Why I read Harry Potter into the wee hours ... and aloud to my daughter

BY Kate Dungan Dearborn

Once I finished the first of J. K. Rowling's books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I was eager to read all of the books as they appeared in the series. I really enjoyed the first Harry Potter film, too, based on The Sorcerer's Stone. And like countless children (and many other moms), I've been eagerly waiting to see the newly released film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

I'm always on the lookout for books that inspire me and don't drag me down. It's exciting to find a book that illustrates spiritual qualities such as honesty and persistence. During trying times, I often end up reading a children's classic novel or series. That's why I, along with millions of other parents, was happy when J. K. Rowling launched the series.

The Harry Potter stories are about a mistreated orphan boy who discovers his true identity on his eleventh birthday. Although raised by a "non-magical" aunt and uncle, he discovers that he is a wizard, which explains the powers that he has always had.