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or all about Harry for adults…
‘The Harry Potter Phenomenon’ is a cliché – but it’s true. From the groundswell of popularity of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, through to the current media hype – Harry Potter and his world is now firmly entrenched into the popular psyche.
Why? What does it mean? These books explore these, and other questions.
Harry in children’s literature
By Jack Zipes
Zipes isn’t afraid to pose difficult questions, and those in this book are very deep. Zipes argues that there isn’t really any such thing as a children’s literature, and that it is all a grown-up version of how they believe childhood should be. Following on from there, Zipes proposes that instead of actually providing freedom, the literature is really narrowing the boxes – by its very success, children’s books are limiting children’s views and behaviour.
Of particular note in this context is the last chapter: “The phenomenon of Harry Potter, or Why all the talk?”.
By Alison Lurie
Lurie relates authors’ lives to their texts – arguing that the authors are exploring their own issues through their literature.
Julia Eccleshare; foreword by Anne Fine
Laid out in chronological order, these are brief introductions to famous children’s writers, setting them in the context of their time.
By Pamela Gates, Susan B. Steffel, Francis J. Molson
Although, bizarrely, Harry gets barely a mention in this book – this is a good introduction to the world of fantasy in children’s literature. It is divided into three main sections: fairy tales; mixed fantasy; heroic-ethical traditions (this is where Harry briefly visits). It creates a good basis for studying Harry as part of a wider genre.
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The world of Harry Potter and Harry Potter in our world
By Francis Bridger
“I write as a theologian, a Christian, a pastor and a grandparent, and find myself engaging with Potterworld on all four levels.”
In this volume Bridger explores the popularity of Harry and his world – it’s not the fantasy, by the way – and rebuts the schools and libraries who have banned the books. This is fascinating and thoughtful, even for non-Christians.
Edited by Elizabeth E. Heilman
This book is divided into four sections, each exploring Harry Potter’s world in different ways: Cultural Studies Perspectives; Reader Response and Interpretive Perspectives; Literary Perspectives: The Hero, Myth, and Genre; Critical and Sociological Perspectives. Topics explored include discussions of gender; home and family. You can see in Harry’s world the same ‘must-have’ acquisitive consumer culture that exists outside the books – Harry “is cool because he has an invisible cloak and a really good broomstick”. There’s advice for using the books to discuss death and grief; a Navajo graduate student can see connections with her own life; there’s discussion over Harry as a return of the romantic hero.
By Roger Highfield
A science journalist, Highfield has previously looked into the science of Christmas (The physics of Christmas: from the aerodynamics of reindeer to the thermodynamics of turkey). For the older Harry fan, this is a wonderful introduction to various scientific theories – from game theory to evolution, via the anatomy of dragons and anti-gravity.
By Colleen Dunn Bates and Susan LaTempa
Dream family holidays to places made famous through children’s books. A wonderful piece of armchair travel – but without the pictures! Not only Harry Potter’s London, but there’s also Paddington Bear’s London; Anne of Green Gables’ Prince Edward Island; Concord, Massachusetts of Little Women; the Lake District of Peter Rabbit and other literary adventures.
By John Matthews
This is an intriguing look at the power of wizardry through the ages – from Moses and shamans to Jedi knights and Harry Potter.
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