M E R I D I A N     M A G A Z I N E

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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