Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

The Harry Potter series of books are very special to my children and I. My son was the one to introduce them to us. He brought Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone home from school and said "Mom, you just gotta read this book! It's so cool! You're gonna love it!" I couldn't imagine loving a novel my son liked but to encourage him to read more, I agreed to read the book. His youthful enthusiasm didn't stop with me. He badgered his sister until she too agreed to read it.

I'm not so sure if I feel in love with the book because it was a good read (even considering it was intended for young people) or if I feel in love with it because it became a topic that my children and I could all agree on, talk about, and enjoy at a time when they were just learning to spread their wings and forge identities separate from each other and me.

By the time we found book one, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was about to hit the market. I did what any good mom would have done... I went out and purchased the 4 book set. :) A marathon of reading soon followed and Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger, and Ron Weasley took a permanent place in our family entertainment discussions.

Over the last nine years we have anxiously awaited each new book and each new movie and the release of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, the movie was no exception. It hit theaters this past week and just like millions of other fans, we lined up at the theater gates. I do have to say though, that if you have read the books, the movies aren't nearly as enjoyable to watch the first time. You spend too much time thinking "That wasn't how it was in the book" or "Why did they leave that part out?!?!"

This time I didn't get to watch much of the movie although I really did try. My 3 year old grandson went with us this time and just in case you don't know... 2 hours and 33 minutes is too long for a 3 year old boy to sit still and keep quiet. I spent much of my time saying "If you don't be quiet, Grandma is gonna...." lol I guess when the movie is finally released to DVD, I'll watch it again. :)

If you wanna watch the trailer you can find it on YouTube here: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince