Harry Potter is riding his Nimbus 2000 from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry into publishing history. With advance orders at
1.8 million, the fourth book in the popular series, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," was a bestseller before it hit the shelves.
British and
American publishers ran a record-breaking first print of 5.3 million copies.
Chances are you know who Harry is, as the frenzy started with the
publication of the first book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Whether you are a die-hard H.P. fan or just intrigued with the
hysteria, the following sites can help you decipher all things Harry.
Harry Potter's Extra, Extra!
The New York Times added a
Children's Bestseller list because of the
phenomenal success and presence of the Harry Potter books on its regular
fiction list. See how many weeks the books have made the list. The New York Times also invites us
All Aboard the Potter Express to learn
more about J.K. Rowling's rise to success from humbler beginnings.
Salon.com's Harry Potter Directory
offers a list of related articles and reviews.
Virtual Potterland
Scholastic Books, the American publisher of the series, has an official
Harry Potter site that
features a pronunciation guide, discussion
guides for teachers, summaries, sample chapters and a discussion chamber that challenges kids to think about the
books in new ways.
The British publisher, Bloomsbury,
lets surfers enter a Muggles site or a Witches & Wizards site. Once in
the Muggles site, you can read an introduction to the Harry Potter series,
find out what awards the books have won, read reviews from major U.S. and UK
newspapers, read FAQs, order Harry Potter books, browse through a glossary
of book terms and read a biography of author J.K. Rowling. If you choose to
be a Witch or Wizard, you must first pass a quiz to enter the site. Once
you have proven your sorcery powers, you can read about J.K. Rowling's
creation of the Harry Potter books, join Bloomsbury's Harry Potter Web Club,
send a Howler to friends or play an interactive trivia game.
Kidsreads.com's Harry Potter site
offers reviews and excerpts from the books, an interview with J.K. Rowling,
trivia, puzzles, a Who's Who guide, a What's What
glossary and a display of Harry Potter book covers from around the world.
More Potter Fodder
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone hit the silver screen Nov. 16, 2001. Check the official movie site for trailers and news updates.
- The Harry Potter books have also inspired music.
Download this song about
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone or
read the lyrics.
- Kids Domain presents recipes
for Harry Potter-style treats and crafts.
- InfoPlease.com's Kids Almanac has converted dialogue from Harry Potter and
the Sorcerer's Stone into Haikus. Submit your own!
Fan Fever
Hagrid's Hut collects ideas from the book and
tries to bring them to life in its virtual tour of Diagons Alley, Hogwarts
and the Hogsmeade candy shops.
Scandalous Sorcery?
That's right. The Evil Voldemort is not the only one who's got it out for
Harry Potter. Read more about the debate at these sites:
Kidspeak is a
coalition of people against the banning of books in schools and libraries.
The American Library Association has a list of
The 100
Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2000 as well as other resources on challenged and banned books.
Read about objections to the Harry Potter series at the
Family Friendly
Libraries' site. Under the table of contents,
click on FLF Book Reports and scroll down the left sidebar to view articles.
--- L. Judge
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