I have never read a Harry Potter book, nor have I watched a minute of any of the movies. In fact, I know almost nothing about the story of the boy wizard, other than what I have pieced together over the years from news blurbs or word of mouth. I know more about the commercial success of the books than the plot.

I do not want to build the perception that I am anti-Harry Potter, since that is not true. I like Harry Potter because it gets children to read. Children may not necessarily become avid readers because of one book series, but at least they are reading something and getting away from the television for once.

I simply have never taken part in Potter mania because the premise of the story does not interest me. In short, I do not care about wizards or spells and I can think of few topics I would like to read about less.

I must say that sometimes the massive exposure of Harry Potter is annoying, but I do not want to be a hypocrite as I am a pretty big Star Wars fan. I must clarify that I do not understand waiting in line for weeks before the release of something; this goes for both Harry Potter and Star Wars.

High power franchises are nothing new in entertainment as we have seen in works like Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings or Star Trek. Harry Potter is slightly different and more important is that the craze was initially over the book series. I mentioned Lord of the Rings which, of course, is a series of books, but the craze over that did not maximize until the films were released starting in 2001. Harry Potter was highly popular even before the films were released, though it is true that the films have made the franchise more popular.

What further makes Harry Potter important is that the books are targeted towards children, and they love them. Stereotypically, children spend less time reading and more time watching television or playing video games, but the Harry Potter books have been one of the few things to take children’s eyes away from the screens.

I must note that Harry Potter is not the first children’s book craze since television has become the prime entertainment source for children. Those old enough can remember the popularity of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series in the 1990’s.

Although Rowling’s books are intended for children, many adults have become fans of the series whether they enjoy the books themselves or simply enjoy that their children enjoy reading something. Here at Eastern, there is a Harry Potter RSO for our very own students that are fans of the series.

Adding to the significance of Harry Potter mania is the fact that it is a worldwide phenomenon; being translated into dozens of different languages and read by millions of people from different cultures. It is interesting that the world is uprooted in so many ways, but not over this particular book series.

There are criticisms of the books, however. Most recognizable are claims by conservative religious types that the books promote witchcraft and the occult. Such claims seem to be ineffective in general for the most part as the books continue to fly off the shelves, and not by the power of some sorcerer.

My conclusion on the subject of Potter mania is that it is an overall positive thing. Children are reading, people join together in their appreciation for these works of print, and finally and most importantly, it brings joy to the hearts of millions of people. Some people may go overboard, but that will be found in any example of popular culture.