Harry Potter and the magic of reading
With the final book due in July, teachers assess the impact the popular series has had on children's learning.
from the May 2, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 4
Nancy Kellner, library media specialist of the Peaslee Elementary School in Northboro, Mass., has been a fan of the series since it began in 1997. The books will become classics, she says, but some of the excitement will be lost after the seventh one is released.
"I can't imagine the original magic of Harry Potter will remain," she says. "The magic is waiting for the next book."
Marcus credits the series for getting him interested in reading. He says his grandfather read him the first five books, but he wanted to read the sixth one himself. Since then, he loves to read medieval, fantasy, and science-fiction books, he says. He also now likes the many books he reads for school – even though the majority aren't his favorite genres, he says.
"I whip through 50 books a year," says Marcus matter-of-factly.
Finding a book that can engage a reluctant reader is not easy, says Jennifer Groff, the library media specialist at Belle Sherman Elementary School in Ithaca, N.Y. Children can feel defeated if by age 9 or 10 they haven't found a book they can connect with. Ms. Groff, who reads Harry Potter aloud to fourth- and fifth-graders at lunch three days a week, says there is something about the way the story is told that captivates kids.
Ms. Kellner points out that Harry Potter is not written in advanced language, as are books by fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien. But neither are they "dumbed down," she adds. Kids like it when authors take them seriously, she says, and Ms. Rowling does that while still making the books graspable.
According to Alice Ball, library media specialist at South Hill Elementary School in Ithaca, the Harry Potter books hit on some major themes that kids commonly like in fiction books. These include being special, going from poor to rich, and knowing more than adults.
Daniel, the Ithaca seventh-grader, says he definitely feels an emotional connection with the characters. "I started reading them when I was younger, so I sort of thought, 'Oh, this is how every book is,' " he says. "So when I read other books, I would put them down after like 50 pages because they weren't as exciting."
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