1. J.K. Rowling An Author Presentation by Lauren A. Bartoe

2. Early Impressions: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone My mother worked at our local Borders Express bookstore throughout my childhood, so she often brought home the newest “hot” titles for me to peruse. When she brought me the first Harry Potter, I was in sixth grade and hesitant to read about wizards (how weird !). It sat on my bookcase for a few weeks until I got through some more pressing titles. When I finally did open Sorcerer’s Stone, I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. The characters were endearing and complex, the plot was gripping, and Rowling’s fictional world was captivating. The remainder of sixth grade consisted of seeking others who had been wooed by Rowling and coming together as the Potterheads that are so ubiquitous today.

3. Growing Up With Harry I was lucky to have a unique experience with the Harry Potter novels—I grew up alongside the characters. Consequently, the books engaged me with their familiar and relatable themes. In the early books, Rowling relies on themes dealing with childhood: fitting in, making friends, learning to be independent. As the books progress and the characters age, the themes become more mature and, in some cases, darker: finding one’s identity, finding love, coming to grips with the past, mourning loved ones, resisting evil. Though the events and settings are pure fiction, the human experience is true; for this reason, the characters become truly beloved, to the point that readers feel genuine sadness when any of them suffer and, especially, die. Tears shed at characters’ deaths are enveloped in as much grief as if that character were a living friend.

4. The Paragon of Fictional Worlds As an adult—and one who studied literature in college for four years—I am now able to appreciate the impressiveness of Rowling’s development of the wizarding world. I spent the summer of 2012 rereading all seven novels in succession, which enlightened me even further to Rowling’s skill. It is evident that the entire fictional world existed in Rowling’s imagination from page one. Characters interact with one another and share histories together seamlessly. Their legacies as people are tangible and real to the Harry Potter reader. For example, Sirius Black as a character does not appear until book three ( The Prisoner of Azkaban ); yet, his name appears within the very first pages of book one (Hagrid mentions in passing that he has borrowed Sirius Black’s motorbike to deliver the infant Harry to the Dursley’s home). Clearly, Rowling had envisioned the population of her fictional world and how their lives were intertwined well before the plot was presented to readers. For this reason, readers literally enter a new world when they begin the Harry Potter series.

5. Generations to Come In our time, we have had the rare luck to experience the Harry Potter phenomenon first-hand. There is no way to recreate the anticipation of awaiting the release of the next book, or the depression at the close of book seven (I’m certain that I’m not alone in this!). Although younger generations will not get to enjoy this layer of the Harry Potter experience, the timeless themes, character development, and expertly crafted settings will maintain readers’ affection for generations. Rowling has contributed to our culture in permanent fashion.

6. Beyond Harry Potter I must admit that I have not yet read Rowling’s most recent release, The Casual Vacancy, which is not a Harry Potter installment or even in the fantasy genre. I am not yet ready to depart from Rowling’s wizarding world to explore her new worlds. This is testament to her talent as a writer—she has created a fictional world so complete, even her own new writing seems to pale in comparison. One day I will be ready to try Rowling’s new work. And I have no doubt that, while the settings and characters will be vastly different, my experience in another of Rowling’s worlds will be just as satisfying and gripping.