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You know those books you read when you were young (in my case, younger) and still have lying around somewhere? I recently found mine near the top of my closet. Well, nearly. Anyway, it got me thinking.

The first fantasy book I read was "Deltora Quest: The Forest of Silence" by Emily Rodda...who, actually I found to be fake a few years ago. The author's real name is Jennifer Rowe. It surprises me now that I read the book in second grade and didn't flinch over how dark it was. In the series, the country, Deltora, is thrown into chaos and its people into poverty when, through several centuries of plotting, the Shadow Lord takes over.

It's strange that it did not bother me when characters, good and bad, would die. It was serious and dark, much like how Harry Potter starts off with death and yet I read the first four books of it in third grade.

Just...strange. It also occurs to me that it was that same Deltora series that made me want to write. It was, in some ways, the generic good vs. evil story, but in others it wasn't...there was a mysterious man by the name of Doom who liked to show up, but was he good or evil? We eventually found out...and it was plot twists like that that kept me guessing through the series...all fifteen books of it.

I used to read the series at least once a year, and the first book two or three times. It's only just over 100 pages, but still. It's good, imaginative. I stopped reading it around eighth grade, but here it is...I think I'll read the books soon...as soon as I finish Harry Potter again. I had to run to the store and pick up the third book (my cousin borrowed it, and then his friend, and then her friend and she moved...you get it).

Another book series, one hiding in the back and top of my closet, is the infamous Captain Underpants series. As I recall, I read these in third grade as well. The story of two troublemaking kids who hypnotized their principle into believing he was their home-made comic's superhero, Captain Underpants. You'll never guess what he wore.

It's full of all the childish jokes you laughed at when you were a kid...and there are several of them. Looking up the author a few minutes ago showed me a few things. His name is Dave Pilkey, though he spells it "Dav" on his books (trust me, though, I knew that). The thing is, the last book released didn't finish the series and ended with a cliffhanger and I hadn't seen any more come out in the last...six years?

You just (at least I do) forget that these authors aren't living in the magical worlds they create. Jennifer Rowe used a pseudonym because she was afraid of failing. Dave Pilkey hasn't written a book in years because his father grew terminally ill...although he has now signed with Scholastic again to come out with a few more books this and next year.

I'd feel kind of strange buying a book titled "Captain Underpants" and, worse, what would my parents think? It's not my fault I want to see how the series ends after nearly nine years. I'm still waiting for the Deltora Quest anime series to be translated to English, though it was supposed to hit American TV's back in 2006.

What really gets me is that more kids will read Captain Underpants than they will Huckleberry Finn when they get older. Score one for the pantless guy. Oh, and I've never read Huckleberry Finn or whatever the heck it's called.

It's...strange.