I've been absent for the past two months for which I apologize, but more about that later. For the moment, I want to focus on a thought that has been circling my head for the past week or so.
In October of 1999 I was celebrating my fourteenth birthday along with my twin sister. I honestly don't remember much about the party or the celebrations in general. But I do remember, distinctly, a gift my sister and I were given. A mutual friend of ours gave us two books, the first and second in a series that I was unfamiliar with, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
In the twelve years since I began reading the books there have been a series of moments that have shaped my memories and my actions. I remember vividly, going to book releases at midnight and staying up until five or six in the morning, just to read the whole book before I fell asleep. I remember midnight showings of the movies, with friends carrying homemade wands and sneaking in homemade butterbeer. I remember a Harry Potter themed party, where everyone wore a costume (I was the Sorting Hat, complete with song) and participated in games that echoed the challenges of the TriWizard Tournament.I remember hours spent in discussion on the differences between the books and the movies, which characters were more badass, and which houses we belonged in. In short, I have thousands of memories centered around the world and adventures of Harry Potter.
Like many of us have in the past week, I've dealt with the revelation that the series I have come to love and adore is finally coming to an end. But the end has brought with it some serious reflection on the role of literature in my life.
I've always surrounded myself by books, in fact, if you know me, you know that my personal library fills numerous bookshelves around my room, and even more boxes stored around my house. When I last counted I owned over 700 books, and that number continues to rise. I surround myself in literature, in the fictional words that I have longed to belong to since I was a kid.
In my mind, I have wandered the halls of Hogwarts, I have explored the country of Narnia, I've wandered the Hundred Acre Wood and I've ridden on the backs of dragons over the land of Pern. Beyond that, I've sailed the high seas in search of buried treasure, I've seen the improbability drive at work, I've crossed blades with Inigo Montoya, and I've hunted Dracula. These are the worlds that I can quote and picture with no effort. When I allow my mind to sit in silence, it is the words these books have etched into my mind that surface. I can remember the details of the characters, of their lives and of their worlds more clearly then I can remember what I wore yesterday. In many ways, their worlds have become mine.
Literature has shaped my life, it is because of these books and of these worlds that I went on to get a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature. It is because of these books and of these worlds that I got my license to teach Middle School Language Arts. It is because of these books and of these worlds that I have been collecting books to furnish my classroom with since before I even started my teaching program. It is because of these books and of these worlds that I am already collecting books and stories to read to my children and my nieces and nephews.
I understand the importance of reading in the lives of children. I understand how reading not only encourages mental growth, but provides a retreat, a world away from that which we inhabit, a world where we can be someone different. I took refuse in these worlds as a child and I still do. I hope that I can encourage my students and younger generations of my family to read, to take solace in the books that I love and in the worlds that will strengthen their minds and their hearts.
I suppose it's only appropriate that I finish this post with a list of the books that changed my life, maybe some of them will affect you the way they have me.
Harry Potter (Books 1-7) J.K. Rowling
The Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis
Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne
The Dragonriders of Pern Series Anne McCaffrey
Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
The Princess Bride William Goldman
The Historian Elizabeth Kostova
(and those are just the ones I mentioned above)
Fragment Warren Fahy
The Once and Future King T.H. White
The Dark Lord of Derkholm Dianna Wynne Jones
The Boxcar Children Series Ann M. Martin
Animal Farm George Orwell
Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe Fannie Flagg
A Midsummer Night's Dream William Shakespeare
And that's just a small list of the books that have changed my life in some way shape or form. What pieces of literature of shaped your life?
