To be surprised DSs teacher claims Harry Potter are her favourite books?

[bluegreenruby]

She teaches English and I would surely have expected a little more sophistication from someone with an English degree?

But not everyone who studied English has good taste in literature/the intellect to appreciate it. Or she may just be trying to relate to her students. Agreed that it is a really weird thing to admit to.

It's wierd to admit to liking a book that has been read and loved by millions?? I'm 29 my childhood was harry potter I remember the excitement of waiting for the next book. What is wierd about loving part of your childhood? Some people really do judge others on the strangest things.

None of the books I studied at degree or MA level (languages and history, but with a strong literary focus) count as my favourites, and if they were my favourites going in they certainly were not by the time I’d analysed them half to death and wrote countless essays on them.

My actual favourite is Wuthering Heights, has been since I read it at 11 and barely understood a word, I just loved it. I’ve read so much since about what a terrible book it actually is by people who really dislike it, that’s fine, but I love it and always will. Another favourite is Pride and Prejudice, read at a similar age and loved fiercely ever since - but sounds like a terrible cliche when I state it as my favourite.

I also have ‘kids books’ that remain favourites in the Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon series by L.M. Montgomery. I reread all the Anne’s recently and loved them all over again.

I read the HP books in my 20s, I remember the excitement of getting my hands on the new one the day it came out and spending the entire day immersed in that world. I can see why they would be people’s favourites, I certainly loved them though I’ve felt no call to reread them once I finished the series.

It’s not like she named Sweet Valley High (they were definitely my favourite at one stage though!)

Also, there’s a lot of sophisticated, thoughtful and groundbreaking tv being made these days which I very much appreciate but if you asked me my favourite ever series I’d have to tell you Dawson’s Creek, or maybe The O.C. In fact I still keep my O.C. DVD box set s despite no longer owning anything that plays dvds.

Also degree-educated here, and LOVE Harry Potter books (and the films!)

Harry Potter books rock. They're amazing. And so are many other 'modern' series of books - The Hunger Games, The 100, and many that others have mentioned like Terry Pratchett books and C S Lewis etc.

Jane Eyre (and similar) is the kind of book that 'book snobs' rave about... But it is, without a doubt, the most insufferably boring book I have ever read. Ditto many other books by 'classic' writers from centuries ago. They would never even sell now tbh. And it's nothing to do with society being 'dumbed down' ... these books are hard work to read, boring, and long winded. Even for degree- educated people.

I am intelligent, I am well educated, and I am a professional, but I know what I like........ and long winded Victorian (and pre Victorian) novels - that book snobs say are great - is certainly not on my list of things I like to read!!!

As has been said, multiples 100's of millions across the world love the Harry Potter books. They can't all be wrong - or thick, badly educated, and lower class as the OP seems to be implying. Indeed as a pp said, the most intelligent and well educated people I know love Harry Potter.

I have several degrees and yes they are amongst my favourite books. Hope your judgey pants are comfy.

My actual favourite is Wuthering Heights, has been since I read it at 11 and barely understood a word, I just loved it. I’ve read so much since about what a terrible book it actually is by people who really dislike it, that’s fine, but I love it and always will

I could have written this

I think we were often mislaid at school about what a good work of fiction is. We believe that a good book is hard to read, whereas it is the badly written books that are hard to read.

One of the easiest and most enjoyable books I ever read was Gogol's "Dead Souls" but it took me years to get around to reading it because I expected it to be difficult.

*Mislaid = mislead

Duh

I never properly read a book and enjoyed it until I read the philosophers stone. Now I love reading. I am 32 which I find really quite sad considering it was around 5 years ago I first read it.

My all time favourite book is Lord of the Rings and that is classed as a children's book.

The thing with Harry Potter is that it ignited a desire to read for millions of people, both children and adults. YABU to judge your child's teacher for her love of Harry Potter when she is hoping to ignite the same passion in her students.

Some of the most beautifully written and perfectly structured books in the history of literature were written for children, so such snobbery is nonsense. The teacher was answering children, so of course she will mention a children's book when asked about favourites. What on earth would have been the point of saying the name of an author with whom the children were unfamiliar and whose books were inappropriate for their stage? Teachers are trying to encourage children to read for pleasure and there is ample evidence that the HP books do that. Leave the poor woman alone to get on with her job.

fair enough if so

And fair enough if not - she can like what the fuck she wants without being judged and held up for mockery on social media by someone who has decided to deem her taste as insufficiently intellectual 

Eh one of my uni modules is based in part in the archetypes found in Harry Potter. It's interesting.

One of my fav books is dogger by shelia hughes. Im in my 40s and have a degree. Hp books are great and in my top ten. Yabu op.

Yabu op

Yeah, but it's one of those threads where the OP gets a unanimous 'YABU' then decides that everyone else has a bad attitude 

Of course children's books are likely to be firm favourites with grown adults.

It's with those books that we sit in a parents lap and listen to stories of talking toys, of magical creatures. Learning how to recognise the words and sounds, the repetition of favourite tales - I read Zachary Quack that many times to DD1 I can still recall it without the book. We're going on a bear hunt is similar.

I'm studying English Literature. I still have my treasured childhood books - Panda Paints, Freddy Frogs 1,2,3, Oscar the Joke Shop Cat, the Dorrie series of books and Bedtime Rhymes amongst others. My own children are not allowed to have them without sitting with me to read them. I have so many memories and feelings tied up in those stories.

I've a degree in English literature and my favourite book is Matilda.

My DS is 29 and firmly of the Harry Potter generation. She's not a teacher but I can well believe that a teacher around her age could certainly be a die hard Potterhead, more so if they had studied a literary/artsy degree. OP, YABU.

Personally, I'd be worried about the teachers who don't have favourite books or (I'm a teacher and one of my senior colleagues said this recently) "aren't into reading."

I have a degree in English Literature and Harry Potter is my favourite book (/series).

It's not about how sophisticated the language is, it's about what the author does inside their writing. Her writing has touched millions, and every time I re-read one of her books I find a new thing I love.

I'm an English teacher and a Potterhead, as is the teacher I job share with. Our classroom is AWESOME. There are a lot of owls.

But guess what? We teach Shakespeare and Dickens and classic poetry and Gothic Horror and texts from around the world and I give out reading lists to my classes and Harry Potter isn't on them or anything. We are good teachers.

So, in as highbrow and literary a fashion as I can muster, ODFOD.

Hmmm not heard from OP in a while..... wonder if she’s gone off to buy / borrow the HP series; only after finishing War and Peace, naturally!

Well, I'm in my fifties and on my book shelf I have all the Harry Potter books, David Eddings Belgariad; complete works of Shakespeare (yes they have and do get read); Charles Dickens David Copperfield, The Old Curiosity Shop; What Katy Did; all the Agatha Christie Poirot books and Enid Blyton's Naughtiest Girl at School amongst others.

My favourite would be a toss up between HP, Poirot and What Katy Did. Why? Because reading them takes me to a happy time in my life. My nephew introduced me to HP and my favourite auntie bought me What Katy Did when I was 10 years old and it''s been on my bookshelf ever since and I like Agatha Christie full stop.

I read to relax, escape, switch off and if that means HP or Poirot then that's what I'll read.

I think it's great that a teacher is telling a child that they too can relate to a children's book and that it's fine to continue to enjoy that book through their life.

I have a degree in English and have been published in literary journals and shortlisted for a couple of prestigious writing awards.

I probably read more children's fiction than adult's and re-read my Malory Tower books every year on my Summer holidays.

I have an English degree and a postgrad and they're some of my favourite books. I grew up with Harry. I've read better written books, full of literary merit, but nothing compares with the nostalgia of Hogwarts.

To be an effective teacher you have to be able to connect with children. Maybe that’s what she was doing?

I have a degree in English and I write for a living.

I absolutely love Children's books. My favourite book ever is Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild.