By Darlene Bowers
“Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts, Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald, Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air, Dead flies and bits of fluff,
So teach us something worth knowing, Bring us back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest, And learn until our brains all rot..."
— J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Elsie Allen, age 12, Homeschooler in 6th grade, lifelong Ada resident

Elsie Allen’s favorite books are the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. “I love magic and mysteries. They are very exciting books, lots of things happen in them,” shares Elsie.

The series vividly relays the exploits of a young wizard and his friends (especially Ron and Hermione). The three adolescents attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Harry Potter series is the biggest-selling book series of all time. It has sold more than 500 million copies and has been translated into nearly 80 different languages, including Latin and Ancient Greek.

Interestingly, the first book in the series was published under the title of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in the United Kingdom. Upon its debut in the United States, it was published under the title of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink was the book Elsie was reading when interviewed for this series. In addition to the Harry Potter series and her current read, Elsie Allen recommends:

• The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford (juvenile fiction)

• The Ulysses Moore series by Pierdomenico Baccalario (juvenile fiction)

• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (juvenile historical fiction)