Years back, in between semesters of college, I worked in a summer camp in New Hampshire. In the summer of 2000, the mailman showed up on our campgrounds with a different vehicle. Instead of the familiar white truck where the steering wheel is on the right side for easy access to mailboxes, he showed up in a cargo van. Just as soon as he stopped, our camp director greeted him and so began helping him carry several armloads of packages. Since I wasn't busy at the time, I walked over to see if I could help out.

"Wow," I said. "There sure is a lot of mail today. What's the occasion?"

"It's the new release of the Harry Potter book," the director said. "Just about every camper asked their parents to send them a copy."

There must have been at least 50 hardbound copies of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" that day. A little while later, just about every camper in each age group had their noses in their books desperately trying to absorb as much as they could. I was amazed by the popularity of the books then, but didn't begin reading the book that was at the time, taking the literary world by storm.

It wasn't until the following year that I began reading the Harry Potter books--a girl I was seeing in college was heavily into to them and was constantly harassing me to try reading them. Safe to say, I gave it a shot and got instantly hooked. Here's why:

The characters are so unique from one to the next and Harry, as you will learn, is just like every other boy out there--an "everyman" if you will.

The magic in the story is incredible. One example is the sport of Quidditch in which students of Hogwarts play a mix of hockey and soccer aboard broomsticks. There are also potions in which can make its user change into a different person and the "Mirror of Erised" (which is 'Desire' spelled backwards) that shows you exactly what your inner heart desires...There is so much more.

There are many themes prevalent in the story; such as irony, a battle between good and evil throughout, the ability to cope with death, the power love and friendship.

Watching Harry Potter as he grows up and change from a child to a young adult is (to me at least) amazingly accurate. The psychology behind his thoughts is believable (believe it or not).

Probably most of all, Harry Potter is pure fun. It is an absolute treat to read, even if you've seen the movies already. I highly recommend the books to everyone, young or old. There are indeed themes within the series that parallel Greek Mythology. For instance, Professor Minerva McGonnagall in all fairness is really Athena, just as her name implies. But don't let me spoil all of it for you. Please give it a go. You won't regret it.