seven book series.  It serves solely as the vehicle for advancing the youth of our brave trio in preparation for the adult adventures to come.

Book Eleven: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

There is something special about sharing a book that you've loved with someone you love.  It's even more special when that someone is a child.  My sweet niece has discovered Harry Potter and at her insistence, we are reading them together.  We have formed a book club, of sorts, were we examine the finer points of the book.

It's been years (8-10) since I last read this book.  Reading it again with my sweet niece, I am rediscovering the joy that is Rowling's world.  Seeing it through her eyes is just as fun.  Rowling's ability to create characters and then weave adventures for all of them throughout the book. Rereading this time, it struck me that the Weasley twins throw snowballs at Voldemort.

As I see it, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone stands on its own merit a decade later.  With its fantastical places rooted in realism, you couldn't ask for a better place for these unique characters to explore.   For my sweet niece, it's book like these that make life-long readers.