Jim Dale has done all of the Harry Potter books-on-tape. He does an incredible job. Even though I have read (devoured) each of the books I have also purchased all the books-on tape. I listen to them in my car. I usually wait a couple months after I read the book to listen to it. I find myself driving around the block or taking a slightly longer way home just to listen to more of the story.
Picked up my copy of #6 at 5:30PM on Saturday. Finished it (for the first time) at 4:00PM Sunday. I would have finished it earlier, but I was on-call this weekend and had to deal with several minor crises that took time out of my book inhalation.
Thanks for the info, Jenn. Now I know when to start looking for it. Got the books, might as well have the DVD's too. I really do hope that they're going to do all the books, too(tho' I can't see how they could possibly NOT).
We broke down and bought the book today. Now we have to fight over who gets to read it and who gets to play Civ3. I might do Civ first since I'm busy modding a mod (Rise and Rule) to make it go 1000 turns. I'm also adding more cities to each civ (if possible).
I, too, miss the whimsy of the earlier books. There was very little humor in this one which I missed terribly. I don't mind the ever darkening nature of the perils facing Harry, but I do wish there were more light moments here and there to balance it.
My youngest is 9 and reading it, I don't think it's too dark for her. If she was the ultra sensitive type, I probably would recommend she wait.
We own all the books in both print and audio form (Dude spends 2-3 hrs a day in the car). The US versions are read by Jim Dale who does a really awesome job. He manages to have distinctive voices for each charactor and is pleasant to listen to.
I love Stephen Fry, he has a wonderful voice, but I am very pleased with the way Jim Dale does the books here.
Actually, the series has *always* been marketed for the "Young Adult" audience... usually considered 6th grade and up (or 12 and up at least).
That's not to say that lots of press hasn't been done on the numbers of younger kids reading the book, but especially from the 4th on, there have been warnings about getting darker/more violent... and parents should *know* their kids before convincing them to read (or trying to convince them not to).
First three I let my kids listen to the books on tape, Goblet of Fire I told my son he'd have to be old enough to read it for himself first... which he did last year (at 7, almost 8). Half-Blood Prince he started listening to the tape on a long car trip, then switched over to the book, and finished before I had a chance to (taking the grad. class kinda slowed me down a bit :-).
Last year, nope, wouldn't have had it out of the library for him... then again, he skipped parts of Goblet of Fire first time through on his own. However, he can definitely handle it now... though I suspect that he wishes the boyfriend/girlfriend stuff was briefer :-)
What level his head takes it to might be rather different from where an older child would, however. And it's interesting to hear his opinions, vs. mine... and no, I'm *not* pointing him in a few directions he's managed to overlook. He'll come across them when he gets older and pick up what I'm not minding him not "seeing" right now.
-Liz (um, yeah, he's "scary smart"... I'd rather him read the HP books than some that he's c> I would not recommend it for children under 10 unless they are mature
Half-Blood Prince was *only* placed in the YA section of my county's libraries (the previous 5 have copies in YA and in JF, both). That doesn't mean that the younger kids aren't reading it as well (there is no restriction on age for checking any books out... only other media), but it *does* put up the warning sign for parents that they probably should pre-view the book for their kids first, or at least check to see why it's only YA.
-Liz
Alis> The interesting thing about the series is that there are lots of
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