Unlocking Harry Potter: Five Keys for the Serious Reader

Book Description

UNLOCKING HARRY POTTER gives you five essential keys for understanding the HARRY POTTER series. Not just who will live or die in DEATHLY HOLLOWS, but how J.K. Rowling created the most successful books of our times. To understand the story behind the stories, John Granger, author of THE HIDDEN KEY TO HARRY POTTER and editor of WHO KILLED ALBUS DUMBLEDORE?, introduces the themes and patterns Rowling uses to write books that resonate with readers of all ages. This book is for "serious readers" but Granger writes in a very entertaining style. If you never understood the term "postmodernism" or how "literary alchemy" is used by great authors from Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling, then this is a fun way to learn. UNLOCKING HARRY POTTER is the only book to examine in depth the importance of what Rowling said in an interview from 1998, that "to invent this wizard world" she had to learn about alchemy "in order to set the parameters and establish the stories' internal logic." - . - . - . - . - Here's what other HARRY POTTER authors and experts have to say about UNLOCKING HARRY POTTER: - . - . - . - . - "I got so hooked I had to stop everything else and just read, read, read. I carried it around the house, read it while using the excercycle, I hid in rooms away from the action of daily life so I could take it all in. I haven't had that reaction to a book since, well, THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE. A spectacular read for all serious fans of Rowling's works. Compelling, well-argued, fun and funny. Engaging. Thought provoking. Erudite." - Tom Morris, author of IF HARRY POTTER RAN GENERAL ELECTRIC and PHILOSOPHY FOR DUMMIES. - . - . - . - . - "John Granger peels back the layers of Rowling's stories and sees patterns the rest of us miss - and he never forgets to be a fan, engaging in fun speculation about what will come in the finale. Once more Granger has shown himself to be second to none among Potter commentators and literary sleuths. Some books are meant to be ingested quickly. Not this one. Serious fans of HARRY POTTER will relish it." - David Baggett, editor of HARRY POTTER AND PHILOSOPHY.

Customer Reviews:

Unsat.......2007-09-09

I purchased this for my grandson, who at 91/2 is an exceptionally bright boy.
Neither he nor his father were able to make heads or tails out of this purchase.

I'm a much more serious reader now.......2007-08-17

Very early in the book John Granger recalls Professor Moody's trunk with 7 locks. Each time Dumbledore inserts a key into a different lock the trunk opens and contains different items. This book is exactly like that trunk! I have read or listened to every Harry Potter book (except Phoenix) more times than I can count and yet each time that Granger brings out a new key my reaction was "I didn't know that that was in there!" I even understand now why I didn't enjoy re-reading Phoenix (the alchemical "black" stage of the series)as much as the other books.

I didn't read this book until after I had read Deathly Hallows and I still truly enjoyed reading Granger's predictions. Some of them were spot on, while others weren't, but the premises on which they were based were solid. I had to laugh at one point, when a reference was made to the sun/Sol and moon/Luna coming together as part of an alchemical wedding. It wasn't precisely a prediction, but in Deathly Hallows Luna certainly did arrive at the wedding wearing brilliant yellow, "sun colors."

The best part is that I can reread the entire Potter series one more time, with a new perspective, and be assured of appreciating details that I have missed before.

Unlocking Harry Potter: Five for the Serious Reader .......2007-08-14

I have seen the books' author on tv, I like the way he divided the book in 5 parts so you can understand about Harry Potter.

good read even AFTER finishing the HP series.......2007-07-28

If you've already finished "Deathly Hallows," and you think this book is now obsolete, think again! This author's take on how Rowling thought while writing the HP series is fascinating and highly educational. Granger could teach a college course on the post-modern literary aspects of Harry Potter, and students would have to go on a wait list just to sign up for the course. Though Granger, I think, would be an annoying prof. His narrative voice has an edge of sarcasm and snobbery - which is hilarious and incredibly irritating at the same time.

Throughout reading this book, I was also fascinated with how on-target were many of his predictions for the "Deathly Hallows" book. At times he is way off-base, and other times you think he must have had an advance copy because he is so precise in his insights about how Rowling will think in crafting the 7th book. I learned a lot about this fascinating series - why I was duped by Rowling in almost every single book, why the themes are so compelling across 3 generations of readers ... and I was left wondering if we will ever again see a book or series like Harry Potter in our lifetime.

COLLEGE LEVEL READ.......2007-07-23

This book is for those who are serious about literature. It is designed for college educated or those who read at the college level. I have a Master's Degree though not in literature. Parts of the book were a challenge to understand.

Average customer rating:

Amazon really Dropped the Ball on this one!!!!!!
fun and interesting book for young readers or the people who read to them
Very Popular in the 3rd grade!
The Gadget War

The Gadget War (Puffin Chapters)
Betsy Duffey
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0141307080

Book Description

Kelly's the undisputed gadget champ of the third grade until Albert Einstein Jones, an alumnus of Young Inventor's Camp, moves into her territory. On target for kids beginning to read chapter booksshould prove irresistible. -- Booklist starred review

Customer Reviews:

Amazon really Dropped the Ball on this one!!!!!!.......2006-11-10

I ordered this book, asked for overnight shipping because of a deadline (the book was needed for a school report) and only learned the day it was supposed to arrive (afte receiving a confirmation that the book was in stock and would be there on time) that I would not receive it until 5 days later! I called Amazon to cancel and they also cancelled my 90 free shipping trial and refused to reinstate it. It was probably the worst online buying experience I have ever had.

fun and interesting book for young readers or the people who read to them.......2006-09-29

This is our first book by this author, but it won't be the last! It tells the story of Kelly, a clever third grader who excels at designing and making gadgets for any purpose. She is regarded highly by her classmates and teacher until a new student joins the class -- a boy who not only designs gadgets himself, but almost instantly gets the class laughing AT Kelly. How their gadget war escalates, and how it's eventually resolved, is handled brilliantly by the author. Duffey not only shows creative problem solving, but she adds a little philosophy, too -- all still accessible to the early reader! With humor and thought, Kelly grows up a little and makes a new friend.

This is fun for students and people who read to students, and the plot revolves around a female protagonist who can still appeal to boy readers.

Highly worthwhile and extremely enjoyable, at 75 pages of large type, this is a great introduction to longer fiction for young readers.

Very Popular in the 3rd grade!.......2000-06-27

My 3rd-grade class all got to read this book because it's short and fun. It is on our Accelerated Reader list, and we all loved it!

The Gadget War.......2000-03-27

This book is about a girl named Kelly. Kelly made alot of inventions about 46 inventions, And she is only in the 3rd grade. And if you have a problem Kelly will come up with a gadget to solve it. Then one day this guy named Albert Einstein came in Kelly's class room and that was a problem for Kelly. Albert is a young inventor's camp,And he is going to show the real gadget wiz.

Average customer rating:

Ten Little Rabbits
Inappropriate Reading Material for Children
Ten Little Rabbits
A beautiful Counting book
Great book for indian study and patterns.

Ten Little Rabbits
Virginia Grossman
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0811810577

Amazon.com

This winner of the Parents Magazine "Best Book of the Year" award is a simple counting book that celebrates Native American culture--and rabbits, of course. Each of Sylvia Long's detailed, painterly double-page illustrations has an old-fashioned quality that gives the book the feel of classic children's literature from the turn of the century. The accompanying text is a simple, rhythmic series of rhyming couplets. "Three busy messengers sending out the news" has three rabbits using one of their blankets to send smoke signals across a grassy river valley; "Four clever trackers looking for some clues" shows intrepid little hunters with bows and arrows examining the enormous paw-print of a bear. After "Ten sleepy weavers knowing day is done," an extra panel shows one rabbit hunched over a campfire while the other nine sleep soundly. A cut above the mass of counting books. (Baby to age 4) --Richard Farr

Book Description

Weaving, fishing, and storytelling are all part of this spirited book that celebrates Native American traditions as it teaches young children to count from one to ten. The book's whimsical illustrations, reminiscent of Beatrix Potter, glow with brilliant color and are filled with fascinating detail. Each number introduces a facet of traditional Native American culture, such as Pueblo corn dances or Navajo weaving, and the simple, rhyming text is enhanced by a brief afterword on Native American customs. Ideal for storytime or bedtime, this is a book sure to leave children counting rabbits instead of sheep.

Customer Reviews:

Ten Little Rabbits.......2007-09-28

These books were purchased for the opening of a new kindergarten on the Pine Ridge (Sioux) Indian Reservation in So. Dakota. I was told by the children's teacher they are thrilled with the books, particularly as the heroes and heroines are children who look the same as they do, show knowledge of the same culture and share the same mythology. Providing these children with a positive self-image from day one of their school experience will reap future rewards through a love of reading.

Inappropriate Reading Material for Children.......2005-12-07

After reading the children's book "Ten Little Rabbits" I was completely appalled by how this book portrayed Native Americans. The fact that they chose rabbits to represent Native American children, is racist in itself, Native Americans are people not animals. The book lumps ten different tribes into one. If a child picked up the book "Ten Little Rabbits" they would never know that there were different tribes portrayed. This book could be used as a learning experience for children teaching them about how they can be critical readers. In order to do this it would be necessary to point out and discuss possible misconceptions and stereotypes that one could develop through reading this book. From a concerned Graduate Student in Early Childhood Education.

Ten Little Rabbits.......2003-10-04

This was OUR bedtime book for both of my boys when they were very little. We knew it by heart and could chant the text at times of stress to calm them down. WE/I love this book. Just read it again to my 8 year old and am going to buy it for my 2 month old nephew!

A beautiful Counting book.......2002-12-09

Having Native American children I am always looking for books for them. I purchased this for my 18 month old (hard cover version). He loves to look at it. He will pull it out at least once a day to look at it. I've even noticed his 8 year old brother sneaking a peek more than once. I love the vibrant, without being bright, illustrations. They are intracate yet simple. The rabbits are adorable. The book starts with one rabbit and continues through to 10. The rabbits are in Native American regalia and doing traditional Native activites

Great book for indian study and patterns........2000-10-29

I have read this book to my first grade class during a unit on indians as well as used the patterns in the blankets during a pattern unit in math. The children want to read it again and again!! A great read and a great resource for teachers. My students enjoy making sack puppets and designing their own blanket and then acting out the book.

Average customer rating:

The Great Eagle Spirit
Hal Granum
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1424130530
Release Date: 2006-07-03

Book Description

History can be exciting if you are THERE. Relive history as Carl and the eagle help save and preserve the ancient Unangan culture of the Aleutian Islands. Join Carl, a 12-year-old boy living in Unalaska, Alaska, as he is caught in a severe storm and washed up on a small deserted island and is saved by Altug. Carl comes face to face with his ancestors and discovers he is a Unangan like the very first people to come the islands, centuries before. Altug tells him stories about his ancestors and their struggle to survive the harsh environment of the islands and about the exploitation of otters and seals, for their fur, that ripped apart the Unangan culture. Altug inspires Carl to help unite the culture of the ancient world with his world today, and Carl is eager to tell people about his adventure.

The American Child: A Cultural Studies Reader

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The American Child: A Cultural Studies Reader

Manufacturer: Rutgers University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 081353223X

Average customer rating:

A Children's Culture Reader

The Children's Culture Reader
Henry Jenkins
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 0814742327
Release Date: 1998-10-01

Customer Reviews:

A Children's Culture Reader.......2000-06-14

This is an interesting book, but in some chapters it tends to focus more on the historical role of the child than it addresses current social issues that are of concern in our society. Some of the contributing authors also offer highly subjective perspectives on their topics. Some chapters are very relevant and informative. All in all, a mixed experience.

Growing Up with Dick and Jane: Learning and Living the American Dream

Average customer rating:

Pleased with service
Dick and Jane - Sexual Book
Great books for early readers.
pop culture meets pop cultural studies
I truly hope some of the commentary was satirical...

Growing Up with Dick and Jane: Learning and Living the American Dream
Carole Kismaric
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0006492460

Amazon.com

Growing up with Dick and Jane is a simply presented but often amusing analysis of American popular culture and educational theories through the looking glass of the Dick and Jane readers. The book is a visual treat, with a layout that looks like Wired magazine for preschoolers. However, the real reward comes at the end: packaged into a pocket on the inside back cover is a small volume reprinting five classic Dick and Jane tales, including Look, See It Go, and Something Blue for Puff.

Book Description

They're back!

Growing Up with Dick and Jane reunites us with two old friends, Dick and Jane, who, for forty years, taught so many of us to read. Here's the all American brother and sister team. Look! It's Dick, in his striped polo shirts and shorts, always ready for an adventure. Look! Look! It's Jane, in her pretty dresses, eager to have fun and learn about life. There's silly, mischievous Baby Sally, and Spot, America's favorite spaniel. Growing Up with Dick and Jane brings to life the cast of characters who are emblems of the American Dream. And side by side with the story of Dick and Jane is an entertaining and informative text that tracks important historical, social and educational events of the "Dick and Jane era."

Here's your chance to step back into the innocent watercolor world of Dick and Jane, where night never comes, knees never scrape, parents never yell and the fun never stops. Remember holding a Dick and Jane primer for the first time and the thrill you felt when you knew you could read? Growing Up with Dick and Jane traces the Dick and Jane phenomenon from their birth during the Depression to their retirement in the stormy 1960s. It explores the influence these little books had on education and the evolving American Dream. Packaged with a sampler of original Dick and Jane stories and cutout dolls of Dick and Jane, Growing Up with Dick and Jane stirs memories of home, school and what it was like to grow up when childhood felt like one long summer day.

Carole Kismaric and Marvin Heiferman produce innovative visual books and museum exhibitions. Lookout, their company, has created: Talking Pictures (Chronicle), a book and popular multimedia exhibition; Loyalty and Betrayal: The Story of the American Mob (CollinsSanFrancisco); the bestselling Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood (Hyperion) with William Wegman; and the cult classics Mr. Salesman (Twin Palms) with Diane Keaton and I'm So Happy (Vintage).

Bob Keeshan, known to generations as Captain Kangaroo, is one of the most beloved performers and influential innovators of children's television. The first Clarabell on The Howdy Doody Show, Keeshan went on to create Captain Kangaroo, the longest-running network children's series. An advocate of children's causes, Keeshan's unique blend of education and entertainment has influenced his followers, on screen and off.

Customer Reviews:

Pleased with service.......2007-02-13

The book arrived in excellent condition and the sender was very professional and thorough. I would order from him again!

Dick and Jane - Sexual Book.......2005-11-08

Dick and Jane is a sexual book. Can it be any more obvious with those words?

Great books for early readers........2003-12-31

I was disappointed in the review that said phonics is not needed when reading these books. My 5 year old will cover up parts of the words to sound out each part and put it all together. The great thing of these books, is repetition. That is how kids learn and remember. Repetition, repetition, repetition - isn't this how people learn new jobs, too? I have bought all the old editions (I don't like the updated versions), and she has read almost all of them since Christmas (1 week ago!). I think that is great for a 5 year old, she loves them, and can't get enough. Now we scour antique stores, libraries, resale shops and garage sales to keep this kid interested in reading.

pop culture meets pop cultural studies.......2002-08-11

Somewhere between the boring textbooks of cultural studies and the objects of culture which the field explores, this book offers an excellent overview of the Dick and Jane readers' evolution over time as the ideals of the society in which Dick and Jane were grounded evolved as well. And what a tumultuous time it was! Through illustrations from the original texts and photographs of cultural change, short essays on subjects and eras, and even the inclusion of Dick and Jane cut-out dolls to stand on one's desk, the authors take us through the evolution and meaning of Dick and Jane, from Dick and Jane's depression-era origins to the loss of their relevance in the sixties, when the books stopped being produced. Both a reminiscence and an excellent analysis of cultural change through a single set of broad-strokes ideals, this text is both a fun read, a strong cultural text, and a solid way for me (or any teacher) to introduce high school media and communications students to the ways in which ideals, ideas, icons and culture affect and are affected by each other over time.

Those who look to this book for an explanation of Dick and Jane as representing complexity, as one reviewer does below, seem to have missed the point -- Dick and Jane represented cotton-candy ideals of a conservative and young-minded nature; to ask them to have represented more is to completely misunderstand what cultural studies assumes as a foundation. Those who come to this book with an open mind and an interest in mid-19th-century american culture as seen through the evolution of its primers and iconography will find this an excellent, well-presented, and fun work of scholarship.

I truly hope some of the commentary was satirical..........2000-10-20

...but fear, in this day when psychobabble, family values, and the like are taken far too seriously, the "American Dream" as related to Dick and Jane is as well.

Book Description

One of the scariest nights of the year turns into one of the funniest! After racing into town on a runaway bed, Minnie and Moo and their fellow farm buddies decide to join the Halloween festivities -- performing hilarious tricks to earn their treats!

Customer Reviews:

my class liked it.......2007-05-17

i try to read aloud to my students each day, so we started the minnie and moo series... my class enjoyed this story... it was funny and took them on a little adventure. good form predicting, etc. with young children

Trick or Treat Delight.......2004-09-24

Hilarious book about trick or treating. Will keep the reader laughing all the way through. You'll never think about a milkshake in the same way again.

Minnie and Moo's Halloween Adventure.......2004-06-13

Minnie and Moo - The Night of the Living Bed is a fast-paced story about 2 charming cows & their animal friends.
It all happens on Halloween, and has lots of silly twists and turns, made all the more interesting as a result of their funny interactions with humans. The illustrations are absolutely delightful. This is my first Minnie and Moo book and I look forward to reading the others!

cute fall time story.......2003-12-02

Minnie and Moo is an exciting and funny adventure of farm animals who find themselves in hilarious encounters with their human counterparts on Halloween night. The story takes the reader through a wild ride of imagination as we once again follow the crazy antics of Minnie and Moo and their barnyard friends, that all begins with a wild dream and a fantastic ride on a bed through the farm and into town. It is great to read about the crazy situations that the farm animals get into as they try to fill two pillowcases with candy by trick or treating!

Book Description

Around The World Through Holidays: Cross Curricular Readers Theatre includes scripts for twelve plays adaptable for any of the reading or performance methods of Readers Theatre presentation. Each play introduces students to a specific world culture by looking at holidays celebrated in that culture. The structure of the book introduces holidays chronologically throughout a calendar year--one play per month. The focus is on literacy and social studies, so the book is not tied to the traditional nine-month school calendar. Any play can be read when the student is studying its culture, rather than during the month in which the holiday is celebrated. In addition to social studies and literacy activities, science and math activities are also included. Suggestions for creating a classroom party to celebrate each holiday and helpful appendices are included as well. Grade level 4-6.

Customer Reviews:

Great resource for teachers and parents.......2006-02-11

Readers Theatre is a great way to involve kids in drama, without the pressure of memorizing lines and facing stage fright. Peterson's plays are organized around holidays, one per month, that celebrate different cultures around the world. January is a round-up of New Year's traditions from all over the globe, February is Fastelavn from Denmark, March is St. Patrick's Day, March is Passover, May is May Day, June is the Dragon Boat Fesitval from China, July is Independence Day, August is Obon in Japan, September is Homowo, a Ghanian festival of thanksgiving, October is an Indian festival of lights, November is Ramadan, and December is Las Posadas from Mexico. After each mini-play are a bevy of related activities that cover art, literature, science, history, and math. The author clearly has done her homework and is very respectful of the different beliefs presented, but also keeps a light, kid-friendly touch throughout. All in all, a very valuable teacher and parent resource. It's a great companion to her earlier book, Jump Back in Time.

Mayan Safari: A Beginning Spanish Reader (The Longman Spanish Culture Sereis)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Intermediate Reader

Mayan Safari: A Beginning Spanish Reader (The Longman Spanish Culture Sereis)
Aubrey Smith-Carter
Manufacturer: Longman Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Mayan | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

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Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

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ASIN: 0801304016

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Intermediate Reader.......2002-03-14

This is a great book if you are a Spanish teacher. It works well with just about any curriculum. Mayan Safari teaches culture while reinforcing reading skills in the target language. It also contains extra activities for students to do.

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