Lincoln Peirce --- author the Big Nate series --- talks about his favorite book in the Harry Potter series and why he loves the books as a writer, a reader and a parent.
I read all the Harry Potter books aloud to our kids, even after they'd grown old enough to read them on their own (which they did, many times over!) The one I remember most vividly is HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN. What a fantastically compelling story. There are a wealth of secrets essential to the plot that are carefully guarded throughout the book, then finally revealed as the last few thrilling chapters unfold. I'll never forget the look of astonishment on our son's face as each piece of the puzzle --- Professor Lupin's tortured existence as a werewolf; the true identity of Sirius Black; Hermione's time-turner that enables Harry to save the day --- clicked neatly into place. As an author, I'm in awe of J.K. Rowling's ability to bring a work of such epic imagination to life; as a parent, I'm delighted to have shared so many special Harry Potter moments with my own children.
Lincoln Peirce (pronounced "purse") is a New York Times bestselling author and cartoonist/writer in Portland, Maine. He lives with his wife and two children, and gives lectures to students about cartoon creating. Peirce is the creator of the comic strip Big Nate, that debuted in 1991 and appears in 250 newspapers in the US and online daily at www.comics.com, and is featured on the website Poptropica, www.poptropica.com. He is the author fo the Big Nate series, and you can visit him online at www.bignatebooks.com, where he blogs twice a week.
