Having read the Harry Potter books by JK Rowling when they were first released {or, near enough anyway, the first time I read them was when Mr T bought me a box set of the first four books after which I always pre-ordered them} I decided to make my way through the series some sixteen years after the release of the last book*, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007. Here are my collective thoughts on the first five books in the series which include ...
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999)
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)
6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005)
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007)
It was whilst on placement in a Catholic primary school as part of my Teaching Assistant training that I first came across Harry Potter as almost without exception all of the Stage 3 children aged 7 -8 were reading/had read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, book one in a series that, good or bad, the literary world seemed to be talking about.
Banned in several US states, though I wasn't aware of any outright bans here in the UK I can remember there being talk in the staff room about the suitability of the children reading a book that featured 'witchcraft'. Thankfully the outcome of these conversations being that, the first book in a long while to have captured the imagination of a classroom of 32 pupils, anything that got the children so excited about reading should surely be encouraged.
Having last read the book sixteen years ago {the first four books some twenty three plus years ago}, I did enjoy re-reading them {some more than others} but, looking back at my hand written journal, it doesn't seem to be with quite the same excitement as it was all those years ago ... though of course there wasn't all the hype that there was then and there certainly weren't all of the films all of which I've seen countless times now.
Of the five book re-read, whilst, still admiring the first {Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone} as something different from anything I had ever read before; as something that had the power to get children talking so animatedly, I did enjoy re-reading the books {some more than others} but, looking back at my hand written journal, it doesn't seem to be with quite the same excitement as it was all those years ago ... though of course there wasn't all the hype that there was then and there certainly weren't all of the films all of which I've seen countless times now.
Of the five book re-read, whilst by no means the strongest book in the series, a great introduction to Harry Potter and Hogworts, I did enjoy the first book, the next two books not quite so much. It was however books four and, in particular, five that proved to be my favourites as we get to see many of the characters, not least of which is Neville Longbottom, in a new and exciting light.
