Blog 14: Harry Potter Notable Moment

I am having a bit of a love/hate relationship with the details in this book. I love the ones that are there: I enjoy the way Rowling writes and think it is very easy to visualize the scene from her details. However, thinking from the fact that I have not read the first three books in quite a few years and some people have never read them, I think this book severely lacks details about Hogwarts.
The Sorting Hat is introduced in Chapter 12 (pages 176 and 177 for its song). It is a bit long so I won't copy it all, but that is the focus of my notable moment. In the first book, Rowling describes the castle, its history, all of its little quirks like the missing stairs and the doors as paintings. In this book, all you have is the Sorting Hat song. It goes into very little detail about the four founders of Hogwarts, something I personally loved reading about (I'm a history major so no suprise there). And everything else is just assumed. We now have the movies to go off of for hints from past books, but when you ignore the movies you have no idea what the castle looks like, how its set up, the celing in the Great Hall, everything basically. The book would of course be an extra 200 pages if she added all this in again, but I think not having it takes away from the experience. I really want to go back and read book one again to reintroduce myself to the wizarding world and Hogwarts. The point: details matter. And so does reading the books in order.

Blog 13: Anticipating Harry Potter

I love the Harry Potter series. I read all the books as they came out and have seen all the movies so far. My favorite thing about reading the series as it was released was that it felt like I was growing up with the characters. We were discussing in class today about whether or not it would be the same if you read the books out of order, and I do not think it would be. I am sure that since I first read them in order I am biased, but the books do not reintroduce you to every character you already know from the previous books. Anyone who had not previously read about that character, might be wondering where they came from.

I love this book because it is a great read for everyone. I loved them, and i have read them out loud to most of my family. When we get together for holidays, the younger kids always get to pick a book and we all read it together after dinner. My senior year of high school, my youngest cousin Olivia decided she wanted to read Harry Potter. We read the first one out loud at Christmas, and by the time school started again she had had my Aunt Belinda read three more to her. These book have great memories for me, and I love to reread them again and again.

Blog 12: Notable Moment from The Magician's Nephew

My favorite moment in the book was the Jackdaw's response to The First Joke.

     "Aslan! Aslan! Have I made the first joke? Will everybody always be told how I made the first joke?"   
     "No, little friend," said the Lion. "You have not made the first joke, you have only been the first joke." Then everyone laughed more than ever; but the Jackdaw didn't mind and laughed just as loud till the horse shook its head and the Jackdaw lost its balance and fell off, but remembered its wings (they were still new to it) before it reached the ground. Page 129

This was one of the few moments in the book that actually made me laugh out loud. Also, I think that it was a great way to show children that when you make a mistake or accidentally embarrass yourself, you just need to laugh at yourself and move on. Children now are so worried about what everyone thinks that they sometimes think the smallest mistake is detrimental to their reputation. If we laugh at ourselves, everyone else will follow suit and all is forgotten.

Blog 11: Anticipating The Magician's Nephew

When the first Narnia movie came out, I decided to read the books because I loved the movie. I started with The Magician's Nephew, even though it was not the first in the movie series. I was a bit disappointed. I think that I was expecting the four children from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and then was confused when it was a completely different set of characters. I remember wanting to kick Uncle Andrew in the shins through out the whole book. (Very childish response, I know. But it is a children's book, so I feel justified.)
Hopefully rereading it now, when I have not seen the movies in quite a while, will help me to like it more. I love the other books in the Narnia series, and would like to feel the same about this one. I started reading earlier today, and a quote jumped out at me. I will do a notable moment also, I just wanted to comment on this also.

• "Oh, I see. You mean that little boys ought to keep their promises. Very true: most right and proper, I'm sure, and I'm very glad you have been taught to do it. But of course you must understand that rules of that sort, however excellent they may be for little boys - and servants - and women - and even people in general, can't possibly be expected to apply to profound students and great thinkers and sages. No, Digory. Men like me, who possess hidden wisdom, are freed from common pleasures. ours, my boy, is a high and lonely destiny."page 21

Where would we be if everyone in the world considered himself/herself to be above the rules. Uncle Andrew reminded me of the Phoenix when I read this quote. Neither thinks of the consequences of their actions (such as setting fire to a theater or making a little girl disappear). Even though Uncle Andrew is not a magical being, I am going to try to pay attention to any other times he may act  like the Phoenix.

Blog 10: Notable Moment from The Phoenix and the Carpet

My notable moment is from chapter 5. The children have taken a short cut through the city and run into two boys named Urb and Ike, who took the Phoenix out of Robert's pocket. The children try to get the Phoenix back from the naughty boys, but give up very quickly.

• "Phoenix - dear Phoenix, we can't do anything. You must manage it." p118

The children have relied very heavily on the Phoenix since its appearance in their life. He has warned them and saved them quite a few times already, and I feel like the children are taking advantage of him. Then, when the Phoenix needs the children to save him from something very small, they decide they cannot help him in return. The children in the story seem to be blessed with finding interesting and magical things when they are bored, but then treat them without much respect. They ignored the Phoenix about how many wishes the carpet will grant in one day, and then when they run out of wishes they depend solely on the Phoenix for saving. Also, when the Phoenix decides he wants to rest, the children cannot let him have the full time he asks for before deciding they need him back. They always put their needs and wishes before those of the Phoenix. Selfish children are not an uncommon thing, but i feel that these children should have grown from their previous experience with magical beings.  

Blog 9: Anticipating The Phoenix and the Carpet

I was excited to start this book because I have heard a lot of good things. I think it is interesting that E. Nesbit is a woman considering the book was written in 1904. The author intro in the from of my book was very interesting. It says that she had a "habit of expressing herself forcefully", which fits in with her breaking out of the society norm and publishing a book as a woman. I think that it was very smart for her to use just the E in her name so that people would not judge her book based on the author's sex.
I have already read the first chapter of the book, and find the children to be a bit selfish. I am hoping that this does not become an issue in the book.

Blog 8: Analyzing Redwall

Redwall is a story about overcoming adversity and growing into your potential. When the story begins, Matthias is a young novice at Redwall Abbey with small responsibilities like gathering food and running errands. He dreams, like every young child, to one day be great like Martin the Warrior. When Cluny the Scourge comes to take Redwall, Matthias rises to become the hero everyone needs. He realizes that if he can find Martin the Warrior’s sword, they can overcome Cluny.

Matthias is challenged by ancient poems, King Bull Sparra, Asmodeus and many other difficult situations throughout the story. He becomes a brave young mouse determined to save his home. Children grow up when we give them responsibility. Matthias is the perfect example of this. When he was needed, and people relied on him for their survival, he stepped up to the plate and became what was expected of him.

I love how this story showed Matthias growing up. When we read a story, we start as a novice just like he did. As the story flows, the reader grows along with the character. Following Matthias on his journey was inspiring, and it makes me want to read the rest of the Redwall series.