Harry Potter Revisited

Harry Potter Revisited

My entire professional career has revolved around Harry Potter. I was only four years into the library biz when the Sorcerer's Stone hit American shores, bumped Goosebumps off the trending series list and started the mania for fantasy. The children's book industry was never the same, as readers became comfortable with longer books, the market became clogged with new fantasy titles, and adults started to secretly read children's books on the subway. An instant classic, the series popularized the sub-genre of magical realism to a young audience. I personally read each title as it was released--quickly in order not to have the ending spoiled by an enthusiastic young reader-- and even stood on line for hours, eight months pregnant, to meet J.K. Rowling and get Prisoner signed. With every new release, including the accompanying movies, I hosted a Harry Potter themed event at my library. Our biggest event of all was a Harry Potter lock-in to celebrate the release of the Deathly Hallows in 2007. Over one-hundred kids attended the event and attended classes at Hogwarts all evening, led by teenage prefects. At midnight we released the new title and Dumbledore read the first chapter.

After living with the boy wizard and his friends for ten years I needed a break. I stopped hosting Potter events and waited for the mania to die down and fade away. Thirteen years later I am still waiting. I have ordered and reordered countless copies of the various titles. My library currently owns twelve copies of The Sorcerer's Stone and only one copy is presently in. And this is our slow time of year. After taking a break from Harry, I gave into the pressure to host another event last year. "Holidays at Hogwarts" was planned during Christmas break 2018. Approximately fifty want-to-be wizards arrived, dressed in Harry Potter gear, excited to share their knowledge and to get together with other enthusiasts. As I asked the children trivia questions--and they knew so much more than I could remember--I realized that in order to do my job effectively, I needed to re-read the series. I managed to put this off for about six months, yet this fall I finally got to it: finishing The Deathly Hallows only yesterday.

Does the series hold up? Is it still worth the hype? I have to say: absolutely YES! I think I even enjoyed the books more the second time around, not being pressured to plow through as quickly as possible. The funny thing about this series is each title starts off like any other book, but something truly “magical” happens towards the middle of the story. I don't know how Rowling does it, but they become addictive, almost like a drug, and you can't stop reading until you get to the end. For some reason, the books become impossible to read slowly or put down. The plots are well formulated, the characters are distinctively endearing, and Hogwarts immediately becomes a cozy home that readers will want to visit again and again. A wonderful read-aloud, as well as a read-alone, families can share the series together. I would recommend reading the books before the movies. The movies are fun, but the books are richer. Also, parents should be aware that J.K. Rowling intended her readers to be the same age as Harry, which starts at sixth grade and moves up a grade each book, and they get a bit scary. Also, the reading level is high and the vocabulary is advanced. Kids often start the books before they are ready and then think that they don't like them. For my money, it is my favorite series of books and will be enjoyed by all readers, even if they don't think they like magic. Harry is a regular boy and brings magic to a typical and grey "Muggle" world. We can all use escapist magic in our life and this series fills the bill perfectly.

I managed to fall in love with the Harry Potter series all over again. A sorted Hufflepuff, I would love to take over Madam Pince’s position in the Hogwarts library, especially since she is so crabby and unworthy of the cool job. This re-read has inspired me to plan another major lock-in for this coming summer to coincide with Harry's 40th birthday on July 31st. Recently a young man came into the library who told me that the Deathly Hallows lock-in was the highlight of his childhood. I invited him to participate in the upcoming lock-in as a professor and he excitedly agreed. The Harry Potter series has produced generations of fans and the original readers now read the books to their own children and are librarians and teachers. J.K. Rowling has not only changed the face of children's literature, but completely shifted our culture, bringing magic to the Muggle world. Thank you, J.K. Rowling! If you haven't read Harry Potter yet, please do! If you have read Harry Potter, maybe it’s time for a re-read. I can’t think of a better way to escape the winter doldrums and rekindle the imagination.