Hellobee

Drake got really into Harry Potter this summer. This was a dream come true for Mr. Chocolate since we are both huge fans of the series and have been dying in anticipation to share Harry’s amazing world with our children. We tried last summer but Drake was reluctant, so we let it go. This summer he pushed back at first so we thought it wouldn’t happen, and then one boring summer day he picked up the book on his own and never let go from there. He is now finishing up the last book and in retrospect, I somewhat wish we had waited a little longer to try to introduce him to the books.

At age 9 I have come to see that while Drake is fully capable of reading the books, his maturity level to absorb and understand the deeper happenings and layers, which ultimately make the story as wonderful as it is, fly over his head in many ways. When talking to him I see that he can’t fully grasp the character development or even take in the entire impact of the significant happenings of loss, love, and betrayal that are the hallmarks of some of the best scenes in the book.  While books 1 and 2 are mostly geared toward the reading comprehension and level of understanding more suited for children, the series really ramps up in book 3 and onward. Even a bright, well-read child like Drake is not emotionally mature enough to really take in all the books have to offer.

I have read since that J K Rowling herself suggests readers start at age 11, the same age Harry is at the start of book 1, and grow with him through the story arc. I think if I had to do it over again I might agree with her assessment of introducing the series. When Drake was at the end of book 4, I had actually thought about stopping him and trying to divert him onto something new. But I felt bad when he asked to keep reading and didn’t want to discourage or tell him that I thought a book was too advanced for him, so we let him go on. At this point while I feel I can say my child has read the Harry Potter series, I don’t really feel like I can engage and have the conversations I once had imagined until he is older and perhaps revisits the series again.

Needless to say Drake is fully in love with Harry’s magical world and so for Christmas this year we have geared many of his gifts to reflect this newfound interest for him.  Here are some of the neater Harry gifts I have encountered:

Boden – This year one of my favorite kids’ clothing companies, Mini Boden, made a Harry Potter collection.  Harry clothes isn’t rare or unique, but some of the pieces were incredible in detail and highlighted some underrated and rarely seen characters like Buckbeak and Fawkes. I had to get a few so Drake could wear Harry pieces throughout the year.

Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak – Drake has gotten a little interested in stop motion and green screen filming as of late, so this combined with the magic of becoming invisible like Harry seemed like the perfect way to teach him more about how green screens work. In truth this might be a secondary gift for Mr Chocolate who is equally as keen to play with this come Christmas morning.

Harry Potter Books – It all starts with the magic of words, but the Harry universe isn’t just confined to 7 books anymore.  Beyond the illustrated versions, there are also Harry’s own Hogwarts books about spells and magical creatures, an interactive look at Hogswart, and so much more. Drake has a few of these coming under the tree and I hope it helps keep us in Harry’s magical space for many more years to come.

Legos – Drake isn’t into Legos that much, but I can’t help mention some of the incredible sets I have seen. I personally would love to build and display Hogswart in my home all year round.

Pottery Barn – Pottery Barn also has an amazing collaboration of Harry Potter inspired pieces for the bedroom. I personally would use several of the decor elements in my own room! While we aren’t ready to change Drake’s room over completely, I was considering this lapdesk as Drake spends hours writing and drawing in his bed. This would maybe help him not make a mess with papers and pencils strewn all around.

Harry Potter Acceptance Letter – Etsy is a treasure trove of Harry items as far as the imagination can stretch, but one of the neater things I found was the personalized Hogswart acceptance letter gifts. How excited would any Harry fan be to get their own personalized letter of acceptance delivered to them, fulfilling every Muggle’s dream. I really think Drake would get such a kick out of this and there are lot of neat options that you can customize for the ultimate fan.

Wands – What wizard would be complete without a wand? I originally found these cool blind bag wands and got Drake one to go with his Halloween costume, but then Mr. Chocolate had to go and outdo everyone by hand making Drake his very own Holly wand (the same wood Harry’s wand is made of) and wand box as a surprise. The magic that went into the creation of this gift surpasses anything we could have have imagined ourselves.