Lauren from Shooting Stars Mag is celebrating 12 Years of Blogging! A while back she asked if anyone wanted to help her celebrate with some giveaways & I said of course!
She’s also doing a year’s worth of books (12) giveaway, too. Here’s the link to enter!
I was in 5th grade when I read Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone. I was the generation that “grew up with” Harry and Hermione and Ron. I remember pre-ordering books, waiting in lines, and seeing bookstore windows FILLED with the newest HP release. Rowling & Potter nourished my love of reading and writing, turning me into the book worm I am today. Harry Potter strongly shaped my adult personality.
Whether or not you’re “into” the Harry Potter craze, I strongly believe there are some deep lessons to pull from this series.
[1] Friends are family. Harry doesn’t have living family (…spoiler alert?) so his friends easily become his family. Ron has a wonderful, large family… and his friends are still his family and openly welcomed into the Weasley home.
[2] We all have light and dark within us. Every character in HP has shining moments and dark moments. Even our favorite heroes make bad choices sometimes. It’s a story of choices and redemption and consequences.
“We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.” -Sirius Black, PoA
[3] Sticking up for others, aligning yourself with the meek or victimized, and taking a stand against your own friends isn’t easy. How many times are characters rewarded for doing the extremely unpopular right thing? I hate that S.P.E.W. didn’t make it into the movies, especially since it makes a later moment between Hermione and Ron all the more sweet.
[4] Bad things happen- it’s how you react that matters. The characters don’t always react “correctly”, but that’s because they’re not flawless. So many of them- especially the adults- handle the battles, deaths of friends, and monumental hurdles with patience and grace.
“What’s comin’ will come, an’ we’ll meet it when it does.” -Hagrid, GoF
[5] Getting an education is incredibly important, but there’s a LOT to learn outside of the classroom, too. I think even Hermione would agree that she learned a lot about friendship and survival and life outside the Hogwarts classrooms.
Below is a giveaway for a new illustrated Harry Potter book (+ some goodies).
It says “Sorcerer’s Stone”, but you can pick which book you’d like. (For example, if you have SS and want CoS. Or if PoA is your favorite book.)
Click to Enter Rafflecopter Giveaway
And be sure to pop over and wish Lauren a Happy Blogoversary!!
Good luck, friends!
Life as Louise 
You can tell I did NOT grow up with Harry Potter… I read the title of this and my thoughts went straight to Beatrix Potter. Haha.
Is the giveaway international? I know the one on Lauren’s blog is US only.
LikeLike
Yeah, mine is U.S. only unless you can help with shipping – because it’ll be insane to ship out of country. I have other blogoversary giveaways that are International though (just look at the link up at the bottom of the year’s worth of books giveaway!)
-Lauren
LikeLiked by 2 people
I totally understand it being US only. I just couldn’t see any mention on this one and I thought it would be useful to know 🙂 Even Goodreads giveaways are mostly not open to Switzerland… some of them list seemingly every country in Europe but specifically leave out Switzerland!
LikeLike
Hahahaha. That’s funny 🙂 I actually grew up with one or two Beatrix Potter prints in my room so I was technically introduced to that Potter first!
I just told Lauren that I’m good with an international giveaway! So go for it!
LikeLike
Thank you so much, Audrey! You know I love Harry Potter too and he was very much my childhood. I think I read the first book when I was like…seven. I love your list – and that quote from Sirius Black is a favorite of mine; it’s so very true!!
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
LikeLike
In 5th grade we used to keep the book we were reading for fun on the corner of our desk and I just remember HP sitting there 🙂 I’m surprised I didn’t read it soon!
LikeLike
I will never outgrow Harry Potter – still magical after all these years.
LikeLike
So truuuuuue!
LikeLike
And here’s where I can see our age difference!. I saw Sorcerer’s Stone (yes, I saw the movie first!!) when I was 27 years old, I think. Didn’t want to see the movie but a visiting friend did and since I am a gracious host, we saw it. I loved it and immediately started reading the books. Yes to all the amazing lessons. To me, the most important lesson is that LOVE WINS. I think about that a lot these days.
LikeLike
Oh my gosh, the movies are also just so so good. I think you can’t truly compare them. I’m just sad when I think about some of the story arcs left out. Oh well. I definitely love the main idea of goodness and love and purity over evil! I agree completely!
LikeLike
I have loved every single one of the Harry Potter books but I would have to say my favorite was the FIRST Sorcerer’s Stone because it started ALL of the Magic! I literally grew up with these books and still enjoy the movies a couple of times a year!
LikeLike
That’s a great reason to love the first book! I love rereading that one because I can *feel* the start of it all. I love the third because I feel like that’s where the past and present and future are all starting to tie together!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree that Harry Potter teaches some good lessons. My favorite book growing up was three because of Lupin and Sirius and all the magical creatures 🙂
LikeLike
I agree! I love Lupin so so much. He’s one of my absolute favorites and I love that the third book introduces him and Sirius!
LikeLike
YAY SO FUN! I love being of the HP generation! 🙂 My favorite is The Prisoner of Azkaban, but I like The Half-Blood Prince too! I AM MAJORLY OVERDUE FOR A RE-READ. I want to try the audio and the illustrated versions! 🙂 XO – Alexandra
Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things
LikeLike
Me too, me too, me too! PoA is my absolute favorite but I love the movie for Order of the Phoenix! I’ve been rereading them as the illustrated books have been released. (#4 this fall!!) I love them. They’re SO gorgeous!
LikeLike
I’m much older than you, and I actually didn’t read the HP books when they first came out. But I had plenty of time to become enamored with them later. 🙂 Thanks for the chance at the giveaway!
LikeLike
Oh, and for the giveaway, I was supposed to list my favorite book in the series. I suppose the last book is my favorite just because it ended the series so phenomenally!
LikeLike
I think you can enjoy them at any age 🙂 The last book is such a standout! The PERFECT ending to a fantastic series! I agree completely!
LikeLike
The Half Blood Prince is my favorite in the series.
LikeLike
I’m slowly rereading them and I can’t wait to get to that one. When it comes to the movies I think The Half Blood Prince is one of the funniest ones (up until the cave scene)!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoy the Harry Potter books and movies, but my wife is the biggest HP fan I know. It’s hard to pick, but our favorite book is Deathly Hallows.
LikeLike
Great choice! It’s the perfect ending to the series!
LikeLike
“Do you have a favorite Harry Potter book?” I think I enjoyed them all pretty equally! I wish the movies were more what I pictured in my mind–black and white, with mist everywhere!
I’m giving up on filling in the email and name in the “correct” way in this widget because of the extreme problems with gravatar and wordpress accounts (no log ins and nothing I do will make the message go through without prompting me to log into something I’ve already logged into), so I’m putting my correct email here, although if I’m lucky enough to win it should be available from the rafflecopter widget, I think.
jsmith[delete brackets]3may[delete brackets]2011
[at symbol]
yahoo[dot]com
LikeLike
I usually think of the books and movies as two totally separate entities. They’re both great but so different at times!
Hmm. Wonder why… No problem! Thanks for entering!
LikeLike
I think my favorite Harry Potter books are 5-7. I don’t know if I can narrow it down further 🙂
LikeLike
Hahaha- I don’t blame you! Those three perfectly conclude the story and battle!
LikeLike
Thank you so much for the incredible giveaway 🙂
My fave HP is GoF – always has been!
Megan S.
LikeLike
You’re welcome! Goblet of Fire is my least favorite book (and film), lol. I don’t know why that is. Maybe it has too much action for me. Haha!
LikeLike
For the longest time I didn’t have any interest in the movies or the books until my mom wanted to watch them. Now I love them and I’m trying to make my way through the series.
LikeLike
Yay for your mom! I’ve loved the books and films for years. When the movies are on TV I make my husband crazy by leaving them on all weekend. Haha!
LikeLike
I still haven’t even read through the illustrated versions. Eventually, I’d love to get them for my boys!
LikeLike
They’re such beautiful books! I love reading through them- especially in fall or winter 🙂 I think your boys would love them!
LikeLike
So fun! Book #4 was always my favorite, but I cannot wait to revisit #1 with my son for his first read through – and the illustrated version would be so great for that!
LikeLike
I love the illustrated versions. I think they’d be perfect for kids and their first time reading the series!
LikeLike
I think the last book is my favorite because they defeat Voldemort.
LikeLike
It’s the perfect wrap up to the series!
LikeLike
Awesome giveaway! I’m partial to the first HP (nostalgia), but also the 3rd and the 6th!
LikeLike
The first is just a classic ❤ My favorite is the 3rd!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve read them all, I think the first and 3 are nice, also the 2nd too
LikeLike
I’m a fan of the third 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve definitely read Harry Potter! One of my fondest bookish memories was the launch of The Half Blood Prince. It was at Edinburgh Castle and I lived less than 5 minutes walk from the castle at the time. The centre of the city had such an amazing atmosphere and my husband and I went out to enjoy it all and queue to get our hands on the book at midnight. That’s why it’ll always be my favourtie.
LikeLike
I love that! What a beautiful memory! When we were visiting France they were releasing Order of the Phoenix and we *technically* could get our hands on it hours earlier than the US folks! Haha! I loved knowing that!
LikeLike
I love every books in the series! But if I have to choose, I’d choose Goblet of Fire😉
LikeLike
That’s my LEAST favorite! Haha! I don’t know why- I think it might be all the action. Lol
LikeLike