Featuring Bit, age 8
Bit was pretty much counting down the days until summer vacation because I had told her we could start reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. Forget about swimming, beach trips, and no school. Harry Potter is what it's all about. I made her wait until break because I knew she would want to stay up late reading more chapters at a time.
The Story
Harry is having strange dreams, waking him up with his scar hurting. But who has time to think about that when there's the Quidditch World Cup to look forward to? Then strange and scary things happen at the Cup. Who conjured the Dark Mark that has everyone terrified? Soon though Harry, Ron, and Hermione are back at Hogwarts and caught up in the excitement of the Triwizard Tournament being hosted at Hogwarts. Until Harry is chosen to compete that is. He suddenly goes from a fourth year navigating his first crush to a competitor in a deadly competition against students older and experienced than himself. It will take considerable help from his friends and all his wits to stay alive and discover who made sure he was in the competition.-and why.
Bit's Thoughts
I like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire because it is very exciting. There are sad parts and happy parts. It's really scary in some parts. I like scary sometimes. I think the Triwizard Tournament is interesting. There are lots of twists and turns in the story. I was really surprised, especially at one part but I don't want to give it away. My favorite part was the Yule Ball. I really want to read The Order of the Phoenix.
My Thoughts
There has been much discussion over the years about how this volume is where the editing started to go awry. I agree with this. There are several places where there are massive info-dumps of back story from the other books that were entirely unnecessary. There are overly descriptive phrases and sentences that take the reader on unnecessary tours instead of simply going from point A to point B. These flaws become more obvious when you are reading it aloud. Still it is a marvelous tale. There is so much about the book that makes it exciting. The tournament, the mystery, the changing dynamics among the trio. All of it good stuff.
Yes, I'm making Bit wait for book 5. I like the breathing space between books. She can look forward to Christmas break all the more now. And so can I. This was the first time I found myself wanting to go directly into the next book with her. That's probably because book 4 and book 5 seem to go together. Also because it's my favorite.
What Bit and I are reading now: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Bit was pretty much counting down the days until summer vacation because I had told her we could start reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. Forget about swimming, beach trips, and no school. Harry Potter is what it's all about. I made her wait until break because I knew she would want to stay up late reading more chapters at a time.
Harry is having strange dreams, waking him up with his scar hurting. But who has time to think about that when there's the Quidditch World Cup to look forward to? Then strange and scary things happen at the Cup. Who conjured the Dark Mark that has everyone terrified? Soon though Harry, Ron, and Hermione are back at Hogwarts and caught up in the excitement of the Triwizard Tournament being hosted at Hogwarts. Until Harry is chosen to compete that is. He suddenly goes from a fourth year navigating his first crush to a competitor in a deadly competition against students older and experienced than himself. It will take considerable help from his friends and all his wits to stay alive and discover who made sure he was in the competition.-and why.
Bit's Thoughts
I like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire because it is very exciting. There are sad parts and happy parts. It's really scary in some parts. I like scary sometimes. I think the Triwizard Tournament is interesting. There are lots of twists and turns in the story. I was really surprised, especially at one part but I don't want to give it away. My favorite part was the Yule Ball. I really want to read The Order of the Phoenix.
My Thoughts
There has been much discussion over the years about how this volume is where the editing started to go awry. I agree with this. There are several places where there are massive info-dumps of back story from the other books that were entirely unnecessary. There are overly descriptive phrases and sentences that take the reader on unnecessary tours instead of simply going from point A to point B. These flaws become more obvious when you are reading it aloud. Still it is a marvelous tale. There is so much about the book that makes it exciting. The tournament, the mystery, the changing dynamics among the trio. All of it good stuff.
Yes, I'm making Bit wait for book 5. I like the breathing space between books. She can look forward to Christmas break all the more now. And so can I. This was the first time I found myself wanting to go directly into the next book with her. That's probably because book 4 and book 5 seem to go together. Also because it's my favorite.
What Bit and I are reading now: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Comments
The darker elements of the later books are why she is experiencing them for the first time via read aloud. We discuss. She does enjoy books with darker elements, like N.D. Wilson's books. Even with their older ages I still consider the later HP books more MG than YA.