by Hanako Ricks

Created on: January 14, 2010

Disclaimer: This essay was written as a class assignment; and was shortened and edited to fit the requirements of the assignment.

Over the past five years, I've found my life taking an unexpected but very welcome turn, when I made the decision to begin reading a series of “children's” books known as the Harry Potter series. The world that has been opened up to me because of that decision has been so limitless, and so rewarding that I can't imagine what my life would have been without it. Reading this series - and the experiences that I've had as a result - led to my decision to return to school so that I could become a School Media Specialist. I've also had opportunities to meet people from around the world who also have a huge love for this series, including four of the stars from the Harry Potter movie franchise. The Potter series has also allowed me to embrace my “geeky” side and fully explore and be comfortable with the person that I am, fully and completely for the first time in my life.

In November 2004, I was hired full-time to work as the Media Secretary for the elementary school my children attended. This quickly became a position that I loved, because I was able to be surrounded by books and I had a lot of fun interacting with students in that type of setting. It pleased me to see the students faces whenever they found books they were interested in, or the way they listened attentively during story time. It made me recall my own pleasure at being a constant fixture in my school library during my school days. Around March 2005, I began to get curious about a little children's book series known as “Harry Potter”. I wondered why we were never able to keep these books on the shelves, and wanted to find out for myself what the big fuss was about. We had received a book donation from a local bank, and it included a box set of the first 5 Potter books, and at the urging of my Media Specialist I took them home to read over the Spring Break week. It only took me three days to read all five books. I became completely engrossed in the world that J.K. Rowling had built up; I had never been able to get so completely lost inside an imaginary universe.

At work, I began keeping copies of the books at my desk, and students began asking me what I liked so much about the books. As I opened up dialogue with students (and later on, teachers and parents) regarding Harry Potter, it began to lead into discussions about other books and

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