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Saying Goodbye to the Potter Chronicles
By Holly E. Newton
I just completed reading a book that makes me
sad. Why would a book make me sad at the end? Because it’s
the last installment of one of the best written series of books
for all members of the family written during my lifetime! That’s
saying a lot since I’ve read many, many books during the past
nine years reviewing books for kids.
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 So,
what is this magnificent book, you ask? Harry Potter
and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling, is the
seventh and last book in the series that began when the first one
was published in America back in 1998.
It’s always amazing to me when I read later books in a series
that I especially like because they usually don’t stand up
to the original book. But time and time again, Rowling’s books
continue to be as good, if not better. And in this case, the 7th
book is actually better. That’s a hard task to accomplish
considering the fact that all of the other books are superb. But
the culminating plots of all of the other books are nicely tied
up in this last book.
The genius of J. K. Rowling once again comes
through loud and clear. Her ability to describe and build characters
now familiar to the Harry Potter genre is beyond comparison. I’m
sure it helps that the author’s fans know these characters
well and may predict how the plot might run a certain course. But
the true value and interest in this book lies in the intelligent
and interesting way the story is written.
The plot weaves in and out of past experiences and creates many
mysterious quests for Harry and his two best friends, Ron and Hermione.
So many of the mishaps or problems in the previous books become
the cornerstone of this final adventure. For example, there was
one question nagging me from the beginning book that I often wondered
about. It was finally answered in this last book. The loose ends
are nicely tied together in the final chapters of this final book,
making the entire collection a must for all ages.
If you haven’t read the first
book, what are you waiting for? I’ve never been much of a
fantasy fan, with the exception of the J. R. R. Tolkien books, Lord
of the Rings, or the Lloyd Alexander books, The Chronicles
of Prydian. (These are other outstanding fantasy books that
you will not want to stop reading.) But whether or not you like
to read fantasy books, these books will take you to places full
of intrigue, mystery and adventure.
The way Rowling writes immediately envelopes the reader. Her characterizations
are rich, powerful and sometimes frightening. She has to be one
of the most gifted writers of our time. This last installment is
another long book (with 759 pages), and because it’s a hardback,
carrying it is difficult. But that didn’t stop Harry Potter
fans from reading it in airports, amusement parks and beyond.
The question used to be if Rowling could write
a second book as good as her first. When she accomplished that way
beyond expectations, she set a standard of raising the bar with
each newly published book. This one only proves that she has abilities
way beyond the norm. I would place her in a category by herself.
Most series of books continue a storyline but
don’t drop pieces of a puzzle to be brought in later as do
these books. The many problems that Harry has in this last book
will, most likely, make the reader hesitate to ever put the book
down. The anticipation of what will come next is on just about every
page, making this book perhaps better than the rest. But what really
makes this book probably my favorite of the seven books is that
it resolves all of the past problems when everything comes to a
climatic resolution.
When people saw me carrying this bulky book around while my family
was on vacation, they would tell me that they finished it in 24
hours or within two days or some other condensed timeframe. On the
other hand, I take my time reading books I’ll be reviewing.
With the Harry Potter books, I relish in the rich language and the
articulate way Rowling writes. (Let’s not forget that she’s
made up many words that have become common knowledge in our “muggle”
world.)
When I find a passage especially enticing,
I place sticky notes. My book is full of sticky notes. Here is just
one example of my many favorite descriptions that seem to illuminate
my mind: “A chink of sky was visible between the heavy
curtains: It was the cool, clear blue of watered ink, somewhere
between night and dawn, and everything was quiet except for Ron
and Hermione's slow, deep breathing.”
I feel it a privilege to be alive while she
published these great books, because I know that they will go down
in history as being some of the best loved books of our time. I
only pray she begins a new series of fantastic books!
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 The
Wicked Big Toddlah, by Kevin Hawkes, is a picture
book that is quite a “big” tale. When the new baby was
born, he was enormous. When he left the hospital, he had to lie
on the back of a flat-bed truck. Everything about him was big: his
cradle, his bottle, even his binky. Taking care of him was a large
task as well: helicopters poured baby powder on him and cranes had
to help change his diapers.
The story is reminiscent of Paul Bunyan and
the language has the reflection of upper Northeastern dialect, hence
the book’s title: toddlah for toddler. The fun and bright
full paged illustrations, by Hawkes, are fun to visit again and
again — making this the perfect read-aloud for ages 4 through
8.
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Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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