Sunday, October 28, 2012

How J.K. Rowling Shaped My Life

Ever since I was little, I've been an extensive reader. I learned how to read in preschool, and from then on I grew as a reader. By the time I was in kindergarten I could read on a second grade level. By the time I was in second grade, I could read on a fifth grade level. One of the series I remember reading in second grade was Harry Potter. I heard from all the other kids how amazing it was, and not wanting to miss out on any fun, I decided to try them out for myself. I immediately fell head over heels in love with them. The way J.K. Rowling writes is like she is opening a door into her own world, and inviting you in for a visit, or for me, more like permanent residence. For example, every time I read about Harry returning to the castle and walking around the corridors, it felt like home.
(picture source here)
After reading the books, I felt like I viewed life in a different way. I could not only make infinite jokes and references to the books, but I also felt like Ms. Rowling gave a piece of her characters to me. I'd like to think that the reason I actually began to care about school when I was younger was because of the studious nature of Hermionie Granger, who I really look up to because of her brains. I really likes the values of the Ravenclaw House (one of the four student divisions).  She proved to me that you can get out of almost any situation if you are mentally prepared for it. Ms.Rowling also showed me that greatness is inside everyone. She didn't let the rough patches of her life, such as her divorce or money troubles,  stop her from creating arguably one of the most influential young adult fiction series.

One of the amazing things about the series is that it is so easy to make friends with people who have already read the books because you can easily relate to them due to feelings experienced through the books. Many of my friendships today were formed because of common interests like Harry PotterShe proved to me that when everything seems to go wrong all at one time, it's important to keep moving forward, and channel those problems to create something extraordinary.
With over 375 million copies sold it's safe to say that the series is popular. However, with sites like pottermore.com the books can be taken to an entirely new level, which is nice for people who have already read the books, and are waiting for something new.

This biography of J.K. Rowling was crucial in the writing of this post.

1 comment:

  1. I like how a fictional character inspired you to do well in school. The Harry Potter books were really great and I think this is a very interesting post about how you reference the books in your own life. Good job.

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