Book Description

Christians have always engaged the world around them and reflected upon the connections between faith and culture. Faith Journey through Fantasy Lands engages popular culture in the hugely successful stories of Harry Potter, Star Wars, and The Lord of the Rings. Author Dalton guides the reader through these contemporary fantasy stories, illuminating them with light from the Christian faith journey. The book opens doors to faith-sharing, particularly with young people, while also taking on the issues within the stories that have led some Christians to reject them. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent!
This is an excellent analysis of a most important modern "miracle" - the religious reasons behond the huge success of these epic tales of high romance in a culture that too often seems fixated on the squalid. I would recommend to go with it Hal GP Colebatch's "Return of the heroes: The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter and Social Conflict." This is a literay, political, historical and religious study, full of information and insight. The two books go together to make essential reading for the culturally literate in the 21st Century. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Harry Potter, Quidditch, Voldemort, and Gryffindor have become householdnames in recent years, as J.K. Rowling's extraordinarily popular Harry Potterseries has transformed children's literature. Reports are constantly circulatingabout children previously uninterested in reading becoming bookworms overnight.Imagination is back! Editor Sharon Moore, who first documented the passion forPotter in We Love HarryPotter!, a collection of letters from kids, has returned with anothertribute to everyone's favorite Muggle-raised wizard. Harry Potter, You're theBest! includes hundreds of letters from avid fans, grouped into categoriessuch as "What We Like (or Dislike) About the Books," "Opinions on Future Books,""Letters to Characters in the Books," "Recipes for Wizard Food," "Poems andSongs We've Written," and "Letters from Grown-ups." Many of the letters areillustrated by their young authors. Accompanied by drawings of Beaky, Fluffy,New Monster, and Hagrid, Allison from San Francisco writes: "I hope Hagrid getsto see Beaky again soon. I hope he gets a new monster! Is Hagrid his last name?He is my second-favorite character in Harry Potter. At my friend's house,I am Hagrid and I always have her over for tea. She is Hermione, but we won'tget into that."

Moore also includes a crossword puzzle, word jumbles, a section on myths andlegends, and an appendix of books for Harry Potter fans to read. For themillions of fans out there chomping at the bit for the next volume in theseries, here is a little something to nibble on. (Ages 8 to 12) --EmilieCoulter ... Read more

Book Description

Fantasy and Your Family by bestselling author Richard Abanes presents a much-needed assessment of fantasy—its benefits and its drawbacks. Abanes begins with an in-depth look at folklore, myths, legends, and fairy tales, and their connection to fantasy. Part one also discusses issues involving child development, the affects of literature on children, and how those affects can ultimately change the course of society. Additionally, Abanes examines pop culture, the media, mass marketing, and the commercialization of children’s literature by corporations interested primarily in making money.

This volume then looks at the life of fantasy writer J.R.R. Tolkien, the popularity of his fantasy works, their content, and what separates them from other fantasy volumes such as Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and the children’s horror books by R.L. Stine. A particularly interesting survey of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings includes a thorough analysis of its storyline, characters, and morality. These are compared side-by-side with Harry Potter.

Finally, Abanes gives an overview of our culture’s growing obsession with the occult, paganism, and witchcraft. Why is it happening? When did it begin? How is it influencing today’s youth? All of these questions are answered through a concise, easy-to-understand writing style. Especially fascinating are the numerous sources of documentations that shows children are indeed being drawn to the occult via Harry Potter. Included are dozens of quotes by Wiccans, neopagans, and occultists that clearly express their belief that Rowling’s fantasy will do much to further witchcraft and the occult. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

interesting, but ...
This book is interesting but takes the alleged occultism in Harry Potter far too seriously. There are far greater instances of superstitious ignorance to worry about. I recommed for a balanced and informative examination of the whole Harry Potter phenonemon, Return of the Heroes: The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter and social Conflict, but Hal GP Colebatch

A Factual Examination of Fantasy: Its Benefits and Its Power
With a professional, well-researched,and objective approach
Mr. Abanes examines the world of fantasy. He expertly documents each explored aspect with solid research.

This text is considered as the "Consumer Report on Fantasy."

Worth the Time to Read.
As a Christian artist who enjoys reading fantasy literature, I was a bit skeptical of FANTASY AND YOUR FAMILY before I read it. I had listened to arguments against the THE LORD OF THE RINGS and HARRY POTTER and quite frankly, none of them impressed me or caused me to think. However, I was rather surprised with Richard Abanes book. The book is well researched, documented, and supported.

The book is divided into four parts. The first section examines fantasy literature in general. The second section discusses J.R.R. Tolkien and THE LORD OF THE RINGS. The third part deals with Harry Potter and the fourth section deconstructs the arguments both for and against Harry Potter.

As mentioned earlier, I was surprised at how well documented and supported this book is. Even though I have enjoyed reading the Harry Potter novels and will probably continue to do so, FANTASY AND YOUR FAMILY helped make me aware of just how large the occult has influenced the writings of J.K. Rowling. For example, I had no idea that many of the characters refered to in the Harry Potter books (not main characters, but people mentioned in history, etc.) were actual occult leaders.

This is a great book for any thinking Christian or any parent to read.

Predictable Hysterical Foolishness for the Gullible
These are the same arguments that have been around to demonize anything from the Wizard of Oz to Superman cartoon. As the argument goes, the kids can't tell the difference between kids who drive and crash flying cars and reality. So, you have to protect them from anything with that wicked imagination in it.

Given that the classical stories of Ali Baba and the Seven Thieves, Wizard of Oz, or Sinbad, or Cinderella have the exact same wonderful "what if" imaginative world of make believe principles; why not ban all children's books except those that are bible stories? Would such a sterile harsh world be happy?

Good Fantasy vs. the Harry Potter Propaganda Machine
This book is an essential tool for parents and teachers who would like a better understanding of children's fantasy and see comparisons between various popular books labeled as fantasy. Despite the fact that Tolkien did not write for children and the Harry Potter books are marketed to ages 9-12, comparisons between the Harry Potter books and Tolkien's books inevitably come up. This book thoroughly reviews Harry Potter and Tolkien and shows the vast differences between them. The book also delineates the parallels between some of the occult practices Harry learns and real occultism, such as astrology, divination, numerology, and others. As a former professional astrologer and teacher of astrology who also practiced other forms of divination as well as spirit contact, I certainly have recognized in Harry Potter an endorsement of the practice of the occult and magick, even if it is presented in a make-believe context. In the back of the book, Abanes answers every objection made to the valid criticisms of the Harry Potter books and shows the flaws of the most popular defenses of the Harry Potter series, as well as responding to statements made by people such as author Connie Neal. This section reveals that arguments made against the critics of Harry Potter are usually sraw men arguments or are based on faulty reasoning and assumptions, not on the facts. This book is a great handbook for responding to the Harry Potter propaganda machine which has ignored scholarly and knowledgeable criticism of the Harry Potter books. ... Read more

Amazon.com

How does Harry feel about being left behind when the other studentsgo to Hogsmeade?

Why doesn't Azkaban need walls to keep in prisoners?

What would you say to someone in a Howler if you were really angry with him orher?

With probing, thought-provoking questions like these, the literature guide forHarry Potter and the Prisoner ofAzkaban encourages students to explore the complexities of J.K.Rowling's extraordinarily popular Harry Potter series. The lightweight 18-pagebooklet is divided into chapter groupings, with summaries, discussion questions,activities, and lessons in comprehension and recall, vocabulary, and themes.Cross-curricular activities in literature, science, art, math, and more guidechildren to discover the origins (and significance) of Professor Remus Lupin'sname, assign monetary values to each of the coins Harry Potter and his wizardfriends use, and design signs for the shops in Hogsmeade. Reproducible handoutsand a colorful poster provide more educational opportunities for educators whochoose to seize this huge, unique teaching moment for their students. (Ages 8 to11) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great guide to HP3!!!
I found this book to be a very wonderful guide to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I didn't quite understand HP3 until I read this book. Then it all clicked! I read this book, then read HP3 again, and it made so much more sense. I have loaned it to many other readers, and they all agree. It told word meanings and about the author. I suggest that any true Harry Potter fan get this guide! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

Critisism
In this book the author is trying to make a statement about the Harry Potter books and telling her negative view of the book to other people. She taking her own interpretation of the book and presenting it as fact. I give her all my respects, but try reading the books through a child's eyes, with an open mind. I quite enjoyed these books for there magical and whimsical qualities. And I think that no child should be denied the opportunity to read these books, just because their parents read this particular book and already formed a negative view in their head based on the author's interpretation of the book.

Uninsightful vamping
The other reviewer is spot on, this is a dreary trudge through every fashionable tourist-spot of contemporary criticism. It barely engages with the actual books, pausing at the actual experience of reading only long enough to spot the landmark heresies: sexism (check), racism (check), imperialism (check)... flip through the index and compare the references to characters in the books, vs. the references to vogue theorists, and you'll get the idea. As expected, there is considerably more space made for academic squabbles than for any recognizable experience, human or literary. The inquisitor wraps up this excericize in scholasticism with the shocking announcement that Rowling has been discovered to be (gasp!) a bourgouise liberal. Light the pyres!

A witch-hunt indeed. Yuck.

Missing the point?
I did enjoy parts of this book very much. I'm afraid, though, that it was often for the wrong reasons. At times I suspected that it was an elaborate and extended send-up of academic squabbling over literature. I'm still not quite sure, but I *think* it is serious.

The first chapter 'Book Covers' ("I begin as most readers must, with book covers") contains the delightful story of Wolfgang Iser and Stanley Fish. Mr Iser proposes an "implied reader" who has a dialectical relationship with the text and who, we are warned, "is not to be identified with any real reader." This concept gives rise to "a series of disagreements." Mr Fish thinks that Mr Iser is "missing the point" and introduces the concept of "interpretive strategies" which make it "questionable whether a particular text can be said to have any discrete and determinative existence at all." Gupta, in a tongue twisting turn of phrase, comments that, "A waspish exchange followed between Iser and Fish." Some unkind people may consider that both Iser and Fish, and possibly also Gupta, have missed the point.

The chapter entitled 'Religious Perspectives' comes to the remarkable conclusion that Christian belief (as he understands it from a study of Richard Abanes book) is just as fanciful as anything in Harry Potter's world, and that both are equally far removed from the real world of the social and political. This gives us an insight into Mr Gupta's world view but, sadly, none into his subject. Perhaps this is because he fails to refer directly to the text under discussion at all in this chapter, but devotes it to a complaint that he feels excluded from the religious debate because he is not religious.

The one chapter that stands head and shoulders above the rest is the one entitled 'Repetition and Progression'. This chapter is based around the insight that the books in the Harry Potter series achieve a rare balance of repeating themes and increasing complexity. It notes how the initial themes are introduced, then elaborated, developed and deepened at each repetition. This is an intriguing chapter and does not seem to fit comfortably with the rest of the book. It is also very brief -only four pages. I would have found it interesting to see this explored in more depth.

For a very much more perceptive and thorough, although less self-consciously academic, analysis of both the literary and religious perspectives I would highly recommend John Granger's book The Hidden Key to Harry Potter. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Perfect for the Frech student or speaker.
Reading this book wasn't just fun, but it really helped me in my French. I learned more in reading it than I have in all of my classes combined. There are some little changes in it, but that is because of the language difference and my over-reading the English version led me to know its wording too well. Still, that only made it more fun. I'd recommend this to any French student.

French Version of Harry Potter helps in school!
I bought the French translation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for my son who began his first year of French this year in Middle School. It has been great fun and encouragement for him. His teacher found it fun as well, reading short excerpts from it to the French class. Everyone loves Harry!

Imagination and How It Was brought Out
I never really liked to read. It was just too boring. Reading all those pages that had no effect on me. Then I heard about Harry Potter. Everyone really liked it. I wanted to see what the big deal was. I read the first book. I thought to myself how imaginative it was. The creatures, the characters, and the plot. They were all like a puzzle fit perfectly together. It made my mind run wild. I had to read the second book. I went through that like a person going after 1 billion dollars. It was so amazing. The third book was next. That was better than the first and second books. Finally the forth. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire. That was the best of all. My favorite character is Ron. He reminds me of me. All except the looks. I look a lot better than him. This book is filled with creativity, mystery, fantasy, and love. All in one. Thats why I got hooked on all these things.

Then, Harry and the Weasley's go to the train station. Then they say goodbye to everyonne and get on the bus. They meet their new teacher and their best (not) friend, Malfred. Their is a special game instead of quidditch this year and only people over 18 years of age can enter to win. Three schools are coming to play but only 3 people, one from each school, can play. Harry plays. But he's not 18 so a lot of people get mad. I won't tell you what else happens, so get the book and read it!

I gave this a 5 'cause this is a grat book and it lets out your imagination!

Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire - In French...
If you live in France or can speak freanch, this is a must-have book, I bet that you have read the first 3 books and you can't wait until this one is available,on this book HP starts a new year on Hogwarts and is gonna live as much adventures with Ron & Hermione as on the last books. I speak Spanish, French & English and I have read the first 3 HP books in Spanish and the books from 1 to 4 in English, I'm going to France on vacation and I'm going to buy them in French too, I repeat, this is a must have book and a wonderful way to practice your French.

La coupe de feu, un livre merveilleux
Harry Potter et la Coupe de Feu, et bien, Harry commence un nouveau cour dans son ecole (Hogwarts), mais avant de aller il va a la competence de Quidditch plus grande du monde, ou jouaient tous les equippes de Quidditch Profesionnel. Dans le nouveau cour il a un nouveau Professeur: Moody, un type effrayant qui peut voir dans les cappes invisibles et les habits, des personnages vieux comme Dobby, Charles Weasley et Bill Weasley et des nouveaux comme Winky, Messieur Croch, etc. Aussi, il ni a pas de Quidditch entre les Maisons cet an, parce que il aura unne competence entre ecolles, avec des preuves que notre heros et des etudients de otres ecoles (Beauxbattons de France et Drunmstang de Bulgarie) doivent passer et que menacent avec la mort. Si vous avez deja lu les 3 premier livres, je suis sur de que vous ne peuvez pas attender a la sortee de celui-ci. ... Read more

Book Description

Ben Buchanan of 814 Grinnell Drive was proud to say that he had a mystical life, thank you very much. "I'm normal," Ben says, "but I'm not normal." Well, let's let him tell the story:

I'm normal because I am a normal kid--going to school, being happy, getting homework, having a family. I'm not normal because I'm dyslexic. I have a scar on my head. I'm not normal because mystical things happen to me.

Thus begins the autobiography of an eleven-year-old boy who describes how he created a board game based on the popular Harry Potter series and entered it into his school's yearly Invention Convention, where it became an instant hit. How did he bring the characters and settings beloved by millions off the page and into his life?

Letters, owls, broomsticks, forests, staircases, as well as bullies, garage sales, dyslexia, and competition all figure in this fascinating book about how one child brought the magic of Harry Potter to life.

An inspiring story suitable for parents who want to encourage their children's imagination, and for all kids who want to have fun in imaginary worlds. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It's not just for kids!
Ben Buchanan has written a charming book examining the year he fell in love with the Harry Potter books and conquered his dyslexia. The author's voice is clear regarding his love for the magic he finds when transported to Harry Potter's world and Ben's desire to make the experience last as long as possible. The photographs and drawings are wonderful and help the reader understand the great care Ben took as he created a board game of Harry Potter trivia. Adults who love children and children who love Harry Potter should read this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

With six two-page spreads featuring the key scenes from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer'sStone, this Harry Potter pop-up book allows younger children to begin toexperience the thrilling saga of Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts. Everypage literally pops out with creative 3-D engineering in full color, whilepull-tabs allow readers to bring a Quidditch game to life or help Harry see hisheart's desire in the Mirror of Erised. The cartoonish art is muddy andunspectacular, but fans and collectors blinded by their enthusiasm for the boywizard may not care a bit. (Ages 4 and older) ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Harry Potter - The best ficcion book!
The book spell about a boy named Harry potter, who discover a new wolrd whem a guardian said to him tha he is a wizard. So, when the year begins, he make frinds and enemies, he learn magic stuff and how to play the famous quiddich. But he has to face his post to, because the worst wizard, Lord Voldemort wants to kill him. Tis book show the diference between the good and the evil, about friendship, confidence and love. Read it, you will like!

My 3 year old Harry Potter fan....
My three year old son LOVES Harry Potter, and we have had SO much trouble finding age-appropriate merchandise for him. I was scoping the local book store and stumbled upon this book. When I brought it home he went NUTS!!! It doesn't even bother with words, and it doesn't really need them, b/c the pop ups say it all. The lack of words definitely wasn't a problem for us b/c he can't read....so overall it's a great item for small children, but you might want to look around for something more challanging for older kids.

A great book for young children.
I spend every evening reading to my 2 children. Although neither is school aged, both enjoy "reading" this book to me. Each takes a turn and tells about the scenes on the page. In this way they are laying the foundation for early reading. The illustrations are first rate. The pull tabs effectively illustrate cause and effect relationships. One of the best things about this book is the fact that there are no word whatsoever. The story is told by my children and their version is always right. It is helpful that everyone in the family is familiar with the story in one form or another. (movie or novels)

Harry Potter Mom
My 3 year old "loves" all things Harry Potter, especially since big brother does. Have been looking foward to something that was more on his level for him to enjoy. The book is very nice. He enjoys the pop up and action tabs. The artwork is nice. I was very disappointed that it has no words at all! A little story would have been nice. He does, however, enjoy the book and is very proud to have is "own" Harry Potter book.

A gorgeous collectible!
I only wish there was a wee bit more of the story in it. But I LOVED it! ... Read more

Book Description

Now available in paper, The Ivory Tower and Harry Pottter is the first book-length analysis of J. K. Rowling's work from a broad range of perspectives within literature, folklore, psychology, sociology, and popular culture. A significant portion of the book explores the Harry Potter series' literary ancestors, including magic and fantasy works by Ursula K. LeGuin, Monica Furlong, Jill Murphy, and others, as well as previous works about the British boarding school experience. Other chapters explore the moral and ethical dimensions of Harry's world, including objections to the series raised within some religious circles. In her new epilogue, Lana A. Whited brings this volume up to date by covering Rowling's latest book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Could have been much, much better.
This book is a compilation of scholarly articles/essays by different authors. As such, it's not very consistent. Some segments were very insightful and interesting to read, while others were confused, off-base, or just plain inaccurate. Several of the chapters I read got basic information from the books wrong, such as one that described Hermione Granger as a "half-blood" (not true!), and one that seemed to completely misunderstand the crucial events at the end of book 3. When an author misunderstands such important basic information, it is hard for me to take their analyses seriously.

I wanted to like this book, but I can't reccommend it.

Ivory Tower
What I found to be an excellent read for the comfort of my mind is 'The lvory Tower - The Many Steps in life.' The Poetic suggestion covered many avenues to give the opportunity in my restructure a better approach in living despite the alarming events in the world I live in. Yes very thought-provoking of Mr. Jeffery Lynn Ivory as his poetic thoughts intermix with starting my early morning off on a sounder note.

Outstanding Resource for HP Scholars!
The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon is an exciting publication for people who enjoy literary discourse, but cannot gain access to "Ivory Tower" journal publications since leaving the rarified atmosphere of college academics. This book offers a healthy cross-section of topical essays, giving readers a feel for the current critical dialogue about Harry Potter - something that is sadly lacking amid the media hype. Some of the essays concern the hype itself, and Harry Potter's role as a cultural phenomenon - but many others beg us to approach the texts of J.K. Rowling's books on their own merit - a chance to "deconstruct Harry" as it were. For we who are forced by life (and more mundane jobs that require fewer college degrees) to remain armchair critics instead of college professors, it is both a blessing and a curse...for I guarantee that it will be an ex-English major's urge to respond to many of these essays with a paper of one's own! But who would grade it? Seriously, though, it is a wonderful way to explore the myriad characters, symbols and themes contained in Rowling's incredibly rich text, while feeling vindicated all along that Harry Potter, no matter how enjoyable (or marketable) is a phenomenon worthy of literary merit...and more importantly, O.K. for grown-ups to read.

What is Rawlings up to??
It is good to see Harry taken seriously. We need more books like this. Another good one is "Hidden Key to Harry Potter" by a
University of Chicago graduate who majored in ancient languages and English (Cum Laude) John Granger. He offers an air tight case that Rowlings is writting from within the same world view as C.S. Lewis and Tolkein with the same purpose and that her books are popular for the same reasons. Absolute must reading for serious Potterites.

A highly scholarly and insightful text
Compiled and edited by Lana A. Whited (Professor of English, Ferrum College, Virginia), The Ivory Tower And Harry Potter: Perspectives On A Literary Phenomenon is an extensive analysis of J.K. Rowling's immensely popular and widely acclaimed Harry Potter series of fantasy novels. Originally intended for young adults, this fantasy series proved fascinating, exciting, and complex enough to attract readers of all ages and backgrounds. The scholarly essays here assembled are from a wide variety of authors and discuss Harry Potter's roots in folklore, its connection to gender issues, literary comparisons and archetypes, and much, much more. A highly scholarly and insightful text, offering new perceptions on beloved favorites, The Ivory Tower And Harry Potter is a welcome addition to Literary Criticism reference collections and highly recommended for scholars and non-specialist general readers who enjoy J.K. Rowling's original, intricate, (and continuing to expand) cannon of deftly written and increasingly influential fantasy. ... Read more

Book Description

WARNING: THIS ISN'T THE REAL THING...IT'S FUNNIER!

"Stop that movie," Headmaster Alpo Bumblemore said, "or Hogwash is history!"
Already overrun by brawling, fetid fans of the bestselling Barry Trotter books, Hogwash is certain to be pulled down brick by brick after Barry's new big-budget biopic debuts. So Barry Trotter, Ermine Cringer, and Lon Measly are hauled out of retirement to face their toughest challenge yet. Not only do the twenty-two-year-olds have to elude packs of rabid fans, outwit Barry's sponging godfather Serious, and vanquish their old foe Lord Valumart, they have to face the most powerful enemy of all: Hollywood! ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Barry Trotter and the UNauthorized Parody
This book called Barry Trotter and the Unauthorized Parody is a spoof if Harry Potter. It is about the crazy adventure that Barry Trotter,(famous for being in J.G. Rollins Barry Trotter books), Lon Measley(a dim-wit that was in an accident and now he acts like a dog) and Ermine Cringer(a very smart girl that teaches at a school for the less priveliged kids) go on to stop the new Barry Trotter movie. They want to stop the movie because muddles(nonmagical people) keep coming to Hogwash ( achool for wizards and wishes) to see Barry. This movie wil just attract more of them! All kinds of things happen on thier way, like traveling in sharks, and getting turned into bagels! Iwould reccomend this book to people that like funny, energetic, and imaginative books. Iwould not reccomend this book to overprotective Potter fans, they might not like the jokes it puts on Harry Potter, but if you have an open mind, you will be laughing for hours and hours.

Entertaining, but not good
First of all, I adore the "Harry Potter" series. I have read all four books several times, seen the movie, and definitely consider myself a Potter-phile. I have been going through a sort of withdrawal while waiting for the fifth book to come out. The movie filled that void for a bit and so did the two school books, but it didn't make it go away. So, I've been reading books that have been compared to the series and books that are somehow related to them. This is one of those books.

I have read several parodies and humor books in the past and this is actually one of the funnier ones I have read. It is funny because it does not take itself seriously at all. It pokes fun at itself constantly. Almost as often as it pokes fun at everything relating to "Harry Potter."

Really, this book isn't surprising. "Harry Potter" has become so big that I'm surprised there aren't more books like this one. It isn't exactly insulting, as I feared it would be, because of the fact that it's obvious it's meant as humor. It takes some of the very basic concepts behind the series and twists them to the point where you'd have to be a phile to recognize the original idea. In that way, this book is aimed at fans.

There is a lot of "potty humor" in this book, as well as a lot having to do with sex. The writing style is not good by any definition- even the author admits this. Though, I think that might have been the point. It reads more like a piece of (poorly written) fan fiction than a novel.

It can be crude at some points, but it is entertaining nonetheless. I actually found myself getting really into it toward the end and was almost sad when it was over. Maybe that's just my withdrawal speaking, but I guess it means something.

Save your money !
The funniest part of this book are the "mutilated" names (i.e. Laord Valuemart, The Dork Forces, etc), and that probably says it all.
While it is somewhat amusing to imagine a "grown up" Harry Potter who feeds off his notoriety, that's not enough to make a good parody.
My advice : save your money for the next Harry Potter book !

Worth a look
I have read all 5 Harry Potter Books, and although I did find them entertaining, I was soreley diassapointed with the hype and comparrison to Lord of the Rings (Excellent piece of liturature). This book was a surprisingly good read. Some of the humor was "killed", but overall its references to corporate propaganda and the like were refreshing. I realise that this book is inappropriate for younger (9 & younger) Harry Potter fans, but none the less it should be enjoyed by most. A word to remeber read all the fine print ect. to get the most out of this book, and don't take it two seriously, it doesn't!

Not hilarious, but still quite funny
Barry Trotter is 22. Hogwash School for Wizards is a safe haven for its most famous student, because no one dares to tell Barry to bugger off just because that would mean that the unstoppable flow of new student will be cut off. Yes, Barry Trotter is the reason why twenty candidates applied for every open spot at Hogwash School. In the meantime Barry is constantly busy not following his courses and not studying for the exams. Why should he? The arrangement he has with Alpo Bumblemore simply made studying unnecessary.

But then something wicked disturbs the relaxing contemplation Barry was in: finally the first Barry Trotter movie, based upon the bestsellers of J.G. Rollins, goes into production. This would mean the end of Hogwash School for Wizards, because only a movie has the strength to appeal to the brainless part of the Muddles. And everyone knows what happens once that part of society gets its teeth into something: death by overexposure.
Only Barry, Ermine Cringer and Lon Measly can save the day... or make it just that little bit worse...

Is it allowed to be brazenly exploitative if you admit to it on the cover of your book? Is it allowed to fill your book with fart-jokes if in that same book you admit that it is a cheap trick at trying to be funny? Well, I guess opinions will differ on this.

But let's admit it: sometimes being a little bit simple can be a lot of fun! That's exactly what Barry Trotter is all about. So, do not expect any mind bogglingly funny jeux-the-mots, but be satisfied with "Lon Measly" instead of "Ron Weasly". Don't expect Barry to safe himself and friends from an awkward situation by using a hilarious spell, but be satisfied with Measly who saves everyone by letting his body gasses flow freely.
Nevertheless do expect some critical messages concerning the whole Harry Potter hoopla. Do expect some shooting at modern publishing and merchandising. And that's ok, because it is exactly what a good parody should do.

In the end I am not so sure if true Harry Potter fans will like Michael Gerber's novel, because in fact it will show them that at least part of their behavior fits in a marketing strategy devised by the evil Lord Valumart. Not something you can be proud of, not?

If you like a good book, read Harry Potter. If you want to read some silly stuff, read Barry Trotter. If you like to be taken advantage of, buy some Harry Potter merchandise... ... Read more

Reviews (8)

sehr tolles Buch!!
Ich bin Amerikanerin, und ich hab das Buch niemals auf Englisch gelesen,also ist es schwer für mich, die Übersetzung mit der englischen Version zu vergleichen, aber ich kann sagen, dass die Übersetzung gut genug war, dass ich ab und zu total vergessen, dass ich im Moment Deutsch lese. Ich habe auch die spanische Version gelesen..aber die spanische Version war überhaupt nicht so gut wie die deutsche. Dieses Buch ist sehr gut für alle Studenten, die ihren deutschen Wortschatz vergrössern möchten. Manche Ausdrücke in diesem Buch, wird man nie im Klassenzimmer lernen. Aber natürlich sind die Gedichte im Buch nicht so gut wie in der englischen Version, aber das ist normal....Ich habe niemals eine Übersetzung gesehen, die besser war als die originale für Gedichten und Lieder.

Harry Potter und der Steinder Weisen
Alles, das ich über das Buch sagen kann, ist, daß ich es liebte, und ich glaube, daß es sehr wert Leseversuch es ist.

Wunderbar
Chances are if your thinking on buying this book in German, you've probably already read the Englsih version, so I won't bog you down with any lengthy opinion on the story itself except to say it is a modern classic, full of mystery and suspense that can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike.

Foreign language versions of English novels are notoriously difficult to translate, largely due to the high number of English words which have no exact translation in say, German or French. But on the whole, this was an exceptionally translated peice, with no major blunders sticking out (the Spanish version is full of them) The most obvious chnage is of "Hermione" to "Hermine" Perhaps Hermione would feel strange to pronounce to a native German speaker, not sure on that one.

A lot of people will tell you Spanish and French are far easier to learn than German. I found German more fun to learn, most people who say it is a difficult, technical language do not know that English and German belong in the same group of languages (Germanic) French, Spanish and Italian are in a completely different group (Romantic) So to brush up on language skills, or just to have fun reading a novel in another language, HP is probably the most fun and easy to understand novel on the market.

An excellent translation
This translation of Harry Potter pulled even this native speaker of English along almost as well as the original book, and I would recommend it for anyone who's had a couple of years of German as a skill and vocabulary builder. If you're struggling with Goethe or Thomas Mann, you need something that will show you that German can be fun to read, and this book will do the trick nicely. I suppose once could carp at a few things here and there, but this translation is so superior to the French translation that I wouldn't waste my time doing that, except to mention that Hermione's name has for some reason been changed to Hermine. If you get stuck, at least the trot's readily available!

PRACHTVOLL!
harry potter ist ein sehr gut Buch, voll von fantastike Geschichte und prachtvolle Menschen! Es gefallt mir sehr viel, und ich kann es fur alle empfehlen! Harry Potter macht viel spass zu lesen. man ist glucklich, wenn er dieses Buch lesen. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Fair
This coloring book can only be called fair. Yes, it is Harry Potter so the children were thrilled. But the scenes picked were not exactly the ones I would have chosen. For example, there was not one of Marge blown up and floating away! Ok, if you are like my children and just wanted the latest Harry Potter coloring book...but I think I'll keep a look out for something better. ... Read more

Book Description

The unprecedented popularity of the Harry Potter books took the publishing world by storm and captured the imaginations of readers around the world. This unofficial biographical study of J. K. Rowling invites fans and critics alike to take a close look at the person behind the phenomenon, the facts of her life as a writer, and the extraordinary success of an ordinary woman. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

When You Are Done Reading ORDER OF THE PHOENIX.....
......read this book about the great writer, J. K. Rowling! I like how she played guitar and drew pictures, besides doing her writing. The author of this biography says that J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter are like the Beatles. From what my parents say about them, I think so, too. Then I heard on the webcast interview from London that J. K. Rowling's favorite group is the Beatles--so, it's like this author knew that already! You'll love this book if you like Harry Potter and J. K. Rowling. I love the names of the fungi in the Forest of Dean. If you grew up there, maybe you'd have J. K. Rowling's imagination, too! She read lots of books, too, which figures, doesn't it? This book tells more about the books she read than any other book I've seen about her. Over the summer, I'm going to write a letter to J. K. Rowling using her addresses in the back of this book. This book is packed with information! Buy it and read it!

I Love This Book!
Most of the books about J. K. Rowling are either too young for me or are just gossip about her. This book tells me about her life and her writing and about Harry Potter in a way I like. It's for older kids and adults. It's the most up-to-date book about J. K. Rowling on Amazon. There is a lot of information in the back, too, like addresses where to write to her and addresses for the charities she's involved with. It has pictures in it, too. I got this book as a gift, since my dad knew I would already get Order of the Phoenix. I love this book! I love J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter! I recommend this book to everyone who loves J. K. Rowling and Harry Potter like I do!

Nothing new in this book - very disappointing
I bought this book and Sean Smith's biography of the same name as I love the Harry Potter books and wanted to find out more about the author, who seems to be quite private and doesn't reveal much about herself. There is no new material in Kirk's book - in fact she has taken a lot of the information from Smith's book which came out 2 years ago so you may as well just buy that one!

If you buy this book thinking you'll read something new, don't bother.

A Harry Potter Fan
My mom and I both read this book while we were waiting for Harry Potter #5 to come out. It has some things in it I've never heard of before about Ms. Rowling. My mom said she thought the Forest of Dean near where Ms. Rowling grew up sounded like a magical place and maybe that's where some of her ideas came from. We loved the names of the mushrooms they have there! We liked this book a lot and recommend it to any Harry Potter fans out there who would like to know more about the author. It's also the most up-to-date biography we know of--it even mentions her new baby!

Up-to-date and Accurate
This book is very informative and provides a clear way of undrstanding parts of J.K. Rowling's life. It is by far the most accurate and up-to-date biography of J.K. Rowling.
I give this book 5 stars because of its accuracy and the fact that this book is the most up-to-date biography of J.K. Rowling. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Malfoy uses an offensive term, Mudblood, to address Hermione. How doyou feel about people who do this? Why do you think they act this way? Whatwould you say to Malfoy?

In Moody's class, students learn about illegal wizard curses which are abuses ofpower. Beyond the book, what are some abuses of power that you know of?

Is Hermione right to try to liberate the house-elves when they don't really wantto be liberated and are happy as things stand?

In this literature guide for Harry Potter and the Goblet ofFire, students are challenged to think more deeply about the enormouslypopular book by J.K. Rowling. The lightweight 24-page booklet is divided intochapter groupings, with summaries, discussion questions, and activities,including lessons in comprehension and recall, vocabulary, and themes.Cross-curricular activities in social studies, writing, math, science, and moreprovide opportunities for more comprehensive exploration of the concepts andthemes of the book. Reproducible handouts and a colorful teaching poster areincluded in this engaging guide to a literary phenomenon. (Ages 8 to 11)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Learning from Harry Potter
I actually know of a class teaching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in college. Does that make Potter books literature? I can't rightly say, but I will say that the Harry Potter books have dramatically re-introduced literacy into the lives of children AND adults. Furthermore, the series surreptitiously pushes the boundaries of what Americans have considered a long time as being "children's literature." Rowling, not constrained by the coddling nature of our own country's hypocritical and overprotective stance towards children, creates a rich world of evolving characters with deep emotions and clever bits of humor. If Rowling's books can get children, en masse, to read and read well, I say her books practically deserve their own branch of study. How many things have caught the interests of children in recent years without stooping to vapid juvenilia? Our children can handle Harry Potter. We just have to show them.

Literature Guide recommendations seem young...
I am an enthusiastic Harry Potter fan, but I don't think I would recommend the Goblet of Fire to an 8-year-old. The length is somewhat overwhelming and I don't think the entire class could stay on the same reading pace. I haven't read the Literature Guide, but I have read Goblet of Fire which deals with issues on a deeper level than the first Harry Potter book. If you are an elementary teacher looking for a literature guide for the Harry Potter books, I would recommend looking for one that covers Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (the first book). However, I would recommend the Harry Potter books to ALL age levels, especially adults! EE

J.K. Rowling is brilliant!
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is book #4 in a series of seven. Just like the first three this book is filled with excitement all of its own. It still carries on the plot of Harry's adventures throughout his school year like the other books, but at the same time it has its own original theme. J.K. Rowling's style is full of imagery, which lets you think of the book as a movie. You are not just 'reading' the book, you are 'seeing' it too. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who has read the first three. I would also recommend to anyone who hasn't read any of the series to give it a chance. I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of reading, but I could not put this book (or the other three) down.

What is it?
Can't find anything that tells me what a "Literature Guide" is. So my review must necessarily be incomplete.

Goblet of Fire
I'm a Polish high school student. My English isn't satisfactory, for me , though my friend don't think so. They were surprised that I'm "losing" my time reading so "capacitive" book. But they haven't even read first three part of HP serie, which could be bought published in Polish language. I've read the first two parts of HP advenures in Polish then I've got the last two from my mom, when I was lying in my bed ill for a week. I was fastinatied with that two books, escpecially with Goblet of Fire. I've not understood everything. The Polish edicion of HP and Goblet of fire is coming on 30 th September out, so I though that after 6 months learning english at school I could understand everything. It was good idea, 'cause now at holidays I don't have to worry about not having time, so I spend last two days reading the forth book again. I think it is the best part of all J.K. Rowlings books and I cannot wait untill 2002 when the 5th part is going to be pusblished. I'll also read it first in English, cause translating it will last for about 1,5 year. Mayby when I'll be studying I can read it in my native language. I think till summer 2002 my English will be so good as I want it to be and i'll understand it for a first time. So, I have one request to Mrs. Rowling and the Bloomsbury Publishing " PLEASE PUBLISH ' HP and the order of Phoenix' AS FAST AS POSSIBLE" Not only people from UK&US are waiting for it. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

great way to read painlessly in French
These are children's books with a lot of action and dialogue-- perfect, easy reading for the non-native speaker, well and carefully translated...

Awesome book
I found it great! I'm taking French currently and although I had to ask my dad for a lot of the words, I found it funny! Great translation, and as usual, the best book. Read the English version before you read others to get the real J.K. Rowling. But still a great substitution for non-English speakers.

This book is a gotta read, the BEST!
Harry Potter is with his uncle, aunt, and cousin, who he hates so much, he would give almost anything to get out of there when his Aunt Marge comes to vist with her pit bull-Ripper. He loses control over his magic, and blows her up. Harry is on the run, but not for long. The Ministry of Magic finds him, and acts like they are thankful to find him, alive, and he soon finds out why.First, a strange dog scares him, and Harry almost gets killed. He is being treated very weired, until he finds out why. The infamous prisoner of Azakban, the wizard prison, has escaped and is after him. Harry is not safe anywhere, even at his school, Hogwarts. This book has an ending that you will never guess and is funny, with a lot of mystery in it. It is one of the best books that I have ever read in my life and I think that you will love it too!

Excellent
Learning French and knowing of the books easy reading, I gave this book a try, if I say so myself this translation is much better than the first one, very few spelling mistakes and great plots. ... Read more

Book Description

"Harry Potter is a sexist neo-conservative autocrat."—Pierre Bruno, Liberation

"These are one-dimensional children's books. Disney cartoons written in words, no more."—Anthony Holden, The Observer

"What child do you know these days who eats rock cakes and talks about galoshes? No wonder they love it in the States."—Suzanne Moore

As the British state begins to unravel, and journalists compete to pronounce on the death of Britain, a schoolboy from suburban Surrey who lives for most of the year in a semi-parallel universe becomes the most popular figure in contemporary world literature. Now read on—everyone else does... Harry Potter is an orphan, oppressed and abused by the adults around him, who retreats into a fantasy world. But ironically, as Andrew Blake makes clear, J. K. Rowling rescues her character through the reinvention of that apex of class privilege, the English public school, a literary conceit that problematizes Harry Potter's status as a role model and raises important social questions about the state of Blair's Britain. Andrew Blake's examination of the Harry Potter phenomenon—the literary equivalent of fast food—also raises serious questions about the condition of the publishing industry, and filmmaking, and the ways in which the Potter consumer campaign has changed our ideas about literature and reading. Blake reflects on the ways in which these connections act as a template for Harry Potter's extraordinary international success. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

So that is why Harry is so popular!
I would rate this as a tie for the most interesting book on this phenomenon of those I have read so far. This book looks at the cultural and political timing that seems to have made Harry the irresistible darling of the literacy efforts in the UK and since in many respects those things are duplicated in the US, voila, Harry is irresistible there also. ... Read more