Reading has always been an integral part of my life growing up. From the time I was small, my parents would read to me every night before I went to sleep. This established my love of reading with classic books such as the Chronicles of Narnia, the Tale of Despereaux, the Incident at Hawk’s Hill, the BFG, Matilda, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, the Trumpet of the Swan, Little House on the Prairie, the Island of the Blue Dolphins, Charlotte’s Web, From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler, Holes, Indian in the Cupboard, My Side of the Mountain, Sideways Stories of Wayside School and many many more. Even with these numerous classics there is no other series that stands out in my life as being as influential as the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling.
I have read this series many times at many different points in my life,making it one of my most beloved stories. The first time I read the series was with my parents before I went to bed. I loved the books so much that I decided I wanted to read them again to myself, a big step in reading career. As the years went by and the series progressed I felt like I was growing up with Harry and I got to experience his adventures over and over at different points in my life. These books were especially influential to me because it was one of the first books that I read to myself and felt fully immersed in a fictional world. That feeling of being transported to a mysterious world filled with sorcery and magic was very appealing to me and it helped open the door for me to read many more fantasy novels. This series is also one of the first series that I had a desire to reread, which is a saying a lot for someone like me who rarely, if ever, will voluntarily choose to reread a book. Rowling created such a fantastic world that I wanted to discover as much about it as possible.
Another reason I found these books to be influential was the relatable themes and characters that Rowling addresses throughout the series. As a young girl the character of Hermione was extremely relatable and accessible. I found a special fondness for the curly haired girl who loved books just like me. The character of Hermione taught young girls that it was not only acceptable, but desirable to be intelligent and courageous. Having a role model like Hermione to grow up with was very influential and has helped shaped me into the person I am today. Rowling also included other strong female role models in her novels such as Professor McGonagall, Mrs. Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Nymphadora Tonks, Ginny Weasley, and Lily Potter. These capable and tenacious women were all exemplary role models for young women to look up to and showed girls at a crucial point in their lives that women are not powerless.
In addition to the strong female role models in the book Rowling also includes themes of unyielding friendship. The bonds that Harry forms with Ron and Hermione as well as others throughout the book showed readers like myself the power of friendship. For the first time in his life Harry was able to surround himself with a group of people who truly cared for his well-being and enjoyed being with him. The friendships he made during tough times taught me that having a group of friends who you can count on when times are tough is invaluable. Forming solid and trustworthy friendships instead of just superficial acquaintances has always been a priority for me and I feel some of that can be attributed to books like the Harry Potter Series that demonstrated the benefit of real friends.
As well as these themes Rowling also covers the very real topic of death and the loss of loved ones. In many children’s books this subject matter is seen as taboo and will be glossed over in an attempt to protect the readers. Rowling, however, does not shy away from it. As a young kid I had not yet had to experience the pain of losing someone close to me, the deaths in these books were some of the first exposure I had to the topic of what it was like to lose someone close to you. I was able to see that while it hurts to lose a loved one, they will always be with you and that even though it may be tough at first, life goes on. Being able to have that introduction to death with fictional characters helped to prepare me for real life loss and suffering.
Finally Harry Potter was not just significant to me as an individual, it was significant to millions of readers across the world. Its messages and themes spoke broadly, making it one of the most beloved books of this generation. It can unite many different types of people, it appeals to readers of all ages in a way that is difficult for many children’s books to do. Knowing that Harry Potter and Rowling’s world will be there waiting for readers at anytime, no matter where they are in their life, is a power that cannot be underestimated. Without Harry Potter it is possible that many children would not have found a love for reading like I was able to.
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