Recently, JK Rowling released a new website with her usual flare of mysteriousness and fanfare. It's called Pottermore. It won't be fully functional until October except for a few lucky people that will be able to beta test it starting July 31st. I would highly recommend going to the site and watching the brief video as the graphics are amazing. More and more movies are using this paper cut out graphic technique in their opening credits and during back story. I love it.
Pottermore will essentially be the go to site for audio books and the exclusive site for ebooks. Rowling did not say what format the books would be in so I don't know if they will work on your ereader or if it is strictly for the computer, which is a drawback in my opinion. She's held out a long time, let's hope it's not going to be just about the money. I hope she considered the readers and their needs as well.
I remember when my dear daughter came home from second grade talking about a story they were reading about a little boy who was locked in a cupboard under the stairs with spiders. I thought what kind of stuff are they reading to these kids. Then she kept coming home day after day and all she could talk about was this book so we finally bought it and I read it aloud to her. Little did I know we had started a new tradition. From then on, we were in line on release day. Sometimes in costume. We would have marathon reading sessions, always with me reading aloud still, even when she was old enough to read it to herself. Now she is almost 20 and has moved on from Harry Potter but I haven't :)
My dear son who will be nine soon is hooked on the books and we read them aloud to him. He hasn't heard the later books as they are a bit scary and more grown up, but as he grows he can grow with Harry.
As I'm writing this, I'm planning to go to the midnight showing of the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - the final movie. It saddens me that it is all coming to an end for me. The excitement of the "next" installment will be over. But I can live the wonder with my son.
With Rowling's books, it's all about the wonder. I thank her for that.
Pottermore will essentially be the go to site for audio books and the exclusive site for ebooks. Rowling did not say what format the books would be in so I don't know if they will work on your ereader or if it is strictly for the computer, which is a drawback in my opinion. She's held out a long time, let's hope it's not going to be just about the money. I hope she considered the readers and their needs as well.
I remember when my dear daughter came home from second grade talking about a story they were reading about a little boy who was locked in a cupboard under the stairs with spiders. I thought what kind of stuff are they reading to these kids. Then she kept coming home day after day and all she could talk about was this book so we finally bought it and I read it aloud to her. Little did I know we had started a new tradition. From then on, we were in line on release day. Sometimes in costume. We would have marathon reading sessions, always with me reading aloud still, even when she was old enough to read it to herself. Now she is almost 20 and has moved on from Harry Potter but I haven't :)
My dear son who will be nine soon is hooked on the books and we read them aloud to him. He hasn't heard the later books as they are a bit scary and more grown up, but as he grows he can grow with Harry.
As I'm writing this, I'm planning to go to the midnight showing of the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - the final movie. It saddens me that it is all coming to an end for me. The excitement of the "next" installment will be over. But I can live the wonder with my son.
With Rowling's books, it's all about the wonder. I thank her for that.
My daughter is a voracious reader--considering her parents (me, and her dad who is a linguist), I had hoped/assumed she would love to read. Second grade came along, she could read, but was really showing no interest in the stories or the magic of getting lost in the printed page.
ReplyDeleteHarry Potter changed that. Her school's librarian recommended The Chamber of Secrets to her--I thought it was above her reading level--she worked her way through it in about a month or two. The second book took her about half that time. . . .
May the Pantheon bless J.K. Rowling!
I agree! J.K. inspired a whole generation of readers!
ReplyDeleteNice personal spin to the Pottermore saga. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. The publishing world is watching.
ReplyDeleteMy son also grew up reading about Harry. We can thank J.K. for giving grade school children a reason to LIKE reading. In my book, she's a hero and deserves all her good fortune.
Tricia