Discover the magic of reading

Originally published June 21, 2003

Discover the magic of reading

I love books. When I pick up a good one, it is hard to pry it out of my hands until the last page has been turned.
As a child, I would hide under the covers of my bed with a flashlight and a book because I just could not fall asleep without finding out how a story ends. My mother is still convinced that’s the reason I need glasses.
As an adult, I never seem to have enough time to read. There is a tall stack of books on the bedside table waiting to be read, and I keep a running list of books that I want to pick up from the library. I have outgrown the need to belong to music clubs, but I am still an easy target for book club offers that appear in my mailbox.
I have passed on my love of reading to my son, and together we have not only read some of my old favorites, but also discovered a lot great new stories, including the Harry Potter series.
I did not want to read Harry Potter at first, as whenever something gets a lot of hype in the media, my contrary nature makes me want to avoid it. However, when trailers for the first movie began to appear; my son was so intrigued by it that I decided we really should read the book before going to the movie. He was too young to read it himself, so I read it aloud. It was the first chapter book I read to him, as previously he could not seem to sit still for books unless they had pictures.
From the first chapter, we both were captivated by the story. When it was over, we moved on to the second book.
Knowing how much trouble I have putting down a book, I swore to myself that I would only read the book with my son. No reading ahead allowed. I was able to keep that promise until, 50 pages from the end of book three, my son fell asleep. At that point, I was too caught up in the story to resist, and I finished the book. Then I made the mistake of picking up the fourth book at 11 o'clock at night. I think I got about an hour of sleep and only made it through work the next day with steady hits of caffeine.

Harry Potter, Public Enemy No. 1?
According to the American Library Association, the books in the Harry Potter series are more challenged than “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” or “Catcher in the Rye.” Having read the series, I have trouble understanding that. Have the opponents of the books actually read them, or have they just heard that the word "witch" is inside; therefore they must be bad books?
The Harry Potter series touches on the importance of family and friendships, standing up to bullies and facing your fears in a way that captures the imagination of children and adults alike. The series has pulled kids away from television and computer screens back into the pages of a book.
To me, that's a wonderful thing.
I do believe it is just as important for parents to know what their children are reading as it is to know what they watch on television. Mom learned that when I was 13 after my younger sister picked up a V.C. Andrews book I had finished and then used a few colorful phrases from it to call me names. Mom demanded to know where she had heard those phrases, then read the book herself. After that, those books were no longer allowed in the house. To encourage me to read something better, she offered me a $1 for each "classic" book I read. As a parent now, I’m considering a similar offer to get my son out of his comic book phase. Because I believe it is important for adults to know what kids are reading, I highly encourage everyone to read the Harry Potter series.
Discover for yourself what all the hype is about.
You’ll be surprised at how much you enjoy them. Don’t dismiss them as bad because they contain wizards, witches, and magic. I could write a series of columns on my views of censorship, books being banned and book burnings, but I won’t.
Today, book five in the Harry Potter series has been released. I am avoiding the rush to the bookstores and will wait impatiently for the copy I pre-ordered from Amazon.com back in March to arrive. This time, I am holding myself to the promise of only reading it aloud to my son.
I need my sleep.

(Note- We got 70 pages into book 5 when my voice began to give. My son had to leave to spend the weekend with his father, and granted me a special dispensation to read ahead. I had it finished that night.)