Harry Potter vs. Twilight??

Excuse me, but I seem to have missed out on the whole 'Twilight' phenomenon. I don't get it. But then I haven't really tried, either.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to read and a good series is like Heaven to me. I thoroughly enjoyed Harry Potter and was usually one of the first in line when each new book came out. However, I just am not that into vampires and blood is a pretty much a deal breaker for me.

However this brings me to the debate. Google "Harry Potter vs. Twilight" and you will find a slew of sites on this very subject. I suppose it's because they are both fantastical and are series, one pretty much on the heels of the other and therefore a rivalry was born. I don't get it. It's not like you have to choose one series of books to buy over the other or one series of movies to see over the other. They didn't even come out at the same time, at least I don't think so. I think, perhaps, some of the Twilight fans are grown up HP fans looking for something new to cling to and obsess over.

It seems to me there is no debate, at least not one worth making. What these two series have done is give birth to readers. Kids, teenagers and adults that perhaps were never big readers until these books came along. Anything that introduces someone to the wonderful world of books cannot possibly be a bad thing. Reading is so important. The escape that comes from curling up on the sofa and losing yourself in a good book cannot be described.  The ability to use your imagination to dream up how the characters look, sound, and smell is a wonderful gift.

I, for one, will encourage my kids to read anything they enjoy (with only a few exceptions, of course). If they like sports, read about sports. If they like sharks (as Abby does), read about sharks. The point is just to read, read, read and then read some more.

And if anyone wants to try and convince me why I need to read the 'Twilight' series feel free to try...