Harry PotterBooks, movies, quotations, overview
Sponsored link.
The latest books:
The latest movies:Amazon Screening Room's "DVD Editors" said:
"In late 2006 and early 2007, the Harry Potter DVDs will be going on
moratorium. This means that Warner, like Disney often does, won't be
producing any more new copies of these movies. You'll still be able to buy
them from Amazon as long as we have copies in stock, so be sure to get yours
before they're gone."
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"...tampering with the occult is potentially far more
dangerous for children, often leading to spiritual confusion,
psychological problems and, in all too many cases, suicide...The
Potter books, under a cloak of innocence, are infecting the minds of
millions....I believe the Potter books represent something dark and
sinister under the guise of entertainment for children."
Daniel Zanoza 1
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"The world of imagination and fantasy can help pass on to the child cultural and social messages [and] function
as a way to experience vicariously things an individual could not do first-hand."
C. Aminadav, International Journal of Adolescent Medicine &
Health. 1995 APR-JUN, 8: Pages 103-106.
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"The Bible is clear about
issues such as witchcraft, demons, devils and the occult...they are real, powerful and
dangerous. Throughout it insists that God's people should have nothing to do
with them." Carol Rookwood, Principal, St. Mary's Island School in
Kent, UK
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Comments from kids about the fourth volume:
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"I like the books because they're magical, with things
that don't happen in real life. Most books aren't like that."
Lauren Crane, East Islip, LI. (Aged 12) |
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"Intensely awesome." Nick Pesce, Golden's
Bridge, NY. (10) |
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"It was really mysterious at the end of the first
chapter. It made me want to read more." Lily Applebaum, Golden's Bridge, NY. (9) |
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"I'm glad it's so long. There's more to read."
Michael Zhang, Greenwich Village, New York, NY. (10) 2
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Harry Potter is a fictional young wizard. He is the hero of a
series of books written by a previously little-known British author, Joanne (Jo) K.
Rowling. The full set of seven books cover Harry's life from aged 11 to 17;
the last book was published in 2007. As of 2009-JUL-15, six movies have been released.
The seventh and final movie will be made in two parts. These books have been enormously popular. They are
something of a publishing sensation.
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As of 1999-SEP:
"...the first two Harry Potter books have sold almost 2 million
copies in Britain and more than 5 million in the U.S. The novels have been
translated into 28 languages, including Icelandic and Serbo-Croatian."
3
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By mid-2000, over 35 million books had been sold
worldwide. 4 The print runs in the U.S, Britain and
Canada for the fourth book in the series total 5.6 million copies. Amazon.com and FedEx
organized a massive program to deliver volume 4 on the day of issue:
2000-JUL-8. Chapters.ca in Canada scheduled a most unusual Saturday
delivery with Canada Post. Many bookstores will open at one minute past
midnight on Saturday morning for clients who just can't wait to get their
personal copy.
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On 2000-JUL-3, Amazon.com listed the first four
books among their
five most popular books, from among the over 1 million titles that they sell. They
were at the top of the New York Times best seller list for 38 weeks, as of
1999-SEP. Harry even made the cover of Time, Newsweek and Maclean's.
5 "First, the Scottish Arts Council gave her a grant to finish
the book. After its sale to Bloomsbury (UK) and Scholastic Books, the accolades
began to pile up. Harry Potter won The British Book Awards' Children's Book of
the Year, and the Smarties Prize, and rave reviews on both sides of the
Atlantic. Book rights have been sold to England, France, Germany, Italy,
Holland, Greece, Finland, Denmark, Spain and Sweden." 6 Rowling
has won the 1997 National Book Award (in the UK), the 1998 New York Public
Library Best Book of the Year, and Parenting Book of the Year for 1998.
Droves of young children, who had previously been poor readers, have excitedly read the Potter
books and asked for more.
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A description of the four books and sample chapters can be
read at the American publisher's web site. 7 However, because of some of the themes in the book
(spells, Witches, Witchcraft, sorcery, divination, etc.), some
conservative Christians have raised objections to these books. According to the Boston Globe:
"The American Library Association
placed the 'Harry Potter' books at the top of its list of the most-often
challenged books last year, saying that critics had sought to ban the
books for occult, Satanism, and anti-family themes." 8
These attempts at censorship do not seem to have been particularly
successful in North America. In fact, they may have added to the books'
popularity.
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References:
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Daniel Zanoza, "The danger of Harry Potter,"
Chicago Tribune, 2000-JUL-13, at:
http://chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/voiceofthepeople/
- Matthew Creamer & Thomas Hackett, "Kids,
booksellers wild about Harry," Daily News, 2000-JUL-9.
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Paul Gray: "Wild about Harry: The exploits of a young wizard have
enchanted kids and adults alike and brought a new kind of magic to
children's literature," Time Magazine, 1999-SEP-20. See:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/articles/
- Audrey Woods, "At the heart of Harry,"
Associated Press, reprinted in Toronto Star, 2000-JUL-7, Page E14.
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"Harry Potter banned from school," 2001-JAN-26, Religion
Today, at:
http://news.crosswalk.com/religion/item/
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Paul Gray: "A primer on Harry's world," Time Magazine,
1999-DEP-20, at:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/articles/
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"Harry Potter," at:
http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/books/
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Pamela Newby, "Harry Potter Controversy," CBN News, at:
http://www.cbn.org/newsstand/stories/991020b.asp
Copyright © 2000 to 2009 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Originally written: 2000-JUL-3
Latest update: 2009-JUL-15
Author: B.A. Robinson 
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